Todd Emaus
@toddemaus.bsky.social
Personal growth sprints for startup leaders || Partner @ Evolution || Author of Scale Without Losing Your Soul || Chat open || Free resources: ToddEmaus.com
Culture isn't soft.
It's the operating system that runs everything.
It's the operating system that runs everything.
June 20, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Culture isn't soft.
It's the operating system that runs everything.
It's the operating system that runs everything.
As your startup scales beyond you:
Old habits will fail you.
Micromanagement will sink you.
Control will strangle growth.
But evolution will save you.
ADAPT
The leadership skills that got you here
Won't be the ones that take you further.
Old habits will fail you.
Micromanagement will sink you.
Control will strangle growth.
But evolution will save you.
ADAPT
The leadership skills that got you here
Won't be the ones that take you further.
June 19, 2025 at 7:03 PM
As your startup scales beyond you:
Old habits will fail you.
Micromanagement will sink you.
Control will strangle growth.
But evolution will save you.
ADAPT
The leadership skills that got you here
Won't be the ones that take you further.
Old habits will fail you.
Micromanagement will sink you.
Control will strangle growth.
But evolution will save you.
ADAPT
The leadership skills that got you here
Won't be the ones that take you further.
Decisions without owners are just good intentions.
June 19, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Decisions without owners are just good intentions.
As decisions pile up endlessly:
- Some deserve your full attention.
- Most deserve delegation.
- Many deserve automation.
- A few deserve elimination.
FOCUS
Your job isn't to make every decision.
It's to make space for the ones only you can make.
- Some deserve your full attention.
- Most deserve delegation.
- Many deserve automation.
- A few deserve elimination.
FOCUS
Your job isn't to make every decision.
It's to make space for the ones only you can make.
June 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
As decisions pile up endlessly:
- Some deserve your full attention.
- Most deserve delegation.
- Many deserve automation.
- A few deserve elimination.
FOCUS
Your job isn't to make every decision.
It's to make space for the ones only you can make.
- Some deserve your full attention.
- Most deserve delegation.
- Many deserve automation.
- A few deserve elimination.
FOCUS
Your job isn't to make every decision.
It's to make space for the ones only you can make.
I've worked with leaders at Slack, Notion, and Iterable.
They all struggled with the same invisible problem.
It wasn't strategy. It wasn't team. It wasn't money.
It was something much more personal:
They all struggled with the same invisible problem.
It wasn't strategy. It wasn't team. It wasn't money.
It was something much more personal:
June 17, 2025 at 2:06 PM
I've worked with leaders at Slack, Notion, and Iterable.
They all struggled with the same invisible problem.
It wasn't strategy. It wasn't team. It wasn't money.
It was something much more personal:
They all struggled with the same invisible problem.
It wasn't strategy. It wasn't team. It wasn't money.
It was something much more personal:
Truth: Your culture is forming whether you're intentional about it or not.
The question is: do you like what you're seeing?
The question is: do you like what you're seeing?
April 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Truth: Your culture is forming whether you're intentional about it or not.
The question is: do you like what you're seeing?
The question is: do you like what you're seeing?
Quick culture test: Can your team name your company values without looking them up?
If not, there's work to do.
If not, there's work to do.
April 15, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Quick culture test: Can your team name your company values without looking them up?
If not, there's work to do.
If not, there's work to do.
Don’t fool yourself: Every hard conversation that you avoid becomes a tax on what’s possible.
Culture debt like this can be hard to repay.
Be brave and be kind.
And have the hard conversations.
Culture debt like this can be hard to repay.
Be brave and be kind.
And have the hard conversations.
April 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Don’t fool yourself: Every hard conversation that you avoid becomes a tax on what’s possible.
Culture debt like this can be hard to repay.
Be brave and be kind.
And have the hard conversations.
Culture debt like this can be hard to repay.
Be brave and be kind.
And have the hard conversations.
8 of the craziest startup pivots:
(You’ll never believe what began as a dating app)
(You’ll never believe what began as a dating app)
April 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
8 of the craziest startup pivots:
(You’ll never believe what began as a dating app)
(You’ll never believe what began as a dating app)
Burnout lives in the gap between who you are and who you pretend to be.
April 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Burnout lives in the gap between who you are and who you pretend to be.
Stop trying to be the leader you think investors want.
Be the leader your team needs.
Be the leader your team needs.
April 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Stop trying to be the leader you think investors want.
Be the leader your team needs.
Be the leader your team needs.
Time is your scarcest resource.
5 Ways to Master Your Time…
5 Ways to Master Your Time…
April 1, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Time is your scarcest resource.
5 Ways to Master Your Time…
5 Ways to Master Your Time…
Building a company to prove your worth is like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it.
No amount of success will ever be enough.
No amount of success will ever be enough.
March 31, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Building a company to prove your worth is like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it.
No amount of success will ever be enough.
No amount of success will ever be enough.
On Memorial Day 1981, Austin, Texas experienced their biggest flood in 70 years.
It was Whole Foods’ 1st year and their only store flooded, all inventory lost.
Then something magical happened…
It was Whole Foods’ 1st year and their only store flooded, all inventory lost.
Then something magical happened…
February 6, 2025 at 8:07 PM
On Memorial Day 1981, Austin, Texas experienced their biggest flood in 70 years.
It was Whole Foods’ 1st year and their only store flooded, all inventory lost.
Then something magical happened…
It was Whole Foods’ 1st year and their only store flooded, all inventory lost.
Then something magical happened…
Coinbase grew 55% annually the past 5 years.
Steal their decision making framework…
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, designed this atop their core values of Clear Communication + Efficient Execution.
Use it, or better yet build your own based on your core values
Steal their decision making framework…
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, designed this atop their core values of Clear Communication + Efficient Execution.
Use it, or better yet build your own based on your core values
February 4, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Coinbase grew 55% annually the past 5 years.
Steal their decision making framework…
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, designed this atop their core values of Clear Communication + Efficient Execution.
Use it, or better yet build your own based on your core values
Steal their decision making framework…
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, designed this atop their core values of Clear Communication + Efficient Execution.
Use it, or better yet build your own based on your core values
In every moment you’re either in a Powerless or Powerful mindset.
Give me 2 minutes and I’ll show you how this impacts everything…
Give me 2 minutes and I’ll show you how this impacts everything…
February 4, 2025 at 3:02 PM
In every moment you’re either in a Powerless or Powerful mindset.
Give me 2 minutes and I’ll show you how this impacts everything…
Give me 2 minutes and I’ll show you how this impacts everything…
Want to be a 10x better communicator than 95% of people?
17 tactics to follow…
17 tactics to follow…
February 3, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Want to be a 10x better communicator than 95% of people?
17 tactics to follow…
17 tactics to follow…
The hardest part of being a founder isn’t fundraising (although that’s hard).
It isn’t leadership (also hard).
And it isn’t execution (a never-ending challenge).
No, the hardest part is managing yourself.
It isn’t leadership (also hard).
And it isn’t execution (a never-ending challenge).
No, the hardest part is managing yourself.
February 1, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The hardest part of being a founder isn’t fundraising (although that’s hard).
It isn’t leadership (also hard).
And it isn’t execution (a never-ending challenge).
No, the hardest part is managing yourself.
It isn’t leadership (also hard).
And it isn’t execution (a never-ending challenge).
No, the hardest part is managing yourself.
The real reason founders are so stressed isn't because of the business.
The real reason is because their identity is so wrapped up in the business.
The real reason is because their identity is so wrapped up in the business.
January 31, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The real reason founders are so stressed isn't because of the business.
The real reason is because their identity is so wrapped up in the business.
The real reason is because their identity is so wrapped up in the business.
Vulnerability is the shortcut to building trust.
And trust invites more vulnerability.
You can transform your relationships will just this one powerful positive feedback loop.
And trust invites more vulnerability.
You can transform your relationships will just this one powerful positive feedback loop.
January 31, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Vulnerability is the shortcut to building trust.
And trust invites more vulnerability.
You can transform your relationships will just this one powerful positive feedback loop.
And trust invites more vulnerability.
You can transform your relationships will just this one powerful positive feedback loop.
If you're a founder who's raised VC, read:
1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
2. Crucial Conversations by Patterson & Co.
3. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
4. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
5. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
What else?
1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
2. Crucial Conversations by Patterson & Co.
3. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
4. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
5. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
What else?
January 30, 2025 at 8:07 PM
If you're a founder who's raised VC, read:
1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
2. Crucial Conversations by Patterson & Co.
3. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
4. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
5. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
What else?
1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
2. Crucial Conversations by Patterson & Co.
3. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
4. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
5. The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
What else?
Over-emphasize individual performance and you create silos.
Over-emphasize collective performance and you create free riders.
Over-emphasize why performance matters (i.e. your mission) and you create a world-class organization.
Over-emphasize collective performance and you create free riders.
Over-emphasize why performance matters (i.e. your mission) and you create a world-class organization.
January 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Over-emphasize individual performance and you create silos.
Over-emphasize collective performance and you create free riders.
Over-emphasize why performance matters (i.e. your mission) and you create a world-class organization.
Over-emphasize collective performance and you create free riders.
Over-emphasize why performance matters (i.e. your mission) and you create a world-class organization.
It took me years to learn this:
Your business’ success is not tied to your worth as a person.
Your business’ success is not tied to your worth as a person.
January 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
It took me years to learn this:
Your business’ success is not tied to your worth as a person.
Your business’ success is not tied to your worth as a person.
Founders stay stressed due to preventable culture mistakes.
5 to avoid:
• No clear values → Teams make decisions you wouldn’t
• Overlooking accountability → Deadlines slip
• Rewarding busyness → Poor outcomes
• Avoiding hard conversations → Problems fester
• Lack team feedback → People check out
5 to avoid:
• No clear values → Teams make decisions you wouldn’t
• Overlooking accountability → Deadlines slip
• Rewarding busyness → Poor outcomes
• Avoiding hard conversations → Problems fester
• Lack team feedback → People check out
January 29, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Founders stay stressed due to preventable culture mistakes.
5 to avoid:
• No clear values → Teams make decisions you wouldn’t
• Overlooking accountability → Deadlines slip
• Rewarding busyness → Poor outcomes
• Avoiding hard conversations → Problems fester
• Lack team feedback → People check out
5 to avoid:
• No clear values → Teams make decisions you wouldn’t
• Overlooking accountability → Deadlines slip
• Rewarding busyness → Poor outcomes
• Avoiding hard conversations → Problems fester
• Lack team feedback → People check out
For cofounders in conflict, even with 32 other things on your plate, you can still:
1. Name that you are in a struggle together
2. Acknowledge each other’s perspectives
3. Identify 1 need that isn’t being met
4. Agree on one improvement to meet that need
Tiny steps compound
Even in relationships
1. Name that you are in a struggle together
2. Acknowledge each other’s perspectives
3. Identify 1 need that isn’t being met
4. Agree on one improvement to meet that need
Tiny steps compound
Even in relationships
January 28, 2025 at 8:07 PM
For cofounders in conflict, even with 32 other things on your plate, you can still:
1. Name that you are in a struggle together
2. Acknowledge each other’s perspectives
3. Identify 1 need that isn’t being met
4. Agree on one improvement to meet that need
Tiny steps compound
Even in relationships
1. Name that you are in a struggle together
2. Acknowledge each other’s perspectives
3. Identify 1 need that isn’t being met
4. Agree on one improvement to meet that need
Tiny steps compound
Even in relationships