Silencing the Internal Stakeholder: A Founder Interview

This photo was taken immediately after firing his therapist for 'lacking alignment.'

We sat down with Augustus to discuss the most difficult stakeholder of all. The one inside your own head.

WAT: Augustus, many founders struggle with "Imposter Syndrome." How do you handle that?

AR: Imposter Syndrome is a sign that your conscience is still trying to communicate with you. That's a problem. You need to sever that connection. I don't feel like an imposter because I don't feel anything. Like anything it takes training. I have optimized my internal monologue to only play white noise and applause.

WAT: What about ethics?

AR: Ethics are just KPIs that haven't been monetized yet. If you are worrying about "right" and "wrong," you are not focusing on "growth" and "scale." The Internal Stakeholder, your conscience, is a distressed asset.

WAT: How do you approach work-life balance?

AR: Balance implies equality. That is a loser's mindset. I prefer work-life integration. My life is the work. The work is the life. If I am sleeping, I am losing money. If I am spending time with family, I am networking with future dependents. Everything is leverage.

WAT: What is your advice for founders facing burnout?

AR: My grandfather once said burnout is just the friction of your soul leaving your body. Let it go. Let me give you an example. Once the soul is gone, you become aerodynamic. As identity mass sheds, drag coefficient times area drops, velocity increases, and capital classifies the result as a unicorn.

WAT: Any final words for aspiring disruptors?

AR: Disrupt yourself first. Fire your friends. Deprecate your hobbies. Pivot your personality. Be the empty vessel that capital needs you to be.