In an interview with Fast Company, Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan envisioned investors as “bodhisattva” helping startups reach the “promised land.” His words highlight a similarity between startup founders and people with a spiritual practice: Both embark on a faith journey along a seemingly meandering path toward a transformational vision.
Much has been made of the mythical and religious language of Silicon Valley. I wonder whether Tan’s language is another example of tech leaders borrowing spiritual language to increase productivity or if venture building could create spiritual experiences that lead to greater enlightenment.
Analyzing hundreds of startup founder interviews and numerous scientific articles, I discovered that starting a company was akin to a spiritual practice, inviting founders into:
- Personal transformation: Aligning with one’s truest self and healing past wounds.
- Societal and environmental reconciliation: Seeking to address social injustice and sustainability.
- Divine attunement: Deepening relationship with God or Something More
I was surprised that these spiritual dimensions also brought about tangible business outcomes. The founder’s journey may lead to a spiritual and financial promised land, after all.
Personal transformation
Like a spiritual practice, startup ventures invite founders to embrace their calling, align their lives with a sense of purpose, and regain a sense of their true selves through healing and transformation from past trauma.
- Purpose and alignment: Nearly 40% of founders see entrepreneurship as an expression of their true self. Tristan Walker had plenty of startup ideas, but he only felt “authentically and uniquely positioned to” start Walker and Co., his grooming brand for Black men. Many others follow a similar path focusing on a startup idea that taps into their unique calling. These purpose-driven entrepreneurs tend to attract more financial resources, making purpose alignment a strategic advantage, not just a matter of personal fulfillment.
- Healing: Founding a startup can also help entrepreneurs process and heal from past trauma. Whitney Wolfe Herd credits her company, Bumble, with “saving” her after a very public fallout with her previous cofounder. Research finds that female survivors of domestic violence also find healing in their ventures. Building a company can help entrepreneurs process and reconcile challenging and scarring experiences and reclaim their sense of self.
Societal and environmental reconciliation
From the Jewish teaching of Tikkun Olam to the Catholic Worker and Civil Rights Movements, religious traditions and spiritual practice inspire followers to transform their relationships with one another and the environment. Similarly, many entrepreneurs are called to shape a better future for the world—building new businesses that serve the disadvantaged, bringing awareness to inequality, and shaping more sustainable living.
- Society. Founders like Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes and Davis Smith of Cotopaxi are building companies that address societal needs and integrate charitable giving into their business models. Business success and social impact go hand-in-hand for these “for-good” companies who experience increased growth and investor interest as a result of their business models.
- Environment. Repairing our relationship with the Earth is another motivation for startup founders. Impossible Meat founder Patrick Brown, S’well founder Sarah Kauss, and Rivian founder RJ Scaringe all began their businesses to positively impact the environment, developing products that help us to live in a more sustainable future.
As customers and employees seek greater alignment between their own values and the values of the companies they support, these startups are also seeing increased traction in the market.
Divine attunement
The uncertainties and risks of entrepreneurship lead many founders to seek spiritual practice and meaning in forces outside their control, whether they focus on concepts like God, the Divine, transcendence, or Something More.
- God. Some entrepreneurs seek refuge or support from an active God. Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez considers herself a “cocreator” with God, while Fubu founder Daymond John considers his good fortune the “grace” of God. While entrepreneurs are more likely to connect personally with the Divine and pray more often, there is no evidence that positive financial outcomes accompany belief in God. Still, faith can be a valuable tool for helping entrepreneurs make meaning out of their experiences and weather challenging and uncertain moments in their businesses.
- Something More. Other founders reflect on this uncertainty in broader terms. The Life is Good Company founder Bert Jacobs refers to it as something “much bigger than we are”, Jo Malone, founder of Jo Loves, believes in a “higher power,” Norma Kamali calls it the “Universe,” and Vlad Tenev of Robinhood wonders whether we are all part of a “simulation.” No matter the reference point, entrepreneurship positions founders to be more aware and attuned to the forces outside their control shaping their destiny.
Spiritual practice as strategic advantage
While starting a company may not make you spiritual, entrepreneurship shares elements akin to a spiritual practice: fulfillment of purpose, healing of emotional wounds, bettering of the world, and deepening connection to the Divine. Beyond personal fulfillment, this spiritual practice can realize tangible business outcomes like strategic direction, customer loyalty, and employee engagement. Those who embrace both the spiritual and business dimensions of entrepreneurship are better equipped to reach the “promised land,” navigating the meandering path with greater clarity and resilience.
