Episode
#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
2:39:10
Published: Tue Oct 19 2021
Description
Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves | Brought to you by Kettle & Fire high quality, tasty, and conveniently packaged bone broths; Wealthfront automated investing; and Allform premium, modular furniture. More on all three below.Alisa Cohn (@AlisaCohn) is one of the most prominent startup coaches in the world. She has advised founders and executives at Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, Wirecutter, Mack Weldon, InVision, Tory Burch, and others. She has also coached CEOs and C-suite executives at enterprises such as Dell, Hitachi, Sony, Google, Microsoft, Bloomberg, The New York Times Company, and Calvin Klein.She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, a guidebook for entrepreneurs on the leadership journey from founder to CEO, and host of the From Start-Up to Grown-Up Podcast. Her articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Inc. magazines, and she has been featured as an expert on Bloomberg TV, the BBC World News, and in The New York Times. A recovering CPA and one-time startup CFO and strategy consultant, she is now an angel investor and advisory board member. Outside of work, she is a (very) amateur rap artist and an investor in Broadway shows, two of which have won Tony Awards.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Kettle & Fire! Kettle & Fire makes one of the highest quality, tastiest, and most conveniently packaged bone broths on the market, and I have a huge collection of their broths on my kitchen counter for easy access. I’ve been a fan ever since 2015, when podcast guest and ketogenesis expert Dr. Dominic D’Agostino introduced me to the company. Their products fit me and my lifestyle extremely well: bone broth is a great ‘one-stop shop’ for low-carb, high-protein nutrition, and bone broth makes an excellent lower-calorie breakfast that requires no prep.It’s one of the simplest ways to get many of the nutrients I need, and I simply feel better when broth is a regular part of my diet. You can save 25% off your order by going to KettleAndFire.com/Tim and using code TIM at checkout.*This episode is also brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront pioneered the automated investing movement, sometimes referred to as ‘robo-advising,’ and they currently oversee $20 billion of assets for their clients. It takes about three minutes to sign up, and then Wealthfront will build you a globally diversified portfolio of ETFs based on your risk appetite and manage it for you at an incredibly low cost. Smart investing should not feel like a rollercoaster ride. Let the professionals do the work for you. Go to Wealthfront.com/Tim and open a Wealthfront account today, and you’ll get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life. Wealthfront will automate your investments for the long term. Get started today at Wealthfront.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Allform! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about Helix Sleep mattresses, which I’ve been using since 2017. They just launched a new company called Allform, and they’re making premium, customizable sofas and chairs shipped right to your door—at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. You can pick your fabric (and they’re all spill, stain, and scratch resistant), the sofa color, the color of the legs, and the sofa size and shape to make sure it’s perfect for you and your home.Allform arrives in just 3–7 days, and you can assemble it yourself in a few minutes—no tools needed. To find your perfect sofa, check out Allform.com/Tim. Allform is offering 20% off all orders to you, my dear listeners, at Allform.com/Tim.*If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
This episode is sponsored by Kettle & Fire, a company that offers premium bone broth made with bones from 100% grass-fed and grass-finished cows and organic free-range chickens.
00:00 - 00:55 (00:55)
Summary
This episode is sponsored by Kettle & Fire, a company that offers premium bone broth made with bones from 100% grass-fed and grass-finished cows and organic free-range chickens. It's fantastic for supporting your gut health, immune system, weight loss, your fasting regimen, whatever it might be.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Discover Allform, a new company that creates customizable, premium sofas and chairs delivered to your home at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores.
00:55 - 04:06 (03:11)
Summary
Discover Allform, a new company that creates customizable, premium sofas and chairs delivered to your home at a fraction of the cost of traditional stores.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Alyssa Rapp has been coaching entrepreneurs for nearly 20 years and shares her word-for-word scripts for fostering great one-on-one conversations in this episode.
04:06 - 09:26 (05:20)
Summary
Alyssa Rapp has been coaching entrepreneurs for nearly 20 years and shares her word-for-word scripts for fostering great one-on-one conversations in this episode.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares a personal experience of realizing that they would rather have the flu than continue going to a job that they didn't like.
09:27 - 13:17 (03:50)
Summary
The speaker shares a personal experience of realizing that they would rather have the flu than continue going to a job that they didn't like.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about the limited awareness he had, and his classmates had, about career options outside of a few things after completing their professional degree, making them feel unsuccessful.
13:17 - 17:36 (04:19)
Summary
The speaker talks about the limited awareness he had, and his classmates had, about career options outside of a few things after completing their professional degree, making them feel unsuccessful.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how his background in standup comedy helped him become a successful leader, by exhibiting the energy that makes people follow him.
17:36 - 20:20 (02:43)
Summary
The speaker shares how his background in standup comedy helped him become a successful leader, by exhibiting the energy that makes people follow him.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Some coaches can disempower their clients by taking control and becoming the person who fixes everything, while empowering coaches give their clients the agency to make their own decisions and achieve success on their own.
20:20 - 25:51 (05:30)
Summary
Some coaches can disempower their clients by taking control and becoming the person who fixes everything, while empowering coaches give their clients the agency to make their own decisions and achieve success on their own.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker describes their struggles with insomnia and how they became interested in coaching, offering to coach strangers for free.
25:51 - 32:04 (06:13)
Summary
The speaker describes their struggles with insomnia and how they became interested in coaching, offering to coach strangers for free. They also discuss whether they explored coaching while working at startups.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker met a successful entrepreneur through a mutual friend and realized that they could add value to people's lives by listening and helping them sort out their struggles.
32:04 - 37:16 (05:12)
Summary
The speaker met a successful entrepreneur through a mutual friend and realized that they could add value to people's lives by listening and helping them sort out their struggles. They began coaching people and wanted to meet with the entrepreneur to learn even more.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The episode discusses the concept of stakeholder-centered coaching and how 360 feedback plays a key role in it.
37:16 - 41:23 (04:06)
Summary
The episode discusses the concept of stakeholder-centered coaching and how 360 feedback plays a key role in it. The use of this feedback method is exemplified through the story of an Indian CEO, and how it led to positive changes in his leadership style.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the difficulties of providing feedback in the workplace, both from the perspective of the giver and receiver.
41:23 - 48:40 (07:17)
Summary
The speaker discusses the difficulties of providing feedback in the workplace, both from the perspective of the giver and receiver. They touch upon issues such as anonymity, fear of judgement or retaliation, and the importance of actionable feedback.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Collecting feedback as a group helps team members stay on the same page, build better relationships, and identify common themes that need to be addressed.
48:40 - 55:06 (06:26)
Summary
Collecting feedback as a group helps team members stay on the same page, build better relationships, and identify common themes that need to be addressed. This process enables stakeholders to have open-ended conversations about how to respond to the feedback collected effectively.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The process of decision-making in a meeting should be tackled in a separate session, while conversations and smaller team meetings should remain flexible and non-linear.
55:07 - 1:00:24 (05:17)
Summary
The process of decision-making in a meeting should be tackled in a separate session, while conversations and smaller team meetings should remain flexible and non-linear. Startups with teams of 10 to 20 people typically have a lot of meetings in their schedule.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares about the value of team retreats, not just for planning or improving teamwork, but also for establishing a feeling of team for distributed teams who may feel isolated.
1:00:24 - 1:05:29 (05:04)
Summary
The speaker shares about the value of team retreats, not just for planning or improving teamwork, but also for establishing a feeling of team for distributed teams who may feel isolated. They also mention a helpful resource related to wasted time in meetings.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Communication is key to keeping your team engaged and productive.
1:05:29 - 1:12:21 (06:52)
Summary
Communication is key to keeping your team engaged and productive. Leaders should proactively keep their team informed about what's going on to prevent burnout and ensure that their time is well-spent.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Many people confuse direct and straightforward communication with confrontational behavior, which can hinder important conversations.
1:12:23 - 1:16:29 (04:06)
Summary
Many people confuse direct and straightforward communication with confrontational behavior, which can hinder important conversations. Building a solid relationship and clearly communicating that any feedback is meant to be helpful can make uncomfortable conversations easier.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the risks and benefits of both radical honesty and radical candor.
1:16:29 - 1:19:49 (03:19)
Summary
The speaker discusses the risks and benefits of both radical honesty and radical candor. They also mention an article by AJ Jacobs called "I Think You're Fat" that highlights the potential consequences of radical honesty.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Chris Bosch, a legendary basketball player, suggests putting all your problems on the table with everyone else's problems.
1:19:49 - 1:22:39 (02:50)
Summary
Chris Bosch, a legendary basketball player, suggests putting all your problems on the table with everyone else's problems. This extends to personal branding by asking others what three words come to mind when thinking of you, in order to better solve those problems.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, Tim Ferriss and Jim Detmer discuss reframing failure and the importance of observing actions over thoughts.
1:22:39 - 1:28:54 (06:14)
Summary
In this episode, Tim Ferriss and Jim Detmer discuss reframing failure and the importance of observing actions over thoughts.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Transforming negative self-talk into positive self-compassion can actually improve energy levels and help solve problems more effectively.
1:28:54 - 1:32:21 (03:27)
Summary
Transforming negative self-talk into positive self-compassion can actually improve energy levels and help solve problems more effectively. Self-talk is a crucial aspect of mental health and should be approached with mindfulness and positivity.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Self-awareness is the foundation of personal growth, and self-compassion and self-talk are important aspects of it.
1:32:21 - 1:39:23 (07:01)
Summary
Self-awareness is the foundation of personal growth, and self-compassion and self-talk are important aspects of it. An effective exercise to foster self-awareness involves recording self-talk as if talking to a best friend or a younger child.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast explores the journey of creating a book and the value it holds.
1:39:25 - 1:43:10 (03:44)
Summary
This podcast explores the journey of creating a book and the value it holds. The speaker shares their experience with writing a book that took 10 years to complete, with an appendix that contains useful scripts for delicate situations.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares how identifying and overcoming resistance allowed her to feel proud and contribute her insights to founders.
1:43:12 - 1:46:42 (03:30)
Summary
The speaker shares how identifying and overcoming resistance allowed her to feel proud and contribute her insights to founders. The process reminded her of John Dewey's quote that a problem well-stated is a problem half-solved.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The founder journey is rife with ups and downs, and it's important to recognize this reality as you navigate your way through managing your board, your co-founder, and the employees who come on board to help you scale.
1:46:42 - 1:52:13 (05:31)
Summary
The founder journey is rife with ups and downs, and it's important to recognize this reality as you navigate your way through managing your board, your co-founder, and the employees who come on board to help you scale.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Learning from other people's mistakes is the best way to learn, especially in the world of Broadway.
1:52:13 - 1:59:30 (07:16)
Summary
Learning from other people's mistakes is the best way to learn, especially in the world of Broadway. Having a playbook that is informed by a lot of repetitions and a spectrum of exposure is also beneficial when working with both startups and larger companies.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Learn how to have effective one-on-one meetings with employees, provide career coaching, and handle delicate situations with a set of feedback scripts provided by the speaker.
1:59:30 - 2:04:16 (04:46)
Summary
Learn how to have effective one-on-one meetings with employees, provide career coaching, and handle delicate situations with a set of feedback scripts provided by the speaker. Includes advice on building confidence and taking action.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Positive feedback is essential for motivating employees and increasing their productivity and loyalty.
2:04:16 - 2:12:11 (07:54)
Summary
Positive feedback is essential for motivating employees and increasing their productivity and loyalty. Many managers overlook the importance of giving regular positive feedback, but it can be a powerful tool in building a strong team.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Role-playing before firing someone can help you maintain a neutral tone and reduce defensiveness, as well as prepare you to communicate the necessary details like severance and termination agreements.
2:12:11 - 2:18:30 (06:18)
Summary
Role-playing before firing someone can help you maintain a neutral tone and reduce defensiveness, as well as prepare you to communicate the necessary details like severance and termination agreements. After the firing discussion, it's important to have a transition plan ready and communicate the news to relevant parties, such as direct reports and the rest of the company.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
It's important to communicate with your manager regularly to ensure they understand your career goals and to get feedback to help you progress.
2:18:30 - 2:25:50 (07:20)
Summary
It's important to communicate with your manager regularly to ensure they understand your career goals and to get feedback to help you progress. With an open dialogue you can share ideas, ask for advice and help each other moving forward.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Networking is crucial for startups as it helps in getting the best job opportunities, advice, and interesting people for the company.
2:25:50 - 2:31:37 (05:46)
Summary
Networking is crucial for startups as it helps in getting the best job opportunities, advice, and interesting people for the company. Bringing in a great leader also helps in reinforcing the company's decision and leads to overall success.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast provides tips and suggestions for handling sensitive conversations and messages accurately and sensitively.
2:31:36 - 2:38:04 (06:27)
Summary
This podcast provides tips and suggestions for handling sensitive conversations and messages accurately and sensitively. The speaker also promotes customizable sofas and chairs from the sponsor All Form.
Episode#539: Alisa Cohn on Prenups for Startup Founders, How to Reinvent Your Career, the Importance of "Pre-Mortems," and the Three Selves
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Kettle and Fire broths have been reviewed positively with stats of 24 million plus cartons sold and a two-year shelf life with no preservatives, flavors, antibiotics, hormones, or colorings.
2:38:04 - 2:38:59 (00:54)
Summary
Kettle and Fire broths have been reviewed positively with stats of 24 million plus cartons sold and a two-year shelf life with no preservatives, flavors, antibiotics, hormones, or colorings. Paleo keto and bowl 30 approved, they can be used in recipes or sipped alone, and you can save 25% off of your order at kettleandfire.com/tim using code Tim at checkout.