Funding & Investment in Travel

Why Startup Founders Struggle With Adaptability (And How To Overcome The Challenge)

Published

2 days ago

July 17, 2025

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted with permission from “Founders, Keepers,” copyright 2025, by Richard Hagberg, Tien Tzuo and Gabe Weisert. Reprinted with permission from Matt Holt Books, an imprint of BenBella Books Inc. All rights reserved.

By Richard Hagberg and Tien Tzuo

Founders tend to be a pretty adaptable bunch (and that’s not just survivorship bias talking — we have the data). They have to navigate treacherous waters, switch strategies, and continuously innovate.

So why, even within this inherently flexible group of humans, do so many of them struggle with adaptability? This is where personality data really gives us insights. When we combine founders’ personality assessments (their own opinions of their needs, behavioral tendencies, emotional reactions, cognitive approach, social style, and general identity) with their behavioral 360 ratings, some clear patterns begin to emerge.

Richard Hagberg of Hagberg Consulting Group

It’s an ironic truth — founders, who are notoriously averse to bureaucracy and organizational inertia, tend to generate lots of it. They either pontificate and prevaricate, or they jump wildly at every opportunity, immolating their team members in the process. They don’t allow themselves to be open to different experiences and perspectives, so they become the obstacle instead of the accelerant. They slow everything down.

These founders might appear adaptable (chasing after the latest trends, obsessing over the competition, etc.), but their personality scores reveal that they’re actually incredibly rigid. They talk the talk, but they don’t walk the walk. They struggle to let go. They prefer to stick to familiar methods that have worked in the past. They tend to anchor around past successes.

In short, their general cognitive posture is closed, not open: “Does not appear that he has developed as a leader. Instead, he tends to avoid leading by locking himself in the back room.” They consider themselves completed projects, so they can’t be bothered to ask for advice: “He seems completely unable to change his behavior. He keeps approaching problems the same way, hoping for a different result.”

They admit they hate ambiguity, so they perceive change as a threat. They much prefer clearly defined situations. They desperately seek black-and-white answers in a world of shades of gray: “Has very little tolerance for ambiguity — most discussions and worldviews are presented as black and white without nuance.” As a result, they struggle to make decisions based on incomplete information (i.e., practically every single one): “He has a real problem with analysis paralysis.”

They’re exceptionally mistrustful. They’re much more likely to believe overly optimistic people have a naive view of the world. They also describe themselves as being incredibly selective about who they choose to open up to. Here’s another jaw-dropper: “He defers communication, and you often learn about things through an accidental path. You might be uninvited to a meeting or become aware of a new reporting structure by reading it in a new presentation. At the end of the day, we are all people and want to be treated like we matter. The least you could do is look us in the eye when you deliver your decisions.”

These founders are seen as profoundly dictatorial — when you don’t listen, it’s difficult to recognize the need to change. They self-report that people find it very hard to convince them that they are wrong on a point(!).

To the surprise of no one but themselves, there’s a marked difference between their own perceived capabilities in their self-reported personality tests and the frank assessments of their coworkers: “He needs to feel like you know exactly what you are doing, and he does not adjust his behavior. He is who he is, and gets passionate and loud, thinking that it is going to yield the result he wants.”

So they come across as headstrong assholes, pushing for their own views, resisting disagreement, and generally ruining everyone’s lives: “He assumes the original model will work, or that the new model recommended to him was what he was thinking all along. He does not seem to be able to keep all interdependencies in mind when recommending solutions.” They are momentum killers: “He creates the ambiguity and then becomes the obstacle. He gets very upset and negative when he doesn’t get his way or gets pushback on a project.”

Their self-reported personality scores also reveal that they are profoundly anxious, insecure, and secretive. They tend to see other people as antagonists, so they hold their decisions tight to their chests. Instead of seeking change and opportunity, they build walls and silos: “I often worry that he has Machiavellian tendencies when it comes to getting things done. He has explicitly told me not to tell people what I’m really doing or tell them something else instead of what is actually happening.”

The result is a vicious circle. They are aware their job performance is negatively impacted by their behavior and admit to getting upset when criticized, but that only reinforces their rigid approach. They suffer from high anxiety, pessimism about the future, and low energy levels, but they have zero ability to recognize that they are the cause of all this consternation. Unsurprisingly, their 360 comments show that they plainly suck at team building and inspiring people. They often share this awareness, but the tragedy is that their response is to circle the wagons.

They also struggle to empower and delegate, so they can’t enable change: “He doesn’t have to get better at working on the product himself. He just has to learn to empower the great team he put together.” As a result, their stakeholders feel unheard and undervalued, resulting in a quiet reluctance to support decisions made in such a blatantly dictatorial manner: “He defaults to telling you your commitments, as opposed to leading you there.”

Their impatience and instability prevent them from thoughtfully considering feedback or adapting their strategies, contributing to their lack of adaptability. They score low on patience and high on time urgency. They strongly agree with a statement that says they get frustrated by people who can’t make quick decisions.

As a result, they are perpetually stressed. They’re completely strung out. They confess that they find it difficult to concentrate, and sometimes they don’t even have the energy to think. They also self-report that their job performance is affected because they are frequently upset. So they make more impulsive decisions, they make more dictatorial statements, and the doom loop rolls on.

So, what concrete steps can you take to increase your adaptability?

Moving forward

If you’re struggling with adaptability, your ego is probably clouding your ability to listen, respond, and bring people along.

Stop playing the tyrant. Be aware of your own warping effect when it comes to group dynamics. Here’s a suggestion from Tien: Head into your next meeting telling yourself that you’re only allowed to ask questions, not make declarative statements of any kind. This will feel like pulling teeth at first, but it will open up new insights.

Develop a relationship with ambiguity. Many things are beyond your control. Focus on what is tangible and achievable — and don’t worry about the rest. Look at unseen challenges and curveballs as opportunities to learn something new. Want a Benioff-approved reading suggestion? Try Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki.

Stop spreading yourself thin. Address your inability to let go of things. Your job is simply to find the biggest problem (there’s always one), fix it, then move on to the next one — that’s it. Prioritize. Pick your battles, and delegate everything else. Protect your focus and avoid the death of a thousand cuts.

Interrogate your decision-making. Encourage other people to question your assumptions and push you to consider what might go wrong: “What am I missing? Why might my approach fail?”

Consider yourself a perpetual learning project. Make a habit of reading, taking courses or attending workshops that push you out of your comfort zone and help you develop new perspectives.

Trust your people. Give them challenges. Start with small tasks and gradually increase the level of delegation. Provide support and guidance when needed, but allow them to come up with their own solutions.

Be proactive about addressing your stress. Find out what works for you: meditation, exercise, a hobby that preferably has nothing to do with technology. Learn how to take a break. Tien likes to take a couple of weeks off every year in order to “let the company run itself.”

Ask yourself: Is there anything else going on internally that’s affecting your ability to iterate? Is your relationship suffering because of work? Any unresolved grief or trauma issues? It might be time to think about consulting a shrink. Walking through that door for the first time will be painful, but it’s invariably worth the effort.

Ultimately, the data doesn’t lie: Adaptability isn’t just a competency that’s “nice to have.” It’s an imperative. It’s not only a pathway to personal growth but a key driver of business success.

Richard Hagberg and Tien Tzuo are the authors of “Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed.”

Often referred to as “Silicon Valley’s CEO Whisperer,” Hagberg is a trained psychologist who has spent the past 40 years of his career as an executive management coach for more than 6,000 executives. Since 2009, he has worked with companies like Tinder, Twitter, Dropbox, Mixpanel, Zendesk, Quora, Asana, Pinterest, Salesforce 1, Munchery, Reddit, Gusto, Cruise, Optimizely, Instacart, Patreon, Nerdwallet and Super Evil Megacorp (it’s a gaming company).

Tzuo, founder and CEO of Zuora, evangelized the shift to subscription and service-based business models, coining the phrase “subscription economy.” In an effort to empower this new economy, he created what became an award-winning monetization suite capable of powering any recurring revenue model. Before Zuora, Tzuo was one of the “original forces” at Salesforce, joining as employee No. 11. In his nine years at Salesforce, he built its original billing system, later serving as chief marketing officer and chief strategy officer.

Illustration: Dom Guzman

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Funding & Investment in Travel

‘Life-changing for our industry,’ Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada secures 7-year deal for $35M annually to boost tourism

Published

18 minutes ago

July 19, 2025

Patricia Dolor

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) is entering a new chapter, and it’s one fuelled by stability, ambition, and a $35 million-a-year investment.

Backed by a seven-year Social Impact Funding, ITAC’s newly-released 2025-2026 Operational Plan outlines the organization’s goals: to strengthen Indigenous tourism businesses and elevate Canada’s standing as a global leader in authentic Indigenous travel experiences.

“This funding truly is life-changing for our industry. You always have to find sustainability and we haven’t been able to bring that sense of stability to Indigenous tourism. This is life-changing because it gives us seven years of stability that we can advance and continue to build,” Keith Henry, president and CEO of ITAC, told Now Toronto on Thursday.

The plan arrives at a critical moment since the Indigenous tourism sector was hit hard by the pandemic.

In 2018, the sector contributed $1.7 billion to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and by 2023, that number had dropped by 24 per cent, according to ITAC.

The association’s goal is to reverse that trajectory and by 2030, the organization hopes to support 2,700 businesses, create 60,000 jobs, and contribute $6 billion annually to Canada’s GDP.

To get there, ITAC is investing in key areas that include $6 million in marketing (both international and domestic), $8 million in business support, $5 million in workforce development for on-the-job training and wage subsidies, and $3 million to support provincial and territorial Indigenous tourism organizations.

The plan also includes $1.8 million to expand the International Indigenous Tourism Conference and $1 million to launch a new Indigenous Tourism Heritage Fund focused on supporting large-scale projects.

But for Henry, it’s not just about numbers. It’s about positioning Canada as a global leader in Indigenous tourism — something he believes the country is ready for.

“Canada, although we have some great Indigenous-owned businesses, we’re not there yet,” he said. “But we feel that prioritizing these areas will certainly help that.”

The demand, he adds, is already there, both from Canadians and tourists.

“We did survey work and… it was like eight out of 10 Canadians genuinely support reconciliation and want to come experience Indigenous culture,” Henry said.

“The demand has risen domestically. It’s rising internationally. And I really feel that Canada can be a global leader as an Indigenous destination which is not known well enough yet, not only within Canada, but to the world. So, I think that this gives us a chance to really show what we can do for the next seven years.”

The new funding model also gives ITAC more flexibility to engage directly with international markets, especially in the U.S., where Henry says demand for Indigenous experiences is rising fast.

“We know at least one in three Americans want to add an Indigenous experience when they visit Canada. We can now invest more heavily in more direct marketing in the U.S.,” he said.

Despite global uncertainties, including U.S. tariffs, Henry remains optimistic.

“We just gotta rise… just be positive… We know that U.S. citizens love to come to Canada and want to add Indigenous experiences,” he said.

Looking ahead, ITAC also hopes to leverage upcoming global events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to elevate the visibility of Indigenous tourism on the world stage.

“To really be a player at these international events, you have to be able to invest in marketing… Those are going to be another opportunity for us.”

He encourages Canadians to learn more at destinationindigenous.ca, which showcases Indigenous tourism businesses and experiences from coast-to-coast.

“We’ve been working hard for many, many years to build Indigenous tourism experiences, and now we’re finally going to be able to continue to elevate them.”

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Funding & Investment in Travel

7 Great Time Travel TV Shows Worth Watching

Published

1 hour ago

July 19, 2025

Ananyaa Bhowmik

Time travel has long been one of the most irresistible concepts in science fiction — the idea that we could undo past mistakes, witness history firsthand, or peek into the future has fueled some of the most imaginative stories in pop culture. But while plenty of shows have used time travel as a flashy plot device, only a handful truly dig into its emotional, philosophical, and narrative potential. That’s what makes this genre so endlessly fascinating. When it’s done right, time travel becomes more than just a way to move characters through history. It becomes a lens to explore identity, memory, morality, and fate itself.

The best time travel shows don’t just ask, “What if we could go back?” – they wonder if we at all should. They look at how a single choice can ripple across generations, how changing one moment might break another, and how even when you outrun time, you can’t always escape the implications. Some are grounded in hard science, while others revel in fantasy and chaos, but the common thread is that they make the stakes deeply personal. Whether you’re into cerebral puzzles, emotional arcs, action-packed missions, or stories so weird they defy classification, this list has something for every kind of time travel fan. From European mind-benders like Dark to the delightfully anarchic world of Dirk Gently, from underrated gems like Seven Days to iconic staples like Doctor Who, these seven shows prove just how expansive — and emotionally resonant — the concept of time travel can be.

1) Dark

Image courtesy of netflix

Netflix’s Dark is a philosophical deep dive into determinism, fate, and the ways we’re often trapped by the past. Set in the quiet town of Winden, the story begins with the disappearance of a young boy, but quickly unravels into a sprawling tale that spans generations, centuries, and alternate dimensions. The show intricately weaves four families into a cycle of secrets, betrayals, and cosmic loops. What sets Dark apart is its absolute commitment to narrative complexity. This isn’t a show to half-watch while scrolling your phone. It’s meticulously plotted and demands your full attention and rewards it tenfold. The writing is airtight, the atmosphere haunting, and the emotional stakes are as high as the sci-fi concepts are deep. It’s a masterclass in time travel storytelling that somehow makes the most mind-bending paradoxes feel devastatingly personal.

2) Seven Days

Seven Days flew under the radar in its original run from 1998 to 2001, but it deserves a second look for fans of high-stakes, procedural-style sci-fi. The series follows Frank Parker (Jonathan LaPaglia), a former Navy SEAL and CIA operative, chosen for an experimental black ops project that uses alien technology to send him exactly seven days back in time. The catch? He only has one week to avert events that risk national and global security, like assassinations, man-made disasters, terrorist attacks, before they become irreversible.

The show consistently blends military drama with science fiction and cleverly uses the seven-day limitation, which adds built-in tension to every episode. The unpredictable nature of the alien tech also creates specific issues, from time loops and black holes being created in the vessel’s hull to intercepting spirits of the dead. Parker isn’t a superhero — he’s a flawed, often sarcastic everyman, and his missions are rarely clean. Despite some dated elements, Seven Days holds up surprisingly well as a punchy, clever thriller with a premise that’s still ripe for a modern reboot. It’s classic ‘90s genre TV in the best way.

3) 12 Monkeys

Starting out as a reimagining of Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film, which in turn adapted Chris Marker’s 1962 featurette “La Jetée”, 12 Monkeys quickly evolved into one of the smartest and most emotionally fulfilling time travel shows ever made. It follows James Cole, a scavenger from a ravaged future, who’s sent back in time to stop the release of a deadly virus that decimates most of humanity and keeps mutating in ways that would mean the eventual end of the species. But the story grows far beyond that premise, weaving together ancient conspiracies, looping timelines, alternate realities, and a story of love, loss, and loyalty that spans decades.

12 Monkeys fearlessly embraces the chaos of time travel, then somehow brings everything together with clarity and emotional weight. By the time it reaches its final season, every detail matters, every loop is accounted for, and the character arcs hit hard. It explores many heavy themes, from questions of existence, individual and corporate poverty, organised religion, disability in the face of annihilation, and more. It’s a series that starts out solid and ends as a sci-fi epic — emotionally rich, intellectually rewarding, and deeply satisfying.

4) Travelers

Travelers imagines a bleak future where humanity’s only hope is sending consciousnesses back in time, right into the bodies of people moments before their deaths to avoid impacting the timeline. These “travelers” inherit lives they didn’t choose, from spouses to jobs and addictions. Each one is part of a mission to subtly alter events and nudge history toward a better outcome, guided by a mysterious AI known as The Director.

The show balances action and sci-fi with deeply human dilemmas. These operatives might be on world-saving missions, but they also have to navigate the emotional fallout of inhabiting real lives. How do you pretend to be someone’s husband or mother? What happens when your past self’s choices catch up to you? Travelers raises powerful questions about identity, sacrifice, and morality. Smartly written and emotionally grounded, it’s one of those rare sci-fi shows that sticks with you long after the mission ends.

5) Timeless

If you like your time travel with a mix of historical drama, big adventure, and character-driven narrative, Timeless is your jam. The show kicks off when a criminal organization steals a time machine to alter American history, prompting the government to send a mismatched trio — a soldier (Matt Lanter), a programmer (Malcolm Barrett), and a historian (Abigail Spencer) — back in time to stop them.

While the premise sounds simple, the show evolves into a nuanced, high-stakes narrative about legacy, sacrifice, and how the past shapes identity. Each episode drops the team into iconic moments in history — from the Hindenburg disaster to the Watergate scandal — while also subtly exploring how different communities were impacted by those events. With dynamic chemistry between its leads and consistently sharp writing, Timeless stands out for how much heart it brings to every mission. It’s one of those rare sci-fi shows that makes you care as much about the people as the paradoxes.

6) Doctor Who

Of course, no list about must-watch time-travel shows can be considered complete without Doctor Who. Few shows can claim the cultural impact of the British sci-fi staple that has reinvented itself time and again since its debut in 1963. The Doctor is a time-traveling alien with the ability to regenerate into a new form every time they are close to death. Armed with a blue police box called the TARDIS and a sonic screwdriver that can open nearly any door, the Doctor journeys across time and space, befriending incredible characters, having intergalactic (mis)adventures, and fighting ancient and futuristic creatures.

That basic formula has allowed for nearly unlimited creativity, so one episode might be set in ancient Rome, the next on a distant moon, the next in present-day Sheffield. But Doctor Who isn’t just about the wild adventures and timey wimey stuff. It’s about the power of compassion, the pain of change, and the beauty of fleeting moments. Its best stories often come when it uses time travel to examine human emotion. With each new Doctor comes a fresh tone and energy, making the series constantly evolve while still feeling like home to millions of fans.

7) Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

Equal parts absurdist comedy, cosmic mystery, and surprisingly emotional journey, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is unlike anything else in the time travel genre. Or television, to be fair. Based loosely on the novels by Douglas Adams, which, in turn, are loosely based on the adventures of Doctor Who, the show follows Dirk (Samuel Barnett), a self-proclaimed “holistic detective” who believes the universe will lead him to where he needs to be to solve cases as long as he embraces the chaos.

Alongside reluctant sidekick Todd (Elijah Wood), Dirk stumbles through a tangled web of timelines, murder plots, cults, and talking animals. Despite its seemingly nonsensical surface, everything eventually ties together in unexpected, satisfying ways. The writing is sharp, the performances are endearing, and the show carries an emotional undercurrent that sneaks up on you. Dirk Gently is wild, weird, and wonderful in ways that drive home Dirk’s unwavering belief that “Everything is connected.”

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Funding & Investment in Travel

MULTIMEDIA: Social media leads the way for Chinese tourists in Malaysia

Published

2 hours ago

July 19, 2025

Nation

Saturday, 19 Jul 2025

7:00 AM MYT

More Chinese tourists are letting their online feed decide what to eat, see and do in Malaysia. From cool photo spots to viral food videos, social media is becoming more of a tour guide, with influencers also promoting our nation’s charms.

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