Missed last week’s insights on The Energy Advantage? Here’s the link to catch up before diving into this week’s edition.

Let me start today’s article with no beating around the bush:

Let me explain. As founders, we've internalized a powerful narrative: success is a battlefield where only the strongest survive. We glorify the lone warrior who fights against impossible odds, battling competitors, market forces, and sometimes even our own teams in a constant struggle for dominance.

This myth runs so deep that we wear our battle scars as badges of honor. Sleepless nights. Relationship casualties. Health sacrificed at the altar of hustle. After all, "it's lonely at the top," right?

I was there; I’ve thought that, but what most of us don't know is that the biological foundation for this entire worldview—Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory—has been fundamentally misunderstood.

Evolutionary biologist Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., explains it plainly: "The driving force of evolution is not competition... It's cooperation." His revolutionary research in cellular biology reveals that cells thrive not by dominating other cells, but by forming communities and specialized functions that serve the whole.

Even more shocking? Darwin wasn't even the originator of evolutionary theory. The less-celebrated Jean-Baptiste Lamarck laid crucial groundwork decades earlier, emphasizing adaptation and relationship with the environment rather than cutthroat competition.

Why does this matter to you as a founder? Because this misunderstood science has programmed you with three dangerous biological myths:

These aren't just philosophical issues; they create measurable biological responses that directly impact your performance. When you operate in isolation, your cortisol levels spike, literally shrinking your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for strategic thinking and emotional regulation. In other words, the "lone warrior" approach biologically reduces your capacity to make good decisions.

What if there's a different way to think about performance and success? What if the most successful founders aren't those who compete most effectively, but those who cooperate most strategically?

The phrase "survival of the fittest" conjures images of ruthless competition, a relentless battle where only the strongest prevail. This interpretation has become so deeply embedded in our culture that it shapes how we approach business, leadership, and even personal development.

But here's where history took a wrong turn: Darwin himself never intended his theory to be interpreted this way.

The term "survival of the fittest" wasn't even Darwin's creation; philosopher Herbert Spencer coined it and later adopted it into evolutionary discussions. Darwin's actual focus was on adaptation to changing environments, not domination through strength alone.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, a French naturalist, proposed his own theory of evolution nearly 50 years before Darwin published "On the Origin of Species." Lamarck emphasized the importance of adaptation to the environment and the inheritance of acquired characteristics. While parts of his theory were later disproven, his emphasis on environmental adaptation rather than competition was prescient.

The misinterpretation of Darwin's work gained momentum during the Industrial Revolution, when "Social Darwinism" emerged as a justification for unchecked capitalism and colonial expansion.

This skewed understanding permeated Western culture so thoroughly that it now feels like an unquestionable truth. But this isn't just about correcting a historical inaccuracy; it's about recognizing how this misinterpretation actively harms founder performance and wellbeing.

If Darwin's theory has been misinterpreted, what does contemporary biology actually tell us about human success? The answer lies in the emerging field of epigenetics and Bruce Lipton's groundbreaking research on cellular intelligence. (BTW we talked about epigenetics here if you want a quick refresher)

His research on stem cells demonstrated that identical genetic material could develop into entirely different cell types based on their environment. This directly challenged the deterministic view of genetics that had dominated science for decades.

"The fate of cells is not determined by their genes," Lipton explains. "It's determined by their response to environmental signals." In other words, adaptation through cooperation with the environment—not genetic dominance—is the key to cellular survival and thriving.

Look closer at any biological system and you'll find cooperation at its core:

For me, this realization had seriously profound effects on the way I see the world, both the natural one (which, let’s remember, we are part of) and the professional one. I know this excitement can really just all be in my head, but I really hope that if I can transfer anything to you today, it is about how we consider the (professional) reality we live in.

As we explored in our article on quantum biology, our bodies are complex cooperative systems that function best when all parts are aligned. The same principle applies to businesses and founder wellbeing: high performance emerges not from isolating elements but from integrating them harmoniously.

The image of the solitary founder battling against all odds isn't just psychologically harmful; it's biologically inaccurate and performance-limiting.

The startup world celebrates the lone genius narrative. The visionary who disrupts industries through sheer willpower and brilliance. But this mythology creates enormous pressure for founders to struggle in isolation, seeing vulnerability as weakness and help-seeking as failure. And of course, data speaks clear about this problem:

In our previous article on burnout and mental health, we explored how chronic stress physically impairs cognitive function. The biology is clear: isolation doesn't make you stronger, it literally makes you less capable of the creative, strategic thinking that entrepreneurship demands.

(Let me add something more here, as you know I launched the Founder Bible for Resilience podcast exactly with the aim of breaking this toxic narrative. If you haven’t subscribed/watched yet, here our latest chats with incredibly resilient Founders. If you love these chats, the single best, and free, action you can do is to share these episodes with your network and spread the word around!)

Bruce Lipton's research offers us a powerful alternative model. Cells don't survive by isolating themselves; they thrive by creating communities, specializing functions, and maintaining constant communication.

In multicellular organisms, no cell tries to do everything. Instead, cells form networks that share resources, respond collectively to threats, and collaborate toward common objectives. At the cellular level, isolation isn't a strength; it's often a precursor to dysfunction or death.

By the way, if you have read Delivering Happiness by the late Tony Hsieh, Founder of Zappos, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The best-performing teams are horizontally self-structured and hierarchical power is avoided as much as possible.

Perhaps the most counterintuitive biological truth is that vulnerability—not invulnerability—creates strength. In cellular systems, rigid barriers lead to fragility, while permeable membranes, allowing selective exchange, create resilience.

In my personal experience, the single most effective “strategy” I discovered to get out of awkward or delicate situations (including very intense VC terms sheet negotiations) is always radical transparency. When you show yourself in the purest and most transparent version you can be, people immediately change the perspective they have on you. It’s not by hiding weaknesses that you appear strong, but it’s about showing them and being comfortable with them that you master uncertainty. And trust me, this is really destabilizing for people. Because we are used to being in the defensive/attack mode when dealing with external forces. But when your opponent (here meant as “the person on the opposite side of you”) sees you as you really are, and both parties really want to make the deal happen. Then that’s where a real win-win deal is signed.

I can talk a lot about the science behind this. But the best reference I have for it comes from a recent interview I had with Michael Ocean and how his wife (feminine energy at pure power) reminded me he didn’t have to destroy his competitors to be happy.

The narrative that success comes through relentless competition isn't just incomplete—it's misaligned with how our biology actually works. From cellular intelligence to the neurological foundations of innovation, cooperation emerges as the true evolutionary advantage.

This shift isn't about abandoning ambition. It's about aligning with our true biological nature: we are inherently interconnected beings who thrive through collaboration rather than isolation. And bear in mind this, the more technology will evolve and disrupt the very essence of what we believe is “work”, the faster we need to run to build a new narrative anyway. A narrative that serves us and our wellbeing as humans.

Start with small steps. Notice when competitive thinking arises. Experiment with cooperative alternatives. Build support systems that enhance your capabilities.

The most formidable founders aren't those who compete most fiercely; they're those who've discovered that cooperation is the ultimate competitive advantage.