“It’s business—nothing personal.”
People repeat this line from The Godfather when they call for cold calculation over emotion. Sure, tantrums discharge the psyche, but they build no systems.
The line is also loved by those who hide a private desire behind a mask of objectivity. "The situation demands it—the market, the investor, the team. Not me."
What’s more, one way to resolve a dilemma or conflict is to put the interests of the business above yourself—even if you’re a shareholder.
Yet even with all that said, business was, is, and always will be deeply personal. Especially for the founder. Why?
An entrepreneur, unlike most people, holds a wild freedom: what to pour his life into. Opportunities woo him, each one hotter and brighter than the last.
A founder chooses X simply because it turns him on. Entrepreneurs literally say it that way. Crude, but honest.
Calculation and willpower are powerless here. Libido is either there or it isn’t.
And once a founder catches fire with the desire to bring something into being, he won’t hold back. He gives himself to the process completely.
By answering the call of an opportunity as a free person, he then turns into pure action, forgetting himself entirely.
Contrary to popular belief, the founder does not sacrifice himself. He embodies himself in his company, product, or service. Just as an acorn realizes its potential by becoming an oak—and then a grove.
Do you see now why I focus on the intersection of business and personality?
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
Stuck? Your business grows when you do. I’m your business therapist to guide your shift. See testimonials here. Ready? Book your Catalyst session.