When enough is enough | Andy Johns (ex-FB, Twitter, Quora)

Brought to you by Mercury—the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank | Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life—Andy Johns is a former tech exec and VC who had a successful run at several startups—including Facebook, Twitter, Wealthfront, and Quora—but left it all behind a few years ago to take a new direction in life. Now a mental health advocate, he aids military veterans with PTSD, guides burnt-out high achievers to new paths, and shares his healing journey from childhood trauma and mental illness through his newsletter, Clues Dot Life. In this episode, we discuss:• Why Andy left his seven-figure VC career behind• The four-step process of deep personal transformation• When suffering is necessary vs. unnecessary• Tips for finding a good therapist• How a writing practice can help you heal• When you’re in need of radical transformation—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-enough-is-enough-andy-johns—Where to find Andy Johns:• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/cluesdotlife• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjohns/• Website: https://www.clues.life/• Newsletter: https://andyjohns.substack.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Andy’s background(04:45) His personal burnout story(12:55) The high incidence of mental health struggles in tech(14:41) Why Andy walked away from a seven-figure VC job(20:29) His work in mental health advocacy (23:32) The four-step process of deep personal transformation(31:40) The ego’s involvement(33:23) Necessary vs. unnecessary suffering(37:01) First steps in understanding your suffering(38:59) Advice on finding a therapist(42:11) How a writing practice can help you heal(43:47) Two methods for writing to gain self-understanding (47:47) Signs you’re dealing with