EPISODE · May 14, 2026 · 55 MIN
Venture capitalist & founder on life after ego death
from The Unemployment Diaries · host Aisha Ommaya
What happens when the career you built becomes the thing that breaks you down?Yannick Kpodar spent fifteen years in front-row seats at some of Europe and San Francisco’s fastest-growing companies — LinkedIn, PayFit, and a unicorn valued at $2.2 billion. He raised hundreds of millions as an operator and by every external measure, he was winning.Then, in the span of 6-12 months, he lost his job, his marriage, and his identity. What followed wasn't a pivot. It was an ego death. In this episode, Yannick shares his story and:Why hypergrowth has a dark side and how it spreads through an organizationWhat identity collapse actually feels like The beliefs that shattered and how he rebuilt What happens when you wear a mask for too longWhat conscious leadership looks like in the age of AIThe one piece of advice he gives every founder before their next moveWhy he now vets who gets into his community — and what disqualifies you immediatelyChapters00:00 Introducing: Yannick Kpodar01:10 The journey to identity collapse07:44 The dark side of hypergrowth15:17 Experiencing ego death19:34 Rebuilding with a new perspective26:31 The cost of wearing a mask30:26 Reconnecting with creativity and intuition34:22 Balancing structure with flexibility38:03 Conscious leadership in the age of AI42:03 The importance of identity for founders46:40 How to avoid re-masking51:40 New ventures and learning pathsWhere to find YannickInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yannickkpodar/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yannickkpodarLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannickkpodar/ Website: https://www.full-stack-ceo.com/ & https://www.aventracapital.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@YannickKpodarFor more from The Unemployment DiariesStay up to date on InstagramGo behind the scenes on SubstackWatch on YouTube
What this episode covers
What happens when the career you built becomes the thing that breaks you down?Yannick Kpodar spent fifteen years in front-row seats at some of Europe and San Francisco’s fastest-growing companies — LinkedIn, PayFit, and a unicorn valued at $2.2 billion. He raised hundreds of millions as an operator and by every external measure, he was winning.Then, in the span of 6-12 months, he lost his job, his marriage, and his identity. What followed wasn't a pivot. It was an ego death. In this episode, Yannick shares his story and:Why hypergrowth has a dark side and how it spreads through an organizationWhat identity collapse actually feels like The beliefs that shattered and how he rebuilt What happens when you wear a mask for too longWhat conscious leadership looks like in the age of AIThe one piece of advice he gives every founder before their next moveWhy he now vets who gets into his community — and what disqualifies you immediatelyChapters00:00 Introducing: Yannick Kpodar01:10 The journey to identity collapse07:44 The dark side of hypergrowth15:17 Experiencing ego death19:34 Rebuilding with a new perspective26:31 The cost of wearing a mask30:26 Reconnecting with creativity and intuition34:22 Balancing structure with flexibility38:03 Conscious leadership in the age of AI42:03 The importance of identity for founders46:40 How to avoid re-masking51:40 New ventures and learning pathsWhere to find YannickInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yannickkpodar/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yannickkpodarLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannickkpodar/ Website: https://www.full-stack-ceo.com/ & https://www.aventracapital.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@YannickKpodarFor more from The Unemployment DiariesStay up to date on InstagramGo behind the scenes on SubstackWatch on YouTube
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Venture capitalist & founder on life after ego death
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