In this episode, Lee Zuvanich, Sarah Schumacher and Zach Oshinbanjo dive deep into the multifaceted decision-making process of knowing when to throw in the towel. Enduring feast and famine business cycles, investor pressure, being too busy to listen... they discuss their own experiences with the mental gymnastics behind tough decisions. Expect insights on how anxiety can be helpful, the importance of intuition, and balancing the thrill of the idea with insights from the real world. Plus, hear why ignoring your mom's business advice might be the best move you'll ever make. If you've ever wonder how other founders differentiate between burnout and strategic pivots, this candid, conversation should be eye-opening.

Timestamps:

00:32 Personal Struggles and Business Cycles

01:48 Advice from Mentors and Entrepreneurs

03:26 Balancing Mental Health and Business

05:52 Trusting Your Intuition

06:18 Defining Success and Risk

07:13 The Role of Anxiety and Intuition

08:24 The Decision to Quit

13:29 Capturing and Evaluating Ideas

22:05 Grieving and Moving On

24:29 Conclusion: The Entrepreneurial Spirit

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Pain x Resistance = Suffering
• Loonshots by Safi Bahcall (Akira Endo and the Heart of Stone – Chapter 2)

Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder’s journey is different, so take what works and make it your own.

Learn more at founderproblems.com.

In this episode, Lee Zuvanich, Zach Oshinbanjo, and Sarah Schumacher tackle the once in a year task of planning the next one. From Pinterest-level vision boards to X-men and mortar inspired operational plans, we cover three wildly different planning styles that all end up being mostly the same (hint: start with values). Yes, the ubiquitous rocks and pebble illustration is mentioned, but only once.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Measure What Matters by John Doerr
• The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran
• How You Spend the First Week of 2025 - smschumacher.com
• Bullet Journaling: What It Is and Why I Do It - smschumacher.com

Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder’s journey is different, so take what works and make it your own.

Learn more at founderproblems.com.

Zach Oshinbanjo, Lee Zuvanich, and Sarah Schumacher talk about their personal founder journeys and why they decided to start this podcast. Common threads include: an uncanny ability to see problems and an insatiable drive to fix them, how entrepreneurship is an effective tool to create fulfilling careers, and the significance of community for founder support.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• The E-Myth by Michael Gerber
• Traction by Gino Wickman
• Kaufmann FastTrac Courses
• SBDC ElevationLab Course
• 1 Million Cups
• KCSourceLink
• KCSL Resource Navigator

Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder’s journey is different, so take what works and make it your own.

Learn more at founderproblems.com.