I met someone in Singapore during my interview who first challenged me throughout my interview seminar, and then when in our 1:1 meeting. He told me that my "so called ideas" will certainly fail because they are unsupported theoretically, experimentally, and financially. ~A week later (I was in Europe already), he sends me the plans, and very practical testing details of the technology that attracted me in the first place...
I spent 20+ years in a high-tech industry. Whenever someone challenged my expertise, I learned that my best defence was Stoicism. It only made them more frustrated and eventually lead them to believe that l might have more cards than I was willing to show at the table.
I suspect that is what you unwittingly did... Demonstrated you could remain calm in a storm. Detachment can be a powerful tool when used at the right time.
