GT
Save Your Startup, Unleash Your Golden Shadow
@ Garry Tan
06/13/25
Takeaways
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
The biggest threat to your startup might not be competition or the market; it might be you. Founders often overlook their own psychology, which can either sabotage or supercharge their startup.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Psychologist Carl Jung's concept of the 'shadow' describes the parts of ourselves we reject or hide, including our darker traits and flaws. Recognizing these can help us understand our inner selves better.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
There's a positive side to the shadow, referred to as the 'golden shadow,' which includes the hidden positive qualities and talents that we haven't owned or expressed yet.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
To identify your golden shadow, look at who you idolize or envy. The qualities you admire in others may reflect your own unrealized strengths waiting to be developed.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Ignoring your golden shadow can lead to frustration or impostor syndrome, causing you to doubt your abilities and defer visionary thinking to others.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Fear often causes us to bury our positive traits, stemming from early life messages that discourage standing out or being arrogant. These talents remain underground, waiting to be brought to light.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
I learned about the golden shadow the hard way during the rise and fall of my first startup, Posterous, where my hidden traits both dark and golden influenced the company's fate.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
In the early days of Posterous, I focused on external factors like features and funding, unaware that my inner struggles were silently sabotaging the company.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
My fear of conflict led me to avoid addressing problems with my co-founder and team, which ultimately resulted in a toxic environment and poor management.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
After Posterous was acquired by Twitter but ultimately shut down, I realized that my own actions and inactions contributed significantly to the startup's failure.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Reflecting on my experiences, I recognized that I had been living in the shadow of what I could have been as a leader, which became my wakeup call to address my internal issues. I took a test for childhood trauma and scored alarmingly high, which helped me understand my stress and conflict handling.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
I realized I needed to seek help, so I got a therapist and an executive coach to shine a light on the issues I hadn't dealt with.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Therapy and self-reflection were game changers for me, taking many years to understand my childhood experiences and their impact.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
In my family system, I learned to either fight or self-abandon, but I aspired to be like the leaders I admired.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
I gave my co-founder the chance to be CEO at Posterous, but I realized I had the potential to be a visionary CEO myself.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
By the time I co-founded my next venture, I was a more self-aware leader, owning both my weaknesses and strengths, which improved my companies and my happiness.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Your startup's success is directly tied to your growth as a founder; if you're holding yourself back, it's like driving with a parking brake on.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
The inner work isn't just indulgence; it's a strategic investment in the most critical asset your startup has: you.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Imagine leading your startup with the qualities you admire in others; that could unlock new creativity and foster a better culture.
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Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
Don't wait for a meltdown to realize your potential; start now by claiming the traits you've been avoiding or admiring from afar.
GT
Garry Tan
06/13/25
@ Garry Tan
The golden shadow represents untapped potential within you; doing the inner work will help you meet that potential and become a better founder.