Understanding psychology is crucial for effective founder evaluation and investment decisions.
Successful founders often exhibit unique traits that contribute to their success in entrepreneurship.
Reference checks play a vital role in comprehensively assessing individuals before making hiring or investment decisions.
Balancing rationality and intuition is key in decision-making, particularly when evaluating people or dealing with emotions.
Deep dives
Importance of Psychology in Investing
Applying psychology to investing is crucial as it helps evaluate people effectively. Understanding psychology is essential for both founders and investors. As a CEO or investor, managing the psychology of employees and founders is vital. Skills learned in psychology can be directly applied to real-world scenarios, making one an effective leader or investor.
Insights on Founder Evaluation
Founder evaluation requires structured and thoughtful analysis. Effective evaluation goes beyond the surface level traits. Contrary to common belief, psychopathologies may not always be deal breakers. Successful founders often exhibit a degree of peculiar traits, indicating that uniqueness can be a strength in entrepreneurship.
Significance of Reference Checks
Reference checks are undervalued but critical in understanding individuals. Back-channeling references can provide valuable insights. Multiple reference checks from various perspectives help in making informed decisions. References serve as a key factor in avoiding bad hires or investments.
Balancing Rationality and Intuition in Decision-Making
Balancing rationality and intuition is essential in decision-making. Intuition can guide decisions about people effectively. However, feedback from trusted individuals is equally important. In situations not involving people, emotions should be approached with caution to prevent impulsive decision-making.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a Philosophy and Therapy for Life Navigation
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes the importance of holding emotions, thoughts, and feelings lightly, allowing for a flexible approach to engaging with them. ACT encourages mindfulness to navigate strong negative emotions, promoting the idea of choosing actions aligned with personal values rather than reacting on autopilot.
Behavioral Treatments in Therapy: Focus on Behavioral Exercises and Action Plans
In therapy, the main focus is on behavioral treatments, emphasizing active problem-focused approaches. Sessions involve assessing well-being, setting agendas, and recommending behavioral exercises to encourage engagement and actions. This approach is akin to a structured management meeting with action plans and shared responsibilities.
Discovering and Managing Identities and Self-Perception
Exploring the concept of multiple selves or identities, individuals can effectively engage and disengage with different parts of themselves, such as the leader, the partner, the creator, or the lover. By acknowledging and understanding various aspects of identity, individuals can navigate relationships, work, and personal growth with resilience and self-awareness.
Energy Management for Productivity and Well-Being
Prioritizing energy management over time management, the key to productivity lies in balancing focused engagement with adequate rest and recovery. Incorporating micro-restoration activities throughout the day, such as breaks, walks, naps, and mindful pauses, can enhance energy levels, cognitive function, and overall well-being in professional and personal contexts.
We apologize for the audio quality of this episode — we had technical difficulties during recording.
Remember: applications for the winter vintage of our network catalyst accelerator are due September 20 — make sure to apply before then. Check out more info below.
Erik is joined on this episode by Dr. Cameron Sepah (@drsepah), founder, investor, entrepreneur, and a clinical psychologist.
They talk about:
- Why founders have to be “chief psychologists” (as popularized by Mark Suster)
- Which frameworks for personality types are helpful and which are not
- Why “to be great you have to be a bit abnormal”
- His recommendations on sleep, physical activity, and nutrition
- What a “dopamine fast” is and why you should commit to one
- Why meditation is not a panacea
- The difference between Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Thanks for listening — if you like what you hear, please review us on your favorite podcast platform.
Check us out on the web at villageglobal.vc or get in touch with us on Twitter @villageglobal.
Venture Stories is brought to you by Village Global and is hosted by co-founder and partner, Erik Torenberg.
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Village Global’s Network Catalyst accelerator is a personalized program that features masterclasses from some of the best in Silicon Valley and a dedicated network leader focused on making the introductions you need to turbocharge your company. You can participate in-person in San Francisco or virtually from anywhere around the world.
Find out more and apply before September 20 at villageglobal.vc/networkcatalyst.
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