Healthy Stress: Unlocking the Power of Anxiety Introduction Entrepreneurs have anxiety. In fact, many are driven by it. It goes with the territory of trying to accomplish something great. The overbearing investors, challenging dynamics with co-founders and employees, and the ever-pres- ent whisper, “are we going to make it? Can I get us there?” But can all of these overwhelming stresses be harnessed toward the success of the company? We believe the answer is yes. Finding the Balance While unchecked and unharnessed stress and anxiety can be a destructive force, healthy stress is a key element of entrepreneurship. In fact, the latest psychological research actually reveals that we need some stress to drive us to peak performance. When effectively channeled, healthy stress actually has the power to focus our attention on what’s important. Healthy stress provides that subtle buzz that reminds us to hit deadlines. That spark of competition, driving coworkers to wow their peers. A constant reminder to never tolerate complacency. A deficit of anxiety can easily leave us and our organizations unmotivated. We need that feeling of urgency to fuel our performance. Anything less could be the difference between success and failure. Our experience as investors and former founders has given us a tremendous understanding of the power of anxiety in the entrepreneurial process. We asked Dan Widmaier, CEO of Bolt Threads, to describe his experience of stress and anxiety and he said, “anxiety gets baked into the entrepreneurial process along with the uncertainty of the endeavor.” Not only is anxiety a given for the entrepreneurial process, but it is an essential ingredient for cultivating the en- vironment that helps companies succeed.