Sean Kelly's Linkedin Analytics

The world got quite a bit healthier today. Congrats to Superpower on their $30M Series A. We've been fervent supporters of Jacob Peters Max Marchione Kevin Unkrich and the phenomenal SP team from the time the company was little more than an idea... Investing in this round and the three before it. Why? I'm not sure if we've met a company with stronger founder-problem fits... And a more compelling and ambitious mission that is directly aligned with what we stand for as a health & wellness oriented VC firm: Superpower is building the world's first health superapp to deliver proactive, preventative, and personalized healthcare to everyone... Helping people find & locate health problems before they cause irreversible damage. Jacob Peters nearly lost his life after spending $2 million navigating misdiagnosed conditions that specialists missed. Max Marchione endured decades of health struggles misdiagnosed by 20 different doctors. Co-founder and CTO Kevin Unkrich lost his best friend to a brain tumor in his teens— just 2 days before he was scheduled for an MRI. Nothing is more powerful when trying to build an impactful company than a WHY that drives your every move and inspires you to conquer every challenge. Congrats guys, we're thrilled to be backing your pursuit at The Family Fund & Founder Community. And proud to be investing alongside top-notch firms Forerunner Susa Ventures Long Journey Day One Ventures. Josh Wand Kurt Seidensticker Christine Wang Colleen Kang

I can learn more about your longevity by how often you laugh with friends than from any blood panel. And I say this as someone obsessed with biomarkers and quarterly testing. We've become so fixated on optimizing our bloodwork that we've missed the most powerful longevity hack of all: Human connection. The science isn't just clear, it's overwhelming: • Strong relationships provide a 50% survival advantage (bigger than quitting smoking) • Regular experiences of joy lower all-cause mortality more effectively than statins • Having purpose in life extends lifespan by 15% (more than any supplement stack) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 I'm all for optimizing your health through tracking. I get my blood drawn quarterly and track 100+ biomarkers religiously. But the biohacking community has a massive blind spot: We'll spend thousands on peptides and NAD drips while neglecting the fundamental pillars of longevity that cost nothing. The Harvard Study of Adult Development tracked people for 85+ years and found something shocking: The single strongest predictor of who would be alive and happy at age 80 wasn't: • Cholesterol levels • Genetic profiles • Exercise habits • Diet quality It was relationship satisfaction at age 50. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗢𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 This isn't just feel-good advice. The mechanisms are well-understood: • Social isolation increases inflammatory markers like IL-6 and C-reactive protein • Chronic loneliness elevates cortisol levels and suppresses immune function • Regular laughter decreases stress hormones and increases natural killer cell activity When you laugh with friends, you're literally activating longevity pathways. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅 The cruel irony? The same driven founders who meticulously track their health metrics are often the ones sacrificing their relationships in pursuit of success. I see this constantly: • Skipping family dinners for "just one more hour" • Canceling friend meetups to work on weekends • Putting off travel until some arbitrary business milestone The data is clear: this approach doesn't just make you miserable, it literally shortens your life. You can have the most optimized nutrition, exercise & sleep regimen on the planet. But if you're lonely, stressed, and missing purpose? You're still aging faster than you should be. We've over-medicalized aging and forgotten what really works: Laughter. Connection. Purpose. Joy. These aren't soft metrics. They're the hardest data points we have on longevity. — Found this helpful? ↻ Share it with a founder who's prioritizing bloodwork over friendships → Follow me: Sean Kelly for more insights on holistic performance → Join 11,597 founders getting weekly tactics: https://get.founderiv.com PS- When was the last time you laughed until it hurt? That might be the most important health metric you're not tracking.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

If you've built a company... And are thinking about getting into venture... A massive 30-year study just confirmed what you probably suspected: Founders make better VCs. A massive 30-year study just dropped some wild stats: • 7% of all VCs (825 out of 12,195) were founders first  • Founder-VCs average 6.7 investments vs 5.8 for traditional VCs  • Their careers last longer: 12.2 years vs 11.5 years  • IPO success rate: 1 in 8 vs 1 in 10 for traditional VCs But the numbers only tell part of the story... What's fascinating is HOW founder-VCs operate differently: 1. They know the dark side of startup life  • 92% make "significantly different" investment decisions  • 3x more likely to invest in pre-product companies  • 2x more likely to back first-time founders  (Because they remember what it was like) 2. They speak founder language  • Get picked 2.5x more often in competitive rounds  • Close deals 40% faster  • Portfolio companies raise follow-on rounds 31% faster  (While Chad from Goldman is still explaining what "TAM" means ;) 3. They provide REAL value  • Spend 3x more time with portfolio companies  • 84% say founder experience directly shapes their support  • Companies they back are 27% more likely to hit key milestones  (Because they've actually been there) The data gets even more interesting... When founder-VCs invest in their own industry:  • 6% higher success rate than traditional VCs  • 44% faster time to exit  • 2.3x better founder retention rates Why such a difference? Three reasons backed by data: 1. The "Been There" Effect  • 73% spend 3x more time with portfolio companies  • 89% report giving tactical vs. theoretical advice  • 2x more likely to spot real vs. vanity metrics 2. Domain Expertise That Matters  • 2x more likely to have deep industry knowledge  • Portfolio companies close customers 41% faster  • 3x better at identifying market timing issues 3. Network Effects  • 67% stronger operator networks  • 2.4x more warm intros to potential customers  • 52% faster time to key executive hires My take? If you're raising money... Stop obsessing over "prestigious" VC firms. Look for investors who've actually BUILT something. Preferably in YOUR industry. Because while fancy degrees are cool... Nothing beats someone who's already walked the path you're on. That's not 𝘮𝘺 opinion... That's 30 years of data talking. – If you're a founder thinking about making the jump to VC... Or wanting to learn how to build your own firm... Drop me a DM. We're building something special at The Family Fund. A community of founders helping founders. Whether you want to:  • Join our founder-led community  • Learn how to structure your own fund  • Or just geek out about the future of venture... P.S. For my fellow data nerds: Study was done by the National Bureau of Economic Research, tracking 12,195 VCs from 1990-2019. Pictured: My partners Josh, Kurt and I goofing around at our LP Summit aka Family Reunion in Malibu last year.

10 of the top lessons I've learned going from Founder to Founder VC. 𝟭. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 🚩 We've backed some absolute BEASTS:  • Ghost  • Bloom  • Our Place  • Happy Dad And guess what? They ALL had legit reasons, expressed by many smart people, to pass. Bold conviction is required. If everyone loves the deal you're overpaying. 𝟮. "𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀" 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 🤷‍♂️ We've got 60+ founder LPs at The Family Fund. Smart MFers who've built MASSIVE brands. But even THEY miss sometimes. Why? Because they judge new opportunities through the lens of how THEY did it. The world is changing faster than ever. 𝟯. 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 📊 Yes, you need to spot similarities. But if that's ALL you do... You'll miss the next Airbnb, Figma, or Superpower. These companies BROKE patterns. 𝟰. 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 > 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 💫 Most investors flex their:  • Intelligence  • Sophisticated thesis  • "Thought leadership" But having subpar access is like Gordon Ramsay cooking with gas station ingredients. Worthless if you're not seeing the best deals. And this is why high-quality, long-lasting relationships with founders (#1) and other firms (#2) is most important. 𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 😱 When fundraising is tough (i.e. today):  • Deals get less competitive  • Valuations come down  • Smart money makes MOVES You make more money when you buy then when you sell (just gotta' make sure you CAN sell...) 𝟲. 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 🏗️ Most amateur angels:  "I'll put all my money in 3 deals and pray." Then act shocked when they lose it all. Pro tip: Put $10K alongside 10 deals with ONE firm at the same stage. Or just invest in the fund. 𝟳. 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 > 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 🎯 We've passed on some monsters. Yeah, it stings. But you know what hurts worse? Investing in companies you REGRET. If you have great access, you’re going to miss great deals OR invest in too many you shouldn't have. 𝟴. 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 🎯 We've walked away from deals that could've made us bank. Why?  • Founders who weren't great fits for our community  • BS products with zero/little efficacy Missing out for the RIGHT reasons > Investing for the wrong ones. Getting rich selling garbage is no way to live, or build a firm. 𝟵. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 🚫 This one is simple ;) 𝟭𝟬. 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 🤝 Shocking revelation: People prefer doing deals with people they LIKE. All the fancy analysis won't save you if you're an ass. The best deals rarely come from pitch decks. They come from relationships.

"Push through the stress!"—says the guy who's one Slack message away from a cardiac event. The grind culture BS needs to stop. I've built companies both ways: • Stressed to the max: aged like milk • Strategically calm: printed caysh The shocking truth? Your cortisol levels and your profit margins are inversely related. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Here's what running on stress does to your business: → You bounce between emergencies like a ping-pong ball → Your team duplicates your chaotic energy (goodbye culture) → Your creativity gets hijacked by survival mode → You optimize for busy instead of effective I've seen this firsthand. My first company nearly killed me. 16-hour days. Constant adrenaline. Sleeping under my desk. I wore exhaustion like a merit badge. And my business decisions? They were garbage. STRESS = STUPID DECISIONS When cortisol floods your system: • Your prefrontal cortex (decision center) literally shuts down • Your amygdala (fear center) takes over • Your ability to see opportunities vanishes It's biology, not psychology. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Then I tried something crazy for my next venture: Building a company while staying deliberately calm. Not zen-monk-meditation calm. Strategic calm. I created: ↓ Fewer meetings ↓ Clear boundaries ↓ Recovery protocols ↓ Stress monitoring systems Result? My profit margins skyrocketed while my working hours dropped. Think about elite athletes. Do they perform under constant stress? Hell no. They work in controlled bursts with strategic recovery. Same goes for Navy SEALs. They don't succeed because they're stressed. They succeed because they've mastered staying calm UNDER stress. 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵𝘀 Your stress addiction isn't helping. It's actively sabotaging your success. That burning sensation in your chest at 2am? Not a badge of honor. It's your body screaming for help. Those fear-driven decisions? They're costing you more than you realize. The business graveyard is filled with burned-out founders who thought hustle was the answer. Meanwhile, the founders who built systems for calm, strategic thinking are still standing. Which group sounds best to you? — Found this helpful? ↻ Share it with a founder who needs permission to chill the f*ck out → Follow me: Sean Kelly for more BS-free insights on performance → Join 11,597 founders getting weekly tactics: https://get.founderiv.com P.S. That voice telling you to push harder when you're exhausted? It's not ambition. It's anxiety. Learn to tell the difference.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

10,000 steps per day is BS. (Well, sort of...) It was literally made up by a Japanese company in 1965 to sell pedometers. A marketing stunt. But here's where it gets weird... Harvard scientists recently studied 72,000 people and discovered this completely random number was actually GENIUS. Like... accidentally genius. Here's how a bunch of marketers stumbled onto the fountain of youth: Picture this: Post-Olympic Japan, 1965. Some clock company notices everyone's getting lazy AF. So they create a pedometer. Cool. But they need something catchier than... "Hey, maybe walk sometimes?" Then some marketing genius notices something: The Japanese character for "10,000" (万) looks like a person walking. BOOM. They called it the "Manpo-kei" (10,000 steps meter). And accidentally changed health science forever. Here's the crazy part: Fast forward to NOW. Harvard nerds analyze 72,000 people over 7 years. The results? That random marketing number was basically perfect: • 39% lower chance of dying early • 50% lower risk of brain turning to mush • 21% lower risk of heart problems And check this out: Every extra 500 steps = 7% less likely to die from heart issues. (This is starting to sound like a bad infomercial, but I swear it's real.) But here's the best part: You don't even need to hit 10,000. Even hitting 4,000-4,500 steps cuts your "dying early" risk in HALF. And it works even if you sit on your ass all day. The REAL genius wasn't the number... It was the PSYCHOLOGY behind it: • High enough to matter • Low enough to feel possible • Simple AF to remember Sound familiar? It's the same framework we teach at FounderIV for building $10M businesses: • Ambitious but achievable targets • Simple systems that scale • Small actions that compound Because whether it's health or wealth... The best systems aren't complicated. They're SUSTAINABLE. Want more counterintuitive insights like this? Join 11,597 founders getting weekly tactics that actually work (link in bio). No BS. No guru garbage. Just proven systems from people who've built real shit. P.S. How many steps have you taken today? Your future self is either walking toward success or away from it.

The #1 "productive" habit that's keeping you broke: Your business podcast addiction. (And yeah, this is gonna trigger some people...) But these shows are the "Fat-Free Snackwells" of entrepreneurship. Remember those? Back in the 90s, everyone thought they were being "healthy" by crushing boxes of low-fat, sugar-packed processed garbage… While getting fatter than ever. Well, business idea podcasts are doing the same thing to your productivity. Here's why: Listening to some dude ramble about "107 side hustles you can start tomorrow" FEELS like work. It gives you that dopamine hit... That false sense of progress... Like you're actually building something. But you're not. You're just getting mentally fat on business junk food. Here's the truth nobody wants to hear: You don't need an endless stream of new ideas. You need to actually DO something with the ones you already have. Instead of binging another 3-hour podcast about "businesses anyone can start"... Why not just...ya know...START ONE?! Pick literally anything.  Build it.  Put it out there.  See if people give a shit. Look, I'm not saying podcasts are bad. Some can be incredible resources... IF (and this is a big if)... You actually IMPLEMENT what you learn. (And your listening doesn’t turn into another dopamine addiction) But let's be real: Most people are using business podcasts like productivity porn. Getting off on the IDEA of building something... While never laying a single brick. So here's my challenge: Delete your podcast app for 30 days. Take all that listening time... And put it into BUILDING. Start prioritizing CREATION over CONSUMPTION. Watch what happens. I want to help you become an entrepreneur. Not a wantrepreneur. PS - I’m launching a podcast soon. Seriously. This has to be the worst advertisement ever. PPS - If you don’t listen to my podcast because you’re too busy building, f’king awesome. Pictured: My friend Daina Trout (HealthAde) and I recording an episode of Brand Builder back in the day at SnackNation’s offices.

Remember when having 100s of employees was a flex? Those days are DONE. Bragging about your headcount today is like wearing a MAGA hat at the NPR offices. (Proceed very carefully) Let me paint you a picture: "We're crushing it! $10M revenue, 100 employees strong! 💪" Translation: "We're bleeding money on overhead and haven't figured out AI or leverage yet." Because here's the uncomfortable truth: If you need 100 people to generate $10M... You're basically running a fancy lemonade stand. The game has changed. AI isn't just a "tool" anymore... It's a force multiplier that's exposing outdated business models. Think about it: • Customer service? AI chatbots handle thousands of tickets simultaneously  • Ad creation? One person with AI produces like a team of 20  • Data analysis? AI processes in seconds what used to take departments weeks The new flex isn't your employee count... It's your revenue PER employee. $10M with 100 people? That's $100K per head. $10M with 10 people? Now we're talking REAL business. And before you hit me with... "But what about culture?"  "What about company picnics?"  "Who's gonna play on our softball team?" Ask yourself: Are you running a business or a social club? Because if you're not leveraging AI in 2024... You're basically paying people to do what machines do better. For free. 24/7. Without complaining about the office temperature. AND worst of all you’re keeping certain people in roles they likely hate. And should never be doing. And thankfully will never have to do again. Here's what smart founders are doing instead: • Hiring fewer, but higher-leverage players  • Using AI to automate repetitive tasks  • Focusing on efficiency over headcount  • Building scalable systems, not bloated teams The future belongs to lean, AI-powered operations. Not human-heavy dinosaurs waiting for extinction. So here's my challenge: Look at your team.  Look at your processes.  Look at your tech stack. Now ask yourself: "Could AI help me do more with less?" If the answer is yes (it is)... We should talk. – Want to better understand your company’s AI growth opportunities? Take the 2-min AI Growth Scorecard here: https://lnkd.in/gCszrMry P.S. The scorecard is free. Consider it my contribution to making business building suck less. Pictured: Our amazing SnackNation team in 2017…today we could build that same business with 1/10th the people. Maybe 1/20th.

The most toxic belief in business: Valuing Sacrifice > Results. (This runs deeper than you think.) We've been programmed since birth to believe: VALUE = SACRIFICE And it's killing businesses, relationships, and souls. Let me show you how DEEP this disease runs: We judge EVERYTHING through the lens of sacrifice:  • A $500 table is "cheap" because it was mass produced in 2 hours  • A $5000 table is "worth it" because an artisan spent 3 weeks on it (Even if they serve the exact same function.) 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲... We do this sh*t with PEOPLE too: We keep mediocre employees because "look how hard they try!" We pass on superstars because "it comes too easy to them” & “they should be working harder.” We pay people MORE for taking LONGER. (Make it make sense please.) And the really f’d up part? We do it to OURSELVES worst of all. If something comes easy to us... We feel GUILTY about it. Like we're somehow cheating the universe by not bleeding for our success. Now here's the thing... You can't change how the world thinks overnight. People are WIRED to value sacrifice. (Thousands of years of evolution ain't changing because you read this post.) So you gotta play it smart: 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: Show the sacrifice:  • "Hand-crafted with love..."  • "Perfected over 10,000 hours..."  • "We travel to remote villages..." (People need to FEEL the effort to value it.) 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦: Keep the efficiency hidden:  • Don't advertise your AI  • Don't brag about automation  • Don't reveal your shortcuts (Nobody wants to know their "artisanal" coffee was made by a robot...yet) But here's where it gets interesting... Because while you have to SHOW sacrifice to the world... You can run your actual business on RESULTS. The key? Start valuing things for what they ARE... Not what they COST to make. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄: 1. Judge output, not input  (Who cares if it took 2 minutes or 2 months?) 2. Celebrate efficiency  (Speed > Sweat) 3. Pay for results, not time  (Stop rewarding slow people with more money) 4. Use every shortcut available  (If AI can do it better, let it) 5. Protect your energy  (You're not a martyr, you're a business owner) Because here's the truth: The market might VALUE sacrifice... But sacrificing doesn't CREATE value. Results do. And you can't create results if you're too busy proving how hard you're trying. Pictured: Therasage CEO Robby Besner & I speaking about how to build a healthy company for all involved at the Family Fund LP Summit aka Family Reunion 2024 Malibu, CA. – Found this helpful? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow me for regular doses of business reality checks. Want more unconventional wisdom that actually works? Join my free newsletter where I reveal even more uncomfortable truths and insider insights: get.founderiv.com

“You need to plant the idea deep in their subconscious… so they think it’s their own.” That’s the core of the movie "Inception"—and also the secret to having real influence. Here's the neuroscience that explains why: People don't want to be told what to do. Our brains are wired to resist direct orders. Research shows that psychological reactance occurs when people perceive threats to their freedom of choice. This is why most advice falls flat—even when it's exactly what someone needs to hear. Brain imaging studies show increased activity in decision-making regions when people feel ownership of an idea. Subtle influence works better than direct advice. This is the power of inception—making someone feel like an idea was theirs. Here's how it works in practice: • Ask leading questions instead of giving answers • Share stories that plant seeds of thought • Create environments that nurture desired ideas • Use social proof subtly rather than overtly Your ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) integrates emotional responses with rational thought. When an idea feels self-generated, this region shows increased neural activity. But when it feels externally imposed? The response is significantly different. This is why the best leaders rarely tell—they guide. They understand that the path to influence isn't through authority, but through artful suggestion. Think about the last time you changed someone's mind... Was it through arguing and direct persuasion? Or was it through asking the right questions and letting them arrive at the conclusion themselves? The most powerful ideas are the ones people think they came up with on their own. This isn't manipulation—it's understanding human psychology. When used ethically, inception can: • Drive positive behavior change • Improve team performance • Enhance personal relationships • Create lasting transformation The key is respecting autonomy while skillfully guiding thought processes. The worst vice is advice. Plant ideas instead.

The hidden curse of successful people. It destroys motivation, crashes dopamine, and breaks high-performers—usually at the precipice of a big win. I've spent a lot of time analyzing the Achievement Paradox, and what I've uncovered is wild. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 Success feels amazing at first. Each win floods your brain with dopamine, the "motivation molecule" that drives action and reward. But there's a dark side to this rush that nobody talks about. Your brain's reward system gets overwhelmed, just like a muscle that needs recovery between workouts. Most high achievers never let up. They chase win after win, milestone after milestone. And that's where the system breaks: The dopamine hits from success get weaker over time. Your brain literally becomes desensitized, requiring bigger achievements to feel the same satisfaction. This creates a dangerous cycle: you work harder and harder, but feel less and less fulfilled. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 The more successful you become, the harder it gets to feel successful. Your expectations keep rising. Each win provides less emotional return than the last. Until you hit a breaking point. Research shows high-performers are 79% more likely to experience burnout compared to their peers. Not because they're working harder. But because their brain's reward system is fundamentally broken. The consequences are not awesome: - Chronic exhaustion despite achieving goals - Decreased motivation despite bigger opportunities - Inability to experience pleasure from achievements - Persistent anxiety about the next mountain to climb 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹 How to protect yourself: 1. Develop the core belief that you're enough, separate from your achievements 2. Schedule strategic recovery periods between major wins (this isn't optional) 3. Cultivate relationships with people who don't care about your work 4. Build meaning & purpose beyond fleeting achievement metrics 5. Maintain perspective through reflection (remember: we’re all going to die soon, and most people won't remember our accomplishments) This achievement paradox isn't a sign of weakness. It's your brain's natural response to sustained high performance. The key isn't fighting against it, it's designing your life to work with this biological reality. — Found this helpful? ↻ Share it with another high-performer → Follow me: Sean Kelly for more insights on sustainable performance  → Join 11,597 founders getting weekly tactics:  https://get.founderiv.com

A lot of investors are like bad doctors... They avoid the uncomfortable conversations until it's too late. But the best investors I've experienced? They cut straight through the BS and ask what actually matters: 𝟭. "𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆?" Not "can you"... but "WANT to." Because here's the uncomfortable truth: Founder-problem fit matters more than product-market fit.  (Especially after pivots, when the original mission has changed...) If the founder's heart isn't in it anymore? No amount of funding will fix that. RIP the damn bandaid. 𝟮. "𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴?" Not the pitch deck version. The 3am version. How are you sleeping? How's your marriage? When is the last time you had your biomarkers measured? How do they look? How do you FEEL about yourself? What's the #1 thing outside of biz that would most positively impact your life? Can I help with this?  (And they don't just accept first answer...they dig and REALLY listen) Actually give a damn about the person! No investor trait is more important. 𝟯. "𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁?" Not downloads. Not signups or first-time purchases. Who's telling friends without being prompted? I personally like to see examples, proof and strategies.   (Growth hacks hide weak product-market fit... but they can't fake real love.) 𝟰. "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼-𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀?" Because here's the truth: Hidden tensions between founders kill more startups than competitors ever will. And these convos only get harder with time. I like to do this by asking questions such as: - Tell me how your dividing up the responsibilities in the business? - What do you two (or three) feel differently about? - How's it going? What could be improved? You gotta' dig. 𝟱. "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲?" Growth doesn't fix bad math. It exposes it. Better to face that truth at $1M than $10M. If founders have ZERO feedback here I'm concerned. For instance, CAC almost always increases over time...what's the plan to counteract this? 𝟲. "𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?" Bad shareholders are like bad marriages... They don't get better with time. And they scare away good investors. 𝟳. "𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆?" Stressed founders make desperate moves. Personal runway = better decisions. Smart money knows this and puts founder-care as priority #1. Here's the reality: Good investors aren't just check writers... They're truth seekers. And sometimes that truth hurts. But you know what hurts more? Watching a company implode because nobody had the courage to ask hard questions The best founders I've experienced? They don't just tolerate these conversations... They welcome them.

Everyone's trying to learn from billies (aka billionaires)... Watching & writing about their every move... While overlooking the ACTUALLY valuable entrepreneurs right in front of them. Some truths about "above average successful" entrepreneurs: → They're everywhere → They're likely to respond to your DMs → Their stories are recent, relevant & practical Meanwhile... People are obsessively watching interviews of some billie explaining - likely misremembering - moves that: • Worked in completely different market conditions • Required insane amounts of luck/perfect timing • Aren't remotely practical for where you are now (And probably also required sacrificing their entire life for their biz...which you think you're cool with but in reality are not) Look... Would an extra $1M change your life? What about $10M? For 99% of folks, those numbers would be transformational. And here's the beautiful part: Getting to $1M-$10M is mostly about consistent execution. Getting to $1B? That needs: • Perfect timing • Massive luck • Complete and total sacrifice So here's a thought: Instead of trying to be the next Bezos, Zuck or Musk... Why not study the founder who built a $10M business in your industry last year? Their playbook is: • Proven • Recent • Replicable • Actually relevant to you Because despite what YouTube tells you... You can build a life-changing business without needing to revolutionize social media or colonize Mars.

5 non-obvious health changes that have impacted me the most: (#5 will probably surprise you the most) 𝗶) 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗰 (𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗰 (𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼) 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀 When you lift weights, your body activates mTOR—the signal telling muscles to grow. Intense cardio activates AMPK - your body's "energy conservation" signal. AMPK, activated by cardio, directly inhibits mTOR. Doing these together is COUNTER productive. Don't do it ;) 𝗶𝗶) 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗼 Most people need more muscle + mobility and less inflammation. This does that. Now that I spend less time running - especially long-distances - I've gained 20+ lbs of muscle, am far less "tight" & more flexible/mobile than before, and have a lower C reactive protein score (measure of inflammation). Weights 3-4 days/wk, low-distance cardio (3-4 miles) or sprints 2 days/wk. 𝗶𝗶𝗶) 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗮 --> 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗮 I love and use both, but I like traditional more. Why? - Higher heat = stronger cardiovascular + metabolic stress (think VO₂ max for your cells) - More robust activation of heat shock proteins for recovery + longevity - Faster, full-body sweat = deeper detox + lymphatic flush Pictured: My favorite way to end the day. 𝗶𝘃) 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲 & 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀/𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘀/𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 This will have a massively positive effect on keeping your blood sugar levels in check, which is one of the most important things you can do for your health regardless of your health goals. And YES it's better to eat walnuts or a protein shake before consuming candy/chips/etc even with the extra calories. 𝘃) 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 (𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀) The question "God, what are you asking of me today?" and the intention of being grateful for the path I'm on and the one I've been given is more important than any other health hack I've learned. If I did nothing above but this, I'd be in a pretty good place. What about for you?

AI isn’t coming for your job. It’s coming for your excuses. No budget? AI is ~free. No team? AI is the team. The playing field has never been more level. It’s not about resources anymore — it’s about resourcefulness. NOW is the time to start that business you've always wanted to start. The next few years are going to see an explosion in the number of start-ups created by first-time founders. This isn't just the age of AI. It's the age of entrepreneurship. What an exciting time to be alive.

ADHD founder? This may be your aha moment: Everyone talks about the OBVIOUS pains of being a founder: The sleepless nights. The constant self-doubt. The emotional rollercoaster of fundraising. But nobody talks about the REAL torture... Being forced to focus on ONE. SINGLE. THING. For years. While watching a thousand other opportunities pass you by. This is why founder-problem fit matters more than anything. And why if you're not obsessed with what you're working on, you need to move to something else. Otherwise being a founder is torture...like being handcuffed to the same project... While the rest of the world is having a party without you. THIS is one of the main reasons I decided to make the move from founder to founder-investor. Sure, the investor life has other perks: • More predictable and easier to cadence • Required to focus less on your journey & more on others • Solid way to create wealth if you become good at creating wealth for others But the REAL benefit? Getting to play in MULTIPLE sandboxes... Instead of JUST focusing on one business... I get to constantly: • Meet brilliant founders • Learn about new markets & opportunities • Help ambitious & curious people solve meaningful (and different) problems Does it replace the rush of building something from scratch? Hell no. Nothing beats that founder high. But for an ADHD, constantly curious mind like mine... Being able to stick my hands in different cookie jars on a continual basis is pretty damn close to bliss. That's why at The Family Fund... We're creating a COMMUNITY of founder-investors. Because active founders make the best damn investors (from a value-add perspective). Period. They just need the right training... And the right community around them. Are you interested in become a founder-investor? I'd love to help you. In my newsletter TOMORROW I breakdown the Top 10 Lessons I've Learned transitioning from a pureplay founder to a founder-investor. ⚡️ Want the full breakdown of my top 10 lessons learned? Click "View my Newsletter" above or link in the comments below to get my weekly newsletter. This week I'm sharing: • The counterintuitive truth about pattern recognition • Why "expert" investors are usually wrong • The ONE thing that matters more than being smart • Plus 7 more painful lessons I had to learn the hard way Would love to help you if you're exploring a similar path. Pictured: Investors & friends Wayne Wu Brian Goldberg Mark Rampolla and I having fun at the Family Fund LP Summit AKA Family Reunion last year in Malibu, CA.

We just invested in Happy Dad. Why? Besides the fact that we at the The Family Fund & Founder Community love and believe in the people behind the brand (most important), these are some other key call-outs: i) Macro tailwinds - US beer consumption has been on consistent decline YOY and consumers are increasingly seeking alternative options esp. in the low-alc RTD format ii) Incredible growth trajectory - 2022 was their first full year of operation and already on track to hit $100M+ topline this year iii) Leading driver for category performance - #1 (!!) in sell-through growth in hard seltzer last year across legacy and upstart brands iv) Significant untapped distribution - have achieved current scale by being in only ~27% of all relevant doors...clear path to driving further growth v) Top-notch brand love and community resonance - it's incredible to see how many folks love wearing Happy Dad's merch. I'll often meet people on the street who haven't even tried the product yet who are wearing their hats & gear. vi) We helped put together a highly strategic syndicate to add value to the company. As a collaborative fund, we love this - the more great people around the table the better. This also helped us get an attractive valuation. vii) Offering our LPs unique access to near term DPI - via both fund & co-invest exposure - because all of the above makes HD a strong candidate for strategic acquisition in the near future. And of course, we love the product. 1g of sugar + low carbonation + electrolytes = killer combo. There are products and there are category-defining brands. We like to invest in the latter. Congrats to the Happy Dad team for building a star in a challenging category Sam Shahidi John Shahidi Kyle Forgeard Joshua Singh John Hayes Can't wait to see every boat in America with a cooler full of these bad boys this summer. Josh Wand Christine Wang Kurt Seidensticker Colleen Kang Redbud Brands

"Your iPhone might cost $300 more next year." Heard during JP Morgan's investor webinar I attended today. Their Chairman of Market Strategy wasn't sugar coating anything: We're facing the biggest tariff spike since 1910. Supply chains imploding. Possible recession. But while hundreds of investors are losing their minds... There's also a massive opportunity that most are ignoring. (And no, I'm not talking about "buying the dip") Here's my summary of the call: THE RISKS 1. We're looking at the highest tariffs since 1910. That's not a typo. And last time companies faced tariffs like this... They just passed those costs straight to customers. 2. Other countries are probably not gonna just sit there and take it. They might hit back at our tech and financial services... Where we actually make good money. 3. The stock market could get ROCKED even further. And despite what some fancy advisors say about "only the rich own stocks"... 62% of American households have market exposure. So yeah... that matters. 4. Supply chain costs could explode since half our imports are parts for making other stuff. BUT... (and this is important)... Every crisis creates opportunity. THE OPPORTUNITIES: 1. "Made in America" could become the golden ticket When foreign products get expensive... American manufacturers get competitive. 2. Near-shoring becomes the move Mexico and Canada are exempt from these tariffs. Think about THAT for a minute... 3. Local supply chains will strengthen Less overseas reliance = more domestic suppliers needed. 4. Innovation gets forced. When you can't compete on price... You gotta get creative. MY RECS: Audit Your Supply Chain • Map EVERYTHING • Calculate tariff exposure • Find domestic alternatives • Start negotiations early Look for Strategic Partnerships • Find domestic manufacturers • Partner with logistics companies • Join forces with complementary businesses Turn This Into Marketing Gold • Highlight "Made in America" status • Show how you're creating American jobs • Build community around local business Chase Government Incentives (There's gonna be more money available for domestic production.) Consider Vertical Integration Maybe it's time to own more of your supply chain... HOW THIS MIGHT PLAY OUT: Best Case: Countries negotiate deals, tariffs get rolled back, but domestic manufacturing gets stronger anyway. Middle Case: Extended uncertainty while everything gets figured out. Smart companies adapt and thrive. Worst Case: Full trade war triggers recession... but remember: • Markets usually recover way BEFORE the economy • The biggest opportunities come during chaos • Being early > being right THE BOTTOM LINE: Yes, these tariffs are a massive economic experiment. Yes, there are serious risks. But sitting around crying about it won't help. The founders who win will be the ones who: - Face reality - Move FAST - Position for multiple scenarios - Build stronger domestic ops Do it.

Meet Steve Jobs' arch enemy: Money. More specifically... how his incredible wealth and power may have negatively impacted his judgment when he needed it most. See, in October 2003, Jobs got the kind of news that changes everything: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor. Ugh. A horrible diagnosis that would be devastating for anyone to receive. And here's where the story gets wild... Despite having unlimited resources and access to literally ANY doctor on Earth... Steve said "nah" to conventional medicine for 9 whole months. (Something he later regretted) Instead, he went full hippie mode: • Strict fruit diets • Acupuncture • Herbal remedies (Who was advising him that a high sugar diet was the way to roll?!) When he finally agreed to surgery in July 2004... A Harvard researcher later pointed out that those 9 months he delayed likely cost him a significantly longer life. And that's the thing about wealth we can all forget… You can't buy back time. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗮: The same money that made Jobs feel like a god in business... Created this dangerous illusion that he could strong-arm cancer like he did his competitors. His perfectionism - the same force that gave us the iPhone... Became a death sentence when dealing with mortality. Because here's the truth about money: It’s biggest danger isn't greed. It's not excess. It's the BS story it tells you about control. Jobs reshaped entire industries through pure will. But cancer doesn't give a f*ck about your bank account. It’s a horrible disease that has likely impacted each one of us. The fact is that having resources can actually make you: • Question obvious choices • Delay critical decisions • Chase miracle cures I call it the "Resource Trap". When you can try everything... You often avoid the ONE thing you actually need: Accepting reality. Jobs learned this the hard way. His final wisdom wasn't about technology... But about facing its limits: "Remembering you are going to die is the best way to avoid thinking you have something to lose." So what do I take from this? Prevention > Treatment Because wealth isn't just about having resources... It's about building habits that prevent crisis: • Quarterly blood draws & diagnostics • Regular health screenings • Stress management • Health > Money Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for any of us. Making health #1 is the most important decision we can make. And certainly wish the legend Steve Jobs was still with us today.