“I’ve got dinner tonight with my friends… I wonder which version of me should attend?”

• Do they want to hear about the version that’s stressed out and can’t sleep?
• Or do they want the version that still makes it sound like my startup is doing better than it is?
• Maybe I’ll bring the version that pretends this startup isn’t that important to me and that, instead, I’m just focused on living my best life.

Ah, to hell with it, I’ll just pour myself a vodka gimlet and see which one shows up! Sound familiar?

It’s because every Founder constantly goes through this battle as to which version of themselves they need to bring into the world. And that world has lots of audiences, from spouses and family to friends and colleagues to investors and custo...