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In this biweekly column, Andy Dunn\u2014the founding CEO of Bonobos and Pie\u2014offers advice on leading teams, building things, and surviving the startup life.<\/strong>\u00a0Got a question for Andy?\u00a0Ask it here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n What is the biggest challenge founders (new, old, wannabe) are facing today that can\u2019t be solved with or by technology?<\/strong> \u2013 Sunny<\/em><\/p>\n My first gut reaction was to say \u201cfundraising.\u201d The magnetic, mission-driven zeal that is bedrock to raising venture capital seems to be a hard thing to imagine even generative AI (whatever that is) being able to replicate.\u00a0<\/p>\n Then I thought about your question some more.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you could upload thousands of pitch decks, analyze founder videos, and then look at the evidence of what kinds of companies and founders delivered asymmetric returns, maybe some supernatural intelligence could<\/em> be developed that hears a pitch, looks at early metrics, digests the pitch deck, analyzes founder video, and becomes a venture fund. And maybe GenAI.vc takes off.\u00a0<\/p>\n But you know what would be cooler? If GenAI.vc helped founders raise money more easily; if the process was more just; and if biases could be removed from the process so female and POC founders could raise the capital they deserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n So you\u2019ve made me think deeper\u2014and here\u2019s where I come out:\u00a0<\/p>\n The ability to build a great culture, in its best incarnation, comes from a founder\u2019s love for what they are doing\u2014and by extension their love for the team. Individuals come and go, but most great founders I know love the people they work with, and the culture they\u2019re building matters to the outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n The most elegant challenge in business isn\u2019t building a company that delights customers, or one that shareholders profit from. Those are both critical. But the hardest one to get right is a company where the team loves what they do.<\/p>\n Can generative AI love you back? And express it in a human way? Can it host a team dinner, crack jokes, and check in on a teammate whose loved one is sick to see how they\u2019re doing? Can it grow a person?<\/p>\n Methinks maybe not.\u00a0<\/p>\n Your memoir Burn Rate<\/em> came out at a time when I really needed it. I also have bipolar 1 w\/ psychosis and work in a high-functioning job in apparel retail. I\u2019d love to know how you know when to push forward, and when to back off as you pursue your life ambitions? And do you feel you have less confidence since your diagnosis?<\/strong> \u2013 Preston Zorner<\/p>\n My instinct is always to push forward. Of course, balance is bedrock. Medication, sleep, therapy are all required to be able to push forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n But back off? Only when in crisis.\u00a0<\/p>\n At that point the focus can turn 100% to managing one\u2019s mental health and getting back on one\u2019s feet. After a manic episode, or in a catatonic depression\u2014yes, that\u2019s time to slow down and get well.\u00a0<\/p>\n And the goal then is to get enduringly stable. I think that\u2019s possible. Once in that state of ever-vigilant mood equilibrium, it\u2019s safe to be unapologetically driven and ambitious.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for question two, I have so much more<\/em> confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n I feel embraced, supported, and more fully known. I wish this for everyone. There is an ocean of acceptance on the other side of disclosure, but only if we\u2019re holding ourselves accountable to staying healthy. If we focus relentlessly on getting and staying mentally healthy, we won\u2019t darken the days of others.\u00a0<\/p>\n Let\u2019s shine on instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Get the latest on venture capital and private equity deals and dealmakers by subscribing to the Term Sheet newsletter, delivered every weekday. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n