EP 175: Stefanie Schubert | Why Smart People Lose Negotiations Before They Start

Most leaders think negotiation begins when both sides sit down to talk numbers. By then, trust, incentives, timing, internal alignment, and first impressions have already shaped the outcome. That is why smart founders, executives, investors, and board members can have the right facts and still walk away with the wrong result.In this episode of Beginner’s Mind, Stefanie Schubert explains why negotiation is not a last-minute performance at the table. It is a leadership capability that starts much earlier, in the way people prepare, build trust, frame value, listen, manage emotions, and understand what the other side truly needs.Stefanie is a Professor of Economics at SRH University Heidelberg, a Negotiation Advisor, Keynote Speaker, and ICF-certified Executive Coach. Her work combines behavioral economics, game theory, negotiation, executive coaching, and real-world business practice, with experience in complex business environments, alliance management, and biopharma. This conversation moves from the practical to the profound: why intelligent people still make weak decisions, why preparation often matters more than persuasion, why pushing people creates resistance, how ballroom dancing explains negotiation better than many textbooks, and why investors, scientists, founders, and corporate leaders often speak past each other without realizing it.We also explore John Nash, A Beautiful Mind, first offers, anchoring, emotional decision-making, AI-driven profiling, trust in virtual environments, and why rejection in fundraising is not necessarily the end of the negotiation.As Stefanie puts it:(01:50:33) “You bring in something. It’s not that you beg for money with the investor.”That may be the core lesson of the episode.Good negotiation is not domination. It is not theatre. It is not a bag of tricks. It is the discipline of understanding value, shaping the game, and entering the room with enough clarity to build something useful with another person.Selected moments(00:00:00) Why smart people lose negotiations early(00:04:24) Negotiation starts before the table(00:07:57) Why smart people still decide poorly(00:13:25) Influence creates value not manipulation(00:18:21) Human shortcuts quietly kill opportunities(00:25:08) Ballroom dancing reveals negotiation resistance(00:28:44) Active listening creates leadership leverage(00:34:06) Authenticity beats dominance in leadership(00:37:05) How to de-escalate emotional negotiations(00:45:05) Game theory without mathematical intimidation(00:52:57) A Beautiful Mind and collaboration traps(01:00:47) First offers and anchoring pressure(01:06:37) Internal alignment before external negotiation(01:12:25) Why emotions can be rational(01:17:20) Fast thinking versus sustainable judgment(01:32:25) AI profiling can poison first impressions(01:40:59) Trust building before formal deals(01:45:04) Why investor rejection is not final(01:47:24) Designing negotiations from first contact(01:48:11) Create value before dividing value(01:50:28) Confidence before asking for capitalFollow Beginner’s Mind for long-form conversations on leadership, capital, technology, negotiation, and the people shaping what comes next.Send us Fan Mail Join Christian Soschner for expert coaching. 50% Off - With 35+ years in deep tech, startups/scaleups, and public companies, Christian offers power video sessions. Elevate strategy, execution, and leadership. Book Now.Support the showJoin the Podcast Newsletter: Link