In this raw and deeply human conversation, I sit down with Yael Daniely, a seasoned startup psychologist, co-founder, therapist, and founder of one of the world’s only clinical practices dedicated to the emotional well-being of startup leaders.

Yael joins me from Israel in the middle of a war zone, where the urgency of her message becomes even more profound. Together, we explore what founders rarely talk about publicly: emotional fatigue, burnout, the silent strain on co-founder relationships, and the psychological toll of building a startup when your identity is wrapped up in its success or failure.

Drawing from her work with over 400 founders and leadership teams around the world, Yael breaks down:

• Why startup life often mimics survival mode and how to manage it
• The unconscious emotional drivers behind decision-making and leadership fatigue
• How dysfunctional co-founder dynamics quietly derail 65% of startups
• Why psychological contracts matter as much as shareholder agreements
• The overlooked link between childhood experience and startup behavior
• What founder burnout really looks like and how to recover from it holistically

As Yael puts it, “High-growth startups require high-growth founders.” This episode is an honest, moving reflection on what it really takes to survive and thrive as a startup leader, especially during times of extreme uncertainty.