Psychologist and founder coach Dr. Gena Gorlin joins me to discuss The Founder’s Mindset — how to stay hopeful, resilient, and creative while building something from the ground up. We talk about the psychology of entrepreneurship, why losing can be a sign of progress, and how to keep optimism alive amid a culture that often feels discouraged. I also share what inspired me to start The Hope Axis while running Interintellect as a solo founder. Hope you enjoy!

For the full transcript of our conversation, click here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/fo...

Important Links:

Substack – https://substack.com/@psychofambition

Website – https://genagorlin.com

UT Austin Faculty Page – https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psycho...

LinkedIn –   / genagorlin  

X (Twitter) – https://x.com/Gena_I_Gorlin

Show Notes:

(00:00) Intro

(00:49) Guest Introduction

(03:10) Getting Through Childbirth on “Let the River Run”

(14:02) Meeting Her Husband at an Ayn Rand Conference

(20:19) What People Get Wrong About Ambition

(22:37) Fake Arguments for Fun

(24:46) Giving Birth to an American Child as an Immigrant

(32:37)“Death Is the Default” — Facing Mortality with Clarity

(36:38) Accountability in Therapy and Finding Her Niche

(48:49) Founders: The Nervous Wrecks Building Amazing Things

(53:52) Why Credentials Don’t Matter in Tech

(55:47) Psychotherapy for the True Outliers

(01:01:32) The Cultural Lag in Mainstream Therapy — European vs. American Spirit

(01:10:13) Intellectual Humility as a Cop-Out

(01:15:18) Closing Remarks