Scars

Founder takeaway

Treat your experience as both an asset and a source of bias. Use what you have learned, but deliberately test whether past setbacks or successes are distorting how you see today’s customers, risks, and opportunities.

Why it matters

Unchecked emotional baggage can turn hard-won pattern recognition into blind spots, causing founders to dismiss useful feedback, overreact to familiar risks, or constrain the team’s thinking.

Relevant guides

Put it to work

Before a major decision, ask: “What assumption am I making because of a past experience, and what current evidence would confirm or challenge it?”