Homepage
Open in app
Sign in
Get started
The Soul of Startups
Build great companies from the inside out.
Follow
Necessary Narcissism? The Real Entrepreneur’s Dilemma
Necessary Narcissism? The Real Entrepreneur’s Dilemma
Sometimes, often even in the world of venture, founders are narcissists. In the beginning, it’s a survival trait — a healthy dose of…
Julie Penner
Jul 17, 2023
Four Steps to Move Through Conflict at Work Skillfully
Four Steps to Move Through Conflict at Work Skillfully
At the heart of most conflict, at least the ones that leave us with an unsettled feeling afterwards, there is something with an emotional…
Julie Penner
Jul 11, 2023
Founders’ Heartbreak, A Weight Many Carry
Founders’ Heartbreak, A Weight Many Carry
Sadness.
Julie Penner
Aug 3, 2022
8 Steps for Bringing People Together (Team Formation & Creation)
8 Steps for Bringing People Together (Team Formation & Creation)
This week, one CEO downsized the team and wants to re-energize and reset the group that’s left, another CEO is bringing a new person to the…
Julie Penner
Jun 8, 2022
Startups, Uncertainty, Work You Love and Why Founders Start Fires
Startups, Uncertainty, Work You Love and Why Founders Start Fires
It’s a surprise to no one that startups deal with a high degree of uncertainty. What is less intuitive is how to break uncertainty apart in…
Julie Penner
Jun 6, 2022
10 Ideas to Make “Day One” Special When Your Team is Remote
10 Ideas to Make “Day One” Special When Your Team is Remote
I believe in a big day one. I call it Radical Welcoming and it’s something I’ve thought a lot about along with my colleagues Natty Zola and…
Julie Penner
May 26, 2022
There are retros, then there are DEEP Retros
There are retros, then there are DEEP Retros
Retrospectives or “retros” are commonplace on agile teams. You can hold a retro to look back on an important day, an event, a week, a…
Julie Penner
May 19, 2022
Twelve Tips for Running Great Offsites:
Twelve Tips for Running Great Offsites:
Now that we are returning to working in-person, companies have restarted meeting for regular offsites. I’m grateful that we are able to…
Julie Penner
May 13, 2022
Founder Motivations: The Light and the Shadow
Founder Motivations: The Light and the Shadow
Founders start companies for many reasons. It’s usually a mix of motivations, some motivations are in their awareness, others are not. Some…
Julie Penner
May 11, 2022
Collaborative Stances: A Decision-Making Framework for Leaders and Teams
Collaborative Stances: A Decision-Making Framework for Leaders and Teams
One tool I’ve taught many founders in order to help them run better meetings and make decisions as a team more smoothly is what I refer to…
Julie Penner
May 10, 2022
About Soul of Startups
Latest Stories
Archive
About Medium
Terms
Privacy
Teams