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Should Kids Follow in Our Founder Footsteps?
The Evolution of Entry Level Workers
Assume Everyone Will Leave in Year One
Stop Listening to Investors
Was Mortgaging My Life Worth it?
What's My Startup Worth in an Acquisition?
When Our Ambition is Our Enemy
Are Startups in a "Silent Recession"?
The 5 Types of Startup Funding
What Is Startup Funding?
Do Founders Deserve Their Profit?
Michelle Glauser on Diversity and Inclusion
The Utter STUPIDITY of "Risking it All"
Committees Are Where Progress Goes to Die
More Money (Really Means) More Problems
Why Most Founders Don't Get Rich
Investors will be Obsolete
Why is a Founder so Hard to Replace?
We Can't Grow by Saying "No"
Do People Really Want Me to Succeed?
Is the Problem the Player or the Coach?
Will Investors Bail Me Out?
The Value of Actually Getting Paid
Why do Founders Suck at Asking for Help?
Wait a Minute before Giving Away Equity
You Only Think You Work Hard
SMALL is the New Big — Embracing Efficiency in the Age of AI
The 9 Best Growth Agencies for Startups
This is BOOTSTRAPPED — 3 Strategies to Build Your Startup Without Funding
Never Share Your Net Worth
A Steady Hand in the Middle of the Storm
Risk it All vs Steady Paycheck
How About a Startup that Just Makes Money?
How to Recruit a Rockstar Advisor
Why Having Zero Experience is a Huge Asset
My Competitor Got Funded — Am I Screwed?
The Hidden Treasure of Failed Startups
If It Makes Money, It Makes Sense
Why do VCs Keep Giving Failed Founders Money?
$10K Per Month isn't Just Revenue — It's Life Support
The Ridiculous Spectrum of Investor Feedback
Startup CEOs Aren't Really CEOs
Series A, B, C, D, and E Funding: How It Works
Best Pitch Decks Ever: The Most Successful Fundraising Pitches You Need to Know
When to Raise Funds
Why Aren't Investors Responding to Me?
Should I Regret Not Raising Capital?
Unemployment Cases — Why I LOOOOOVE To Win Them So Much.
How Much to Pay Yourself
Heat-Seeking Missile: WePay’s Journey to Product-Market Fit — Interview with Rich Aberman, Co-Founder of Wepay
The R&D technique for startups: Rip off & Duplicate
Why Some Startups Win.
Chapter #1: First Steps To Validate Your Business Idea
Product Users, Not Ideas, Will Determine Your Startup’s Fate
Drop Your Free Tier
Your Advisors Are Probably Wrong
Growth Isn't Always Good
How to Shut Down Gracefully
How Does My Startup Get Acquired?
Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?
How to Pick the Wrong Co-Founder
Staying Small While Going Big
Investors are NOT on Our Side of the Table
Who am I Really Competing Against?
Why Can't Founders Replace Themselves?
Actually, We Have Plenty of Time
Quitting vs Letting Go
How Startups Actually Get Bought
What if I'm Building the Wrong Product?
Are Founders Driven by Fear or Greed?
Why I'm Either Working or Feeling Guilty
Startup Financial Assumptions
Why Every Kid Should be a Startup Founder
We Only Have to be Right Once
If a Startup Sinks, Founders Go Down With it
Founder Success: We Need a Strict Definition of Personal Success
Is Quiet Quitting a Problem at Startup Companies?
Founder Exits are Hard Work and Good Fortune, Not "Good Luck"
Finalizing Startup Projections
All Founders are Beloved In Good Times
Our Startup Culture of Entitlement
The Bullshit Case for Raising Capital
How do We Manage Our Founder Flaws?
What If my plan for retirement is "never retire"?
Startup Failure is just One Chapter in Founder Life
6 Similarities between Startup Founders and Pro Athletes
All Founders Make Bad Decisions — and That's OK
Startup Board Negotiations: How do I tell the board I need a new deal?
Founder Sacrifice — At What Point Have I Gone Too Far?
Youth Entrepreneurship: Can Middle Schoolers be Founders?
Living the Founder Legend Isn't so Fun
Why Do VC Funded Startups Love "Fake Growth?"
How Should I Share My Wealth with Family?
How Many Deaths Can a Startup Survive?
This is Probably Your Last Success
Why Do We Still Have Full-Time Employees?
The Case Against Full Transparency
Should I Feel Guilty for Failing?
Always Take Money off the Table
Founder Impostor Syndrome Never Goes Away

How Do "Founder Therapy Groups" Work?

Wil Schroter

How Do "Founder Therapy Groups" Work?

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Imagine sitting in a room where every person across from you is dealing with the same crazy startup shit that you are.

Everyone is worried about making not only payroll but their mortgage payment. Everyone is wondering how to deal with annoying investors. Everyone feels like a total fraud, not just you. And most importantly — everyone is willing to talk about it — honestly.

Welcome to Founder Therapy.

There's a growing trend among Founders to begin talking openly and honestly about the issues we face, beyond online rants and in private spaces where we can get back to being real people.

I've been hosting these sessions for over 20 years all around the country, mostly in my home, and have sat with over 1,000 Founders in that time. What I've learned is that bringing Founders together in a room can create some of the most honest and compelling discussions I've ever had.

It's truly a spiritual experience.

How does the evening go?

It's super chill.

At the beginning of the evening, one person lets folks know that each Founder will explain what they are working on, what their challenges are, and what they could use help with.

The "ask" of what folks can use help with is the most important, as it allows other Founders to tap their resources to help, which also brings the group together.

Founders love to help other Founders.

Is this some touchy-feely therapy session?

Not at all. It's just dinner or drinks. It could be coffee, but not surprisingly I've found Vodka Gimlets to be way more effective.

The evening isn't about "therapy" and I've never used that word. It's really just about allowing Founders to talk openly to their peers in a way that few of us ever do.

The more honest one Founder becomes in the discussion the more it permits the rest of the folks in the room to do the same.

How do we know who to invite?

There is a little calibration that helps here.

Often the groups are more effective if they can relate to each other's problems, and by way of that offer insight and support. It's sometimes difficult for a bootstrapped Founder trying to figure out how to hire one employee to relate to a venture-backed Founder with 1,000 employees.

Also, it's worth noting that in most cases at least half of the people in the room have never met each other, and in most cases, as the host, I've never met them either.

That sounds kind of awesome — how do I do this?

If you're feeling alone as a Founder — you're not alone.

Chances are every Founder in your city is feeling the same way, and would really appreciate the ability to get together to talk shop and if nothing else, blow off some steam.

The invite is simple — just invite a group of 6-12 Founders somewhere that everyone can have a single conversion. I do it in my living room, but you could just as soon do it anywhere you have some privacy (that's key).

The group can change every time if you'd like, and you'll probably find that Founders want to bring their friends to the next one.

All that you need is the first invite to get the ball rolling.

In Case You Missed It

The emotional cost of being a startup Founder (podcast) Wil and Ryan discuss how to start having a more open conversation about what it really costs to be a startup Founder.

5 Things Founders Don’t Talk About. As Founders, it’s hard to talk about personal feelings, especially when they relate to failing. But these conversations need to happen.

How do you deal with the emotional ups and downs of starting a business? Kris Kelso, Founder of the Kelso Group, breaks down the 3 ways he deals with the forces of startup loneliness.

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