Founder Psychology Fireside with Gena Gorlin
WHAT:
An invitation-only fireside and Q&A on the mental game of founding—with clinical psychologist and founder coach Gena Gorlin, and two seasoned founders/investors who've seen it all. Generously hosted by Entrepreneur First (EF).
We'll be exploring questions like:
Is there a tradeoff between mental health and ambition? (Spoiler: Gena says no!)
How do founders build conviction without deceiving themselves or ignoring their anxiety?
Is it bad to be motivated by money? Is it bad not to be?
What mindsets and skillsets do founders need to internalize—and unlearn—in order to build robust, win-win relationships with their cofounders, investors, and teams?
Does greatness come from suffering—or from the joyful exercise of agency?
Do we need to maintain “work-life balance”, or can we approach our whole life as one integrated building project?
TENTATIVE AGENDA:
5:30PM Doors Open
5:30-5:45PM Networking & Food (pizza + soft drinks will be served!)
5:45PM Doors Close
5:50PM Opening Remarks, followed by panel discussion
6:20PM Q&A
7:00PM Social Hour
WHO:
Dr. Gena Gorlin (Ph.D.) is a licensed psychologist, UT Austin faculty member, and coach specializing in the needs of ambitious founders. She has coached hundreds of VC-backed tech founders and co-founding teams across stages (from pre-seed to post-exit). Her mission is to raise the psychological ceiling on what the most ambitious founders can build—from more ingeniously innovative products, to more thriving company cultures, to more flourishing, fully-lived lives. She writes a popular newsletter, makes regular media appearances (e.g., on Jim O'Shaughnessy’s Infinite Loops podcast), and is writing a book with Penguin on her distinct approach to the psychology of ambition.
Alice Bentinck is co-founder and CEO of EF, an international talent investor that invests in exceptional individuals pre-company and helps them build a startup from scratch. The companies that have been built through EF are now worth >$10bn. Alice and Gena have been collaborating for years on supporting the psychological needs of EF's portfolio founders. They had a blast co-hosting the Founder's Mindset podcast in 2022-23, and they're excited to "get the band back together" for this event.
Ashwin Lalendran is currently a Seed-stage investor at Moxxie Ventures. He is a former founder and engineer with experience designing and deploying AI/ML and computer vision systems across land, air, sea, and space. He previously led engineering teams at Apple and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Ashwin's passion is for "engineering sensing systems to connect our physical world." He and Gena first met at an un-conference retreat for founder families with young children, which is a community near and dear to both their hearts.