A manifesto for anyone who has risked everything, failed, and found the courage to start again. It celebrates the journeys of individuals with mental health conditions who succeeded because of these conditions, not despite them. It inspires those who feel marginalized to turn their weaknesses into strengths.
FOUNDERING:
How Silicon Valley’s Greatest Entrepreneurs Go Deep to Rise High
by Cameron Yarbrough
Grand Central Publishing, November 2026
(via DeFiore and Co.)
Cameron Yarbrough knows the best-kept secret in Silicon Valley: nobody takes that brilliant idea from the proverbial back of the napkin to the stratosphere without enduring painful growth and seismic psychological breakthroughs. As a therapist and coach, he has helped founders of the most successful startups in tech achieve the impossible without sacrificing their well-being in the process. Renowned figures like Garry Tan, the president of the famous startup incubator Y Combinator, Steve Huffman, the CEO of Reddit, and Justin Kan, cofounder of Twitch. Yarbrough not only witnessed their spectacular highs and desperate lows from the sidelines; he walked in their shoes when he himself started his own company. In this book, he offers that unique expertise and guidance to aspiring leaders everywhere.
FOUNDERING is about what happened behind the scenes to this generation of founders and how they learned what it takes to survive and thrive as business leaders and human beings in the brutal world of growth-stage startups. It is about the existential crises, breakdowns, and self-reinventions that turn out to be unavoidable features of the process – the emotional crucible that no entrepreneur can avoid, and that no would-be entrepreneur can afford not to master. It’s about the takeaways–secrets, lessons, and tools to help every leader redefine success on their own terms.
FOUNDERING is a manifesto for anyone who has risked everything, failed, and found the courage to start again. It celebrates the journeys of individuals with mental health conditions who succeeded because of these conditions, not despite them. It inspires those who feel marginalized to turn their weaknesses into strengths. In a world obsessed with success, this book dares to explore psychological crisis as the birthplace of resilience, innovation, and meaning. It is an invitation to anyone who is contemplating a bold move, in the thick of an entrepreneurial crisis, or ready to rise from the ashes to join the ranks of these elite founders.
Cameron Yarbrough is an executive coach, therapist, and entrepreneur who has worked with some of Silicon Valley’s most influential founders and leaders. He was invited to productize his approach by Silicon Valley’s famous tech incubator, Y Combinator. Now, Yarbrough is the co-founder and Executive Chair of Torch, a preferred coaching vendor of LinkedIn, Roche, Alphabet, FICO, AirBnB, Stripe, and many other companies. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Business Insider, Inc, and TechCrunch.
The city you grew up in is gone, as if sunk to the bottom of the ocean. So much has vanished with it—classmates, teachers, counterfeit watches, the erotic toe cleavage that used to lead the way down secret passages. Yet you still catch snatches of conversation lingering in the air and glimpse sun-dazzled residents retreating into dark crevices.
Lake Herrod, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake. The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains.