Early this week, a good friend reminded me: “Hey, are you going to Startup Week?”.

That question kicked off a lot of learning and discovery for me. I attended and I listened to seasoned founders share their story and their energy. I also met interesting people and some potential business opportunities.

One talk reinforced the healthy tension between strictness and defiance that has been brewing in my head lately. It also talked about mental health and how critical that is for a founder.

Founder values were a big theme. Those values will spread to the rest of the organization as it grows. It’s important to be intentional, aware, and explicit about your values.

A talk mentioned the entrepreneur stereotype of the hustle, the grind, the scarcity mentality. The speaker challenged us to reject that mental model.

Other speakers shared how lucky they got, what their abyss looked like, how they pivoted, how much they value transparency. They shared the highs and lows, and how addictive it can be.

A couple of good reads: