Startup Therapy

In today's bonus episode, we talk to Steve Blank - the godfather of Silicon Valley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

As a Founder, when was the last time you felt like you had no idea what you were doing? Today we talk about why feeling like a fraud is actually a very normal part of Founder life. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Stay longer. Work harder. Sleep less...as startup Founders we've all gone through periods where this felt necessary. Today we'll talk about what you can do to balance life and startup, and why it's actually beneficial for you and your startup to do so. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

As a Founder, you've likely spent years in the build-up to actually starting your company, but how much time did you dedicate to preparing your spouse for the leap into entrepreneurship? Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

50-50, even-Steven, when splitting equity equal is best, right? Today on the Startup Therapy podcast we discuss why cutting things right down the middle is rarely fair to start and only gets further out of balance as time goes on. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Why is it everyone talks about starting companies, but nobody ever tells us how to shut them down? Today on the Startup Therapy podcast we'll cover how to wind down a startup with as much grace as possible. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

What if I told you growth doesn't always make a startup better? Today on the Startup Therapy podcast we're going to talk about why the focus should be making our startups better, not just bigger. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

What if the advice you're getting from the smartest people you know...is wrong? Today on the Startup Therapy Podcast we'll discuss how to seek advice, how to ensure you're getting the best advice, and how not to fall into the trap of letting other people's experiences dictate your actions. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Does your startup produce more anxiety than revenue? Does your morning routine consist of running down an endless list of worries? Do you lie awake at night and regret ever starting your business? Today we're going to explore why anxiety is a part of every founder's life. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

As a Founder, should your startup's salary be on par with whatever you were making at your last job? Or should you tough it out and not get paid at all? The answer is probably neither of those options. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

One of the most common questions among Founders is - Do I have to raise money for my startup? What that question generally means is: "Can you tell me how to raise money and where to find it?" Sure, every startup could put more money to use but does every startup need funding? Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

What if you could be completely broke, on the verge of bankruptcy at home, while still running a thriving business? Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

There are endless stories about Founders cashing out on their startups - but what happens to those Founders after the exit?  Are they happier for it?  If not, then how does that affect the path that current Founders are on?  Wil and Ryan dive into real post-mortems of what happens to Founders after they sell their company, and the painful emotional issues that come with life post-exit. Sign up for...

When we think about "startup exits" we think about "millions and billions".  But how life-changing could an exit of as "little" as $250,000 be?  A lot more than you might think, which is important because most people are far more likely to get to a $250k exit than millions or billions. Wil and Ryan unpack exactly how $250k could fundamentally change your life and how trying to get to that mileston...

A true startup is a meritocracy where big degrees and titles shouldn't determine how capable your team is or how fast each person can grow.  We talk about creating an environment where each team member can put their past accomplishments aside and focus exclusively on what they have contributed to the startup today.  Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

If you find yourself focusing more on not losing than winning then it could be time to fold the tents and pack up camp, but when should you make that call? Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

What if instead of focusing our startup around our product or revenue - we started optimizing for our own happiness?  What if our work hours gave us more time with our kids or who we worked with were only the people we enjoyed the most?  It's possible!  The key is thinking about your startup differently by using "personal happiness" as a core tenet of how the company works. Sign up for the Startup...

In the age of "unicorn valuations" and giant funding rounds, the world has lost sight of how valuable a startup can be with even a million dollars of revenue.  Ryan and Wil do a detailed walk through of exactly how important a million dollar business can be to a Founder and how dangerous it is to be lead astray by big numbers that have very little personal value to a you as a Founder. Sign up for...

Many of us play a horrible game of comparison, whereby we compare ourselves to other Founders, other startups, and if we're (un)lucky, the press and social media barrage we see of other people's success.  It's all BS.  The moment we start comparing ourselves to other people's apparent success, we all lose.  In this episode we talk about how to "stay in your own lane" and avoid the fallacy of follo...

No one talks about the intense emotional cost of being a startup Founder (so of course we do!)  From missing time with your loved ones to putting all of your chips on a single bet (and losing), we talk about the toll this takes on a Founder and what you can do to help alleviate some of this intense stress in your own journey. Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Wil and Ryan debunk the myth that startup Founders can work on multiple ideas at once and just pick the best one to run with.  We unpack the issues that come with trying to split your focus and how costly that decision can be.   Sign up for the Startups Newsletter https://www.startups.com/newsletter