Definition
Philosophical counseling
Structured inquiry into meaning, values, and identity, applied here to money and exits.
From the episode “The $50 Million Exit Trap Nobody Warns Founders About”Hear it on the podcast1 episode
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Related terms in Leadership & Mindset
Pareto principleThe 80/20 rule, named for Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto.Payroll FreezeA hiring pause in which companies stop adding new headcount without necessarily laying off existing employees. Describes how AI is currently affecting employment more than through outright job cuts.PEO (Professional Employer Organization)A co-employment model where the PEO handles HR, payroll, benefits, and compliance for small companies that couldn't access enterprise-grade benefits otherwise.Person-to-Desk RatioThe number of employees per physical desk in an office - a key metric for corporate real estate planning. A 1:1 ratio means every employee has a dedicated desk; a 3:1 ratio means three employees share one desk across different days or shifts. Pre-pandemic, most companies operated near 1:1. Post-pandemic hybrid adoption has pushed many companies toward 2:1 to 4:1 ratios, enabling significant real estate cost reductions. Dan Bladen cites desks costing $15,000 to $40,000 per year all-in; moving from 1:1 to 3:1 effectively reduces the real estate cost per employee by two-thirds. Managing a higher ratio without creating 'no desk' situations on high-demand days is the operational problem Kadence solves.PoachingFrontier labs hiring away specialist engineers, the threat behind Eric's cell structure.Pre, During, PostVirginia's framework for thinking about an event's full arc: communications and anticipation before, presence and connection during, and deliberate follow-up after. Most founders only plan the middle.Predictive IndexA behavioral and cognitive assessment used to gauge role fit beyond skills.PresenceDeliberate attention to current experience without distraction.