Startups rarely die from market wounds—they implode under fractures in the founder’s psyche. Carl Jung called the hidden brilliance inside that darkness the “Golden Shadow,” and mine almost leveled my startup, Posterous. This is the four-step playbook I forged for turning that inner saboteur into rocket fuel.
4:37 Save your startup
7:44 Unleash your Golden Shadow
I’m Garry Tan, President & CEO at Y Combinator. I was an engineer, designer and product manager who turned into a founder and investor, and now I want to help you in your journey to build technology that changes the world. These videos are about helping people build world-class teams and startups that touch a billion people.
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Hits home… thanks for sharing
Thank you! Here’s the summary written in a simple paragraph:
The biggest problem in a startup isn’t always the market or competition — sometimes, it’s the founder themselves. Many founders focus on building the product or getting users but ignore their own mindset and emotions. The speaker shares an idea from a famous psychologist named Carl Jung called the “shadow.” This means the parts of ourselves we try to hide, like fear, anger, or insecurity. But there’s also something called the “golden shadow.” That’s the good stuff inside you — like confidence, creativity, or leadership — that you’ve buried or forgotten. You can usually spot your golden shadow by noticing who you admire or envy. For example, if you admire a brave speaker, it might be because you have that same strength inside you, but haven’t used it yet.
The speaker tells his own story about starting a company called Posterous. It failed partly because he avoided hard conversations and didn’t believe he could lead. After the company shut down, he realized he needed help and started therapy. He learned that his childhood experiences made him scared of conflict and of standing out. Once he faced those fears, he discovered he had leadership skills all along — he just wasn’t using them. This helped him become a better founder the next time.
If you want to grow as a founder, you need to work on yourself. First, think about people you look up to and what qualities they have. Then, ask yourself: “Do I have some of those too?” The answer is probably yes. Start using those traits in small ways, like speaking up more or sharing your ideas. Over time, you’ll get more confident and better at leading. The main idea is this: your startup can only grow as much as you grow. So don’t wait — your best self is already inside you, just waiting to come out.
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One of the most self reflective and meaningful videos on overcoming oneself. Thanks for sharing Garry – coming here from LinkedIn
What camera are you using? Its super sharp
Gary is the most "human" CEO I have ever encountered. I hope to meet you when I get to SF! Thanks for the hundreds of hours of learning content!
Thx for sharing this message Garry!
Garry, thank you for your honesty in this video. The way you connect your story to the idea of the 'Golden Shadow' is incredibly powerful. It's the first time a video has inspired me to leave a comment, and it's because I believe with all my heart that this is a message that goes beyond startups; it's something we all need to hear. Truly, thank you.
A great book called Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, is a great way to unleash your ideal image of yourself and be the person you want to be.
Garry, you give me perspective every time I watch your videos. I admired Steve Jobs so much and now Elon Musk so much that I read his biography book 3 times. Now I look at it as my golden shadow. What a great perspective! After my PhD I worked for Google for a decade and then quit to start my startup over a year ago! Thank you, Garry for these videos! – Hojr