Ex-Shopify CFO: "Founder are like high performance athletes." #podcast #exitstrategy #motivation

Name: Ex-Shopify CFO: "Founder are like high performance athletes." #podcast #exitstrategy #motivation
Uploaded: 2025-06-06T12:28:36Z
Channel: Adrian Salamunovic
Description: Shopify's former CFO says founders should train like athletes. He links CEO fitness to investor returns, arguing a $100M raise means investors expect 3x…

6 Jun 2025

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Shopify's former CFO says founders should train like athletes. He links CEO fitness to investor returns, arguing a $100M raise means investors expect 3x back. LeBron James gets a physiotherapist and sports psychologist. Founders need to find the time.

I don't have time to exercise. I'm like, you better find the time. You better find the time. I always remind my CEOs you're an athlete. The foundation of your performance as a CEO is your physical health. If you're running a company that's raised $100 million, the investors that have invested 100 want 300 back. And so if they own half of your company, that's minimum $600 million. You're like a professional athlete. You've got the same expectations on your shoulders. Look at LeBron James. Whatever LeBron needs to be peak LeBron, he's got it. Physiotherapist, he's got. Sports psychologist. Whatever therapy, whatever modality, whatever support he needs, he's got it.