Psychedelics won't make you a better founder

I recently came across the news of a successful human trial of a new psychedelic by MindState, a YC-backed startup on a mission to "design a catalog of altered states of consciousness that can be reproduced safely and reliably".

There are indeed well-known risks and great research aiming to mitigate or remove them entirely. But if you've spent any time in founder circles, you've probably also heard a different kind of warning:

And yeah, that's... a thing that happens.

Watch out for the 6D mesopotamian ayahuasca demon.

But then there's Steve Jobs, who called LSD one of the "two or three most important things" he ever did in his life. Bill Gates experimented with it. Sam Altman credits a single weekend retreat with fundamentally changing his relationship to anxiety. They didn't quit their startups. They built them into generational powerhouses.

So, why such a range of outcomes?

Through my own experience, I've learned that psychedelics alone don't do anything. That's why the outcomes vary so dramatically. Like therapy, coaching, meditation, or whatever-your-thing-is, what actually matters is your willingness and commitment to change.

If you have that, then psychedelics can be a powerful amplifier.

Obligatory disclaimer: this piece is not a recommendation in any way. This is a highly personal thing on multiple dimensions, and there are real risks. Your mileage will vary.

A tale of two trips

The beginning of my own relationship with psychedelics was inauspicious. I was dazed and confused as a teen, experimenting with nearly everything I could find. No intentions, no guides, no safety protocols - just curiosity and the invincibility of youth good fortune. The experiences were highly entertaining, offered flashes of profundity, and genuinely opened something in me: a recognition that consensus reality isn't the only reality. That conventional narratives could be questioned. That there are other ways of perceiving and knowing.

But I wasn't ready to use psychedelics effectively. They got filed under interesting toys as I went to college and embraced the shiny new me, intent on becoming well-adjusted and well-suited for the conventional American economy. That young man was determined to achieve and dent the universe. (I love the irony that it was Berkeley that squared out my inner hippie.)

Fast forward some twenty years, and I found myself in the thick of a middle passage, with my past and present crumbling, yet no solid future to stand on. Everything was starting to feel deeply wrong and out of control, and the decades of carefully accumulated knowledge that made me look employable were suddenly useless.

My recent move to the Bay Area opened the door to people who (and I know how this sounds) actually gave a shit about understanding themselves, discovering who they are and who they're not. Not in a navel-gazing way, but in a "this is the highest leverage thing I can do for my life and everyone in it" way. By then, I'd already started my own work, learning to recognize my patterns of control, avoidance and approval-seeking. They were using psychedelics as tools for that work — with intention, care, and support. And soon, back down the rabbit hole I fell.

Same molecules as before, but everything else changed. The volume got turned up on what I was already starting to see. Made it impossible to look away.

The territory

If you've read anything about psychedelics lately, you've probably noticed the clinical focus. Johns Hopkins, NYU, Stanford, big pharma, and startups are funding research on depression, PTSD, addiction and the results are often stunning, and this work matters deeply.

This is the land of creating "safe and reliable" outcomes to alleviate human suffering, and I'm all for it. But psychedelics can go beyond symptom relief. They open access to territories of consciousness that can catalyze deep transformation and boost developmental growth.

This takes me back to the more free-wheeling spirit of the psychonauts from before the "war on drugs" and Taking It All Very Seriously. The anti-establishment ethos that, to me, is not unlike the one that spawned startups. It's the same energy I feel in Steve Jobs' pirates or Paul Graham's disobedient hackers. Thanks to those early pioneers who trailblazed (like Terence McKenna, Aldous Huxley, Ram Dass) and researchers (like Stanislav Grof), and of course indigenous cultures, we know psychedelics can be tools for exploration, not just medication.

What becomes accessible in these expanded states:

Exploring consciousness itself. What does it mean to be human, to have consciousness? Especially relevant as AI challenges our intellectual uniqueness. Psychedelics open non-ordinary states of being, perceiving, and knowing that can reveal powerful new perspectives. For those who left (or never had) traditional religion but still hunger for transcendence, they can offer direct experiences of connection, meaning, and something larger than the self.

Deep psychological insights. Turning toward your inner experience from an expanded state can reveal untapped inner resources for navigating complexity, spark insights about patterns you couldn't see before, and help you recognize the various constructions of self and world you've been taking as absolute reality. This is the same territory therapy and coaching explore — psychedelics can help compress the timeline.

Reconnecting with authentic purpose. Beyond the achievement game and the endless pursuit of more, there's a chance for ego reduction and reconnection with what actually matters. Some founders discover they're building someone else's dream. Others discover renewed passion for their work, but from a deeper place.

Learning to surrender. "The key word is surrender," psychedelic guide and former executive Murray Rodgers tells his CEO clients. It's the hardest lesson for the control-oriented among us (who, me?), which is exactly why it might be valuable. "Control gets you off the ground in a business. But once you're at cruising altitude, it's a balance of surrender and control," says Michael Costuros, founder, coach, and psychedelic guide to entrepreneurs.

These journeys can happen through other means too. Deep meditation, intensive breathwork, vision quests, even crisis. Psychedelics are a guide, but not the only one. They are, however, a remarkably efficient shortcut for some people at certain moments in their lives.

A brief history

Silicon Valley has a rich history with psychedelics, beyond just Haight-Ashbury.

In the late 1950s, Bay Area electronics company Ampex was experimenting with LSD as a creativity tool (CEO apparently got fired after taking engineers on an acid hike). Engineer Myron Stolaroff founded the International Foundation for Advanced Study in Menlo Park, guiding over 300 professionals through LSD experiments. Participants included future luminaries Stewart Brand (Whole Earth Catalog) and Doug Engelbart (inventor of the computer mouse).

In the 1970s, Steve Jobs took LSD 10-15 times and later called it one of the most important experiences of his life. Bill Gates tried it on Steve's suggestion that it improve his design taste (and, like I said, your mileage will vary). The personal computer revolution was led by people influenced by these experiences.

It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could. (Steve Jobs)

Decades of silence followed the government ban, until the late 1990s when research resumed. Around the same time, Burning Man emerged as a cultural bridge between tech and psychedelic exploration. (I just love that Larry and Sergey took Eric Schmidt there for a vibe check.)

The 2010s brought the microdosing renaissance and prominent voices speaking openly. Tim Ferriss publicly funded research, Blake Mycoskie (Toms founder) is giving $100M to psychedelic research, and Brian Johnson smokes 5-MeO-DMT to map human consciousness.

Today, Sam Altman speaks openly about transformative experiences, Y Combinator backs companies like Osmind, Gilgamesh and MindState, and the stigma is a pale shadow of its 20th century self.

“A few years ago, talking about psychedelics in Silicon Valley was a big no-no,” said Edward Sullivan, the chief executive of Velocity Coaching, a business that coaches startup founders and corporate executives. “That has really changed.” He said about 40% of his clients have expressed an interest in psychedelics recently, up from a handful five years ago. Some executive coaches said they are now helping companies and leadership teams navigate drug use.

A brief pharmacopeia

LSD

• Synthesized 1938, made illegal 1968, recent FDA breakthrough designation for anxiety
• Still federally illegal (Schedule I), though some jurisdictions have deprioritized enforcement
• Usually taken orally via blotter paper; microdosing (sub-perceptual doses) is common in tech
• Effects: 8-12 hour journey with profound alterations in perception, thought, and mood; can produce ego dissolution and mystical experiences

Psilocybin

• Mushrooms used ceremonially for thousands of years; identified in Western science in the 1950s
• Legal for therapy in Oregon and Colorado; decriminalized in several cities; federally illegal (Schedule I)
• Typically eaten dried or brewed as tea; 4-6 hour duration
• Effects: Often described as more "natural" or introspective than LSD; Johns Hopkins research shows remarkable results for depression and end-of-life anxiety

Ayahuasca

• Ancient Amazonian brew combining DMT-containing plants with an MAOI
• Legal in certain religious contexts (UDV, Santo Daime churches); otherwise federally illegal
• Traditionally drunk in ceremony
• Effects: 4-6 hours of intense visions and emotional processing

Ketamine

• Synthesized 1962 as an anesthetic; approved for medical use
• Federally legal when prescribed (Schedule III); esketamine (nasal spray) approved for depression
• Medical: IV infusion or nasal spray; recreational: often snorted (illegal without prescription)
• Effects: Dissociative rather than psychedelic; out-of-body states; rapid antidepressant effects in clinical settings

5-MeO-DMT

• Relatively modern and extremely potent, natural from Sonoran Desert Toad (bufo) venom or synthesized
• Federally illegal (Schedule I)
• Typically vaporized and inhaled; effects last 15-30 minutes
• Effects: Profound ego disruption/dissolution, encountering "the void" or merging with universal consciousness

The risks

Legal: Federal prohibition is real for most of these substances, despite state-level reforms. Possession can have serious consequences.

Medical: This isn't for everyone and there are many contraindiciations: family history of psychosis, active mental health crises, certain medications, lack of support systems, etc. I'm not a doctor or a psychedelic guide. Do your own research.

Ethical: Indigenous commodification and environmental exploitation are genuine concerns. Working with underground psychedelic guides brings risk of therapeutic abuse.

Cautionary tales: Tony Hsieh's tragic death linked to ketamine use. The YouTube engineer's rampage on LSD. These are sobering reminders to be responsible.

If you're still curious

If you do explore, three phases matter: preparation, journey, and integration.

Preparation isn't optional. "Set and setting" aren't woo woo concepts – they're essential. Your mindset going in and your physical/social environment can dramatically influence the experience. The goal is to approach the journey in a way that empowers you no matter what unfolds.

The journey can be beautiful, difficult, both, and everything in between. Maybe in the same hour. Having support present (whether a trained guide, therapist, or trusted friend) isn't just about safety. It's about having someone who can help you navigate whatever arises.

Integration is where transformation happens. The journey is hours. Integration maybe days or months. Or years. This is where you make sense of insights, process difficult material that surfaced, translate understanding into action, and avoid letting it become just another story you tell at parties. This is where therapy, coaching, integration circles, and community matter. You don't have to do this alone. Probably shouldn't.

An example: during one journey, I met a long-lost part of me that wanted to be an artist as a child. I felt the deep crushing sadness this boy experienced when he internalized the message that being an artist isn't safe. On the integration side, I see my relationship to art changing - seeing it everywhere, seeing people themselves as art. And I'm supporting the re-integration of that part of me through writing and yes, even coding. (big thanks to Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way)

Whether you explore psychedelics or do this work through other means, the questions are the same:

Why are you curious? Be honest. Optimization or transformation? Running from something or toward something?

Are you willing to have everything challenged? Can you surrender control and embrace trust?

Do you have support for integration? Are you ready to commit to working with what you see?

The ontological mystery

The deeper work is the same with or without psychedelics: expanding self-awareness, integrating shadow, aligning with authentic purpose, becoming more fully yourself. Psychedelics can be powerful catalysts for this work. But they're tools, not magic.

The mystical perspective without psychological integration can leave you floating in cosmic bliss while you neglect to pay the bills. The psychological work without the wider perspective can keep you rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic of your own limited self-view. Both matter.

The work is expanding consciousness — seeing more clearly who you are, how you show up, what you actually want. That's what all of this is really about. I see my life more clearly now, and I have choices I didn't know I had.

Can psychedelics lead you to quit your company as CEO? Absolutely. So can a single conversation, a moment of honesty, or simply paying attention.

Jobs, Gates, and Altman didn't succeed because of psychedelics. They succeeded because they were already committed to growth and were willing to take risk and work with what they found.

The real question isn't about the medicine. It's about whether you're willing to see clearly and take full ownership of what you find - whatever that means for your life and your company.

That work is available to you right now. With or without psychedelics. What matters is your willingness and your commitment.

I coach a small number of technical founders that are committed to growing as leaders. If you're curious about what that looks like, let's connect.