EP758: Building Unicorns - Patrick Sweeney
"The obstacle is the way."
Unicorn companies are billion-dollar companies. They don't scale through hard work alone. They scale because through belief. A powerful mindset.
Most startups stall after traction. Not because the product fails but because alignment fractures. Founders say the same words but mean different things. Meetings drag. Decisions stall. Energy leaks. The companies that break through close the "belief gap" and move faster than fear.
Patrick Sweeney unpacks how neuroscience shapes leadership, conviction, and scale. He shares how overcoming lifelong fear reshaped his own trajectory — from near-death regret to high-performance clarity — and how founders can use shared belief maps, fast decision cycles, and hypothesis testing to eliminate debate paralysis. He explains why most teams suffer from the "illusion of agreement," how decision-making tax slows growth, and why imposter syndrome isn't a weakness — it's common among elite CEOs.
Patrick is a serial entrepreneur with three exits, bestselling author of Fear Is Fuel, and author of The Founder's Creed. His work helps founders align teams, sharpen conviction, and build companies capable of becoming unicorns.
Expert action steps:
- Stay emotionally balanced. Don't overreact to success or setbacks.
- Treat obstacles as lessons; adapt your response instead of resisting reality.
- Focus your energy on your tribe. Not everyone is wired to like you.
- Recognize imposter syndrome as normal; even elite CEOs experience it.
Learn more & connect:
Pre order The Founder's Creed at https://thefounderscreed.com/.
Book: Fear Is Fuel – Patrick Sweeney https://a.co/d/0btOiKRh
LinkedIn / Instagram: @thefearguru
Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level.
