How CEOs Can Navigate Mental Health, Incentives, and Investor Alignment with David Balinski

In this episode of Founder2Founder, Aaron Spivak sits down with David Balinski, Founder & CEO of Wire Health. With a background spanning risk management, pharmaceutical lobbying, national benefits consulting, and health plan M&A, David has built nine companies and dedicated his career to fixing one of the biggest failures in American healthcare: mental health access.David shares the hard lessons he learned about partnerships, equity, incentives and culture, alongside a deep dive into the realities of mental health in entrepreneurship. From bipolar disorder among founders, to the limitations of SSRIs, emerging therapies like ketamine, and alternative healthcare strategies that have saved his family over $150,000. This conversation challenges how leaders think about responsibility, performance, and the systems supporting their teams.Chapters: 01:08 – Why David Focused on Fixing Healthcare 02:42 – The Mental Health Gap in American Insurance 03:38 – Early Entrepreneurial Instincts and Lemonade Stands 05:20 – From Screenwriting Dreams to Health Insurance Underwriting 06:04 – The Hardest Lessons From Building Nine Companies 08:20 – The Cost of Trusting the Wrong People 09:11 – Why Giving Equity Too Early Is a Founder Mistake 12:43 – What to Do When a Key Employee Asks for Equity 14:30 – Building Advisory Boards That Protect You From Yourself 16:50 – Profit Share vs. Equity: A Smarter Alternative 18:47 – Incentives, Commission Structures, and Performance Culture 22:16 – Why Culture Is a Founder’s Real Job 25:26 – Blameless Problem Solving and Avoiding Toxic Behavior 28:02 – The Mental Health Reality Founders Don’t Talk About 30:01 – Bipolar Disorder in Entrepreneurs (4x the General Population) 32:02 – MDMA, PTSD, and Emerging Treatment Conversations 40:43 – Why Wire Health Sends Patients to Ketamine Treatment 45:37 – The 30% Problem With SSRIs 49:10 – Why David and His Family Don’t Use Traditional Health Insurance 55:21 – How Medical Sharing and Direct Primary Care Work 59:45 – Wire Health’s Employer-Focused Mental Health Model 1:01:30 – Choosing Investors Who Align With Your Mission 1:04:03 – The Recovery Friendly Workplace Movement 1:06:48 – Creating Psychological Safety at Work 1:10:16 – Final Reflections on Purpose, Impact, and ResponsibilityGuest Links: Website: https://wire.health/LinkedIn: David Balinski Wire HealthIf you're a founder doing $1MM+ in annual revenue, apply for the Founders Club today: https://go.foundersclubofficial.com/intro-fc-aaronStay Connected!Aaron Spivak:IG: @‌SpivakLinkedinThe Founders ClubIG: @‌TheFoundersClubWebsite www.foundersclubofficial.com Founder2Founder:TikTok @‌Founder2FounderPodcastYoutube @‌Founder2Founder.Podcast