439. You've Got the Business. So Why Does It Still Feel Hollow? with Viren Thakar

What does it actually mean to live your values — not just list them in your brand strategy and forget about them? In this episode, I'm joined by my long-time friend and values expert Viren Thakar (founder of In The Game) for one of my favourite conversations on the podcast. Viren works with organisations and individuals to help them identify their values and build real systems to live them — day to day, week to week. We get into the messy, practical, and deeply personal side of values alignment, and why it's the missing piece for so many entrepreneurs who are doing "all the right things" but still feel hollow. In this episode: Why your values aren't just for your About page — and how to actually use them The difference between values, morals, and purpose (and why we conflate them) How to identify your real values (hint: look at your irrational reactions) Designing your working week around what you actually value Why senior leaders tick every "success" box and still feel empty How to use a simple 1–5 check-in to stay values aligned Why being unfiltered and spiky attracts the right clients — and repels the wrong ones The danger of doing profitable work that isn't values aligned (and when it's okay to do it anyway) Why your business is just a mechanism for expressing your values Viren's 5 Values: Freedom | Fun | Creativity | Achievement | Growth When weighing options, ask — does this align with my values? Score each option across your values and add in the business factors (revenue, market appetite, ease of delivery). The combination is your guide.   About Viren Viren is the founder of In The Game and Values Map. He works with organisations and individuals to define their values and design strategies to bring them to life. All done in a psychology-backed, playful and collaborative way. Outside of all this work, he loves playing games, DJing house music, diving into sci-fi, watching soccer, and running. https://www.linkedin.com/in/virenthakrar/