STARTUP NEUROSCIENCE WEEKLY
I help awesome humans build game-changing companies. In my previous life, I was a 4x founder (with 2 exits), angel investor, PhD neuroentrepreneurship researcher, and professional whitewater athlete. Today my primary job title is husband and father, though I also moonlight as a writer and a podcaster.
The Paradox of Founder Failure
In a quiet workshop in Kyoto, Japan, artist Kunio Nakamura sits at a small wooden table surrounded by shards of broken pottery. With meticulous care, Kunio pieces together the fragments, using a mixture of lacquer and powdered gold to bind them. “In every break, there is a story. And in every story, there is a lesson,” he says, focused on the intricate work in front of him. Kunio’s craft, Kintsugi, is the ancient art of repairing pottery that highlights rather than hides the breaks. Each...
The Cognitive Pain of Paying
View in browser here. Introduction Having visited almost 70 countries, I’ve never understood why an outsized number of businesses in my home country of Germany only accept cash. If you’ve spent time there, you've probably had this experience. You walk into a cozy restaurant, enjoy a delicious meal, and then, when it's time to pay, you discover they only accept cash. Frustrated and somewhat embarrassed, you're forced to leave your table and the restaurant, running to find a nearby ATM where...
The Neuroscience of Entrepreneurial Willpower
View in browser here. What is Entrepreneurial Willpower? Have you ever wanted something so badly that you threw everything you had at it, only to feel like your reserves of determination and effort were running dangerously low? This isn’t a sign of weakness or a lack of motivation but a complex interplay between our beliefs, our motivations, and perhaps most importantly, our neurobiology. These feelings of willpower depletion are particularly present in entrepreneurs despite the great...
The Neuroscience of Sales: 18 Brain-Based Tactics for Selling Success
View in browser here. Introduction I was inspired to write this piece after a recent coaching session with a startup founder. During our discussion about their planned use of funds for their upcoming seed round, the founder mentioned his desire to hire a salesperson because he’s “not good at sales”. This mindset is highly problematic, particularly in an early-stage startup where no one else has the ability to sell like a founder can. No one understands the problem, knows the customer, or...
Neuroaesthetics and Ramachandran's Eight Laws (for Product Design)
Follow me on: Introduction Neuroaesthetics is an interdisciplinary field that combines neuroscience and aesthetics to understand how our brains perceive and appreciate beauty. It explores the neural mechanisms behind our responses to art and design, providing critical insights into why certain visual experiences are universally appealing. For entrepreneurs, a basic understanding of neuroaesthetics can offer frameworks and tactics that enhance user engagement, customer satisfaction, and the...
The Science of Entrepreneurial Risk-Taking Behavior
I. Introduction As entrepreneurs, we understand that risk is the essence of innovation. Without it, there are no breakthroughs, no market disruptions, and no exponential growth. By grasping the science behind risk-taking, we can elevate our decision-making from instinctual to informed, intuitive to mechanistic, giving us a strategic edge in navigating the uncertainty of the entrepreneurial journey. This article sets out to do just that, exploring the neurobiology, psychology, influences, and...
The Aging Brain of an Entrepreneur
Introduction Yesterday, I celebrated my 50th birthday, which prompted me to reflect on my 25-year journey as an entrepreneur. Over the years, I’ve undoubtedly experienced changes in my cognitive abilities. While my processing speed may have slightly declined, I’ve noticed improvements in recognizing patterns, predicting changes, and the ease at which I can transition between detailed analysis and big-picture thinking. These changes (and my birthday) sparked my curiosity about how the brain...
The Neuroscience of Customer Retention and Loyalty
Did you know... 65% of a company’s revenue comes from the repeat business of existing customers. (SmallBizGenius) A 5% increase in customer retention correlates with a 25% increase in profit. (Bain & Co) It’s 5-25x more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. (HBR) Your chances of selling to a new customer are between 5% and 20%, whereas that chance rises to 60% or 70% for existing customers. (Forbes) It's crazy to think that it's already been fifteen years since I...
Special Edition: Some BIG NEWS!!!
PLEASE READ:If you are interested in learning more, simply email “INTERESTED” to coaching@gerritmcgowan.com and I will send you a link with more information and schedule an introductory call to discuss in more detail. As some of you may know, I’ve spent the past 11 years trying to unpack how I went from a high-level athlete to complete burnout in less than three years. When I started building Kula.com in 2010, I was in great physical shape, full of energy, and feeling healthy and emotionally...
The Neuroentrepreneur's Guide to Designing a Brain-Friendly Workplace
In today's fast-paced, competitive business environment, entrepreneurs continuously seek innovative strategies to optimize company performance and foster productivity and well-being among employees. A critical yet often overlooked element is the design of the physical work environment. Neuroscience research highlights the profound impact office environments can have on the human brain, particularly regarding stress levels and cognitive function. Workplace stress, affecting millions worldwide,...
I help awesome humans build game-changing companies. In my previous life, I was a 4x founder (with 2 exits), angel investor, PhD neuroentrepreneurship researcher, and professional whitewater athlete. Today my primary job title is husband and father, though I also moonlight as a writer and a podcaster.