Growing up in a family of McKinsey consultants with undiagnosed ADHD, Philip learned early that performance equaled worth. "I was being very focused on showing and being good enough to others," he explains, "and I believed that it was me but it wasn't actually me." The revelation that he wasn't in the driver's seat of his own life—that he was "more of a passenger"—became soul-crushing. For founders caught in similar performance spirals, Philip's insight cuts deep: when your identity becomes entangled with external validation, you lose touch with your internal compass entirely.

When Philip finally quit, the most devastating realization wasn't about lost income; it was the internal narrative. "You feel like you're not good enough and that you have thin skin and that you can't handle it but everybody else seems to be able to handle it," he shares. The first six months were spent frantically avoiding this inner voice through endless projects. Only when he sat still and listened did the real work begin, discovering how disconnected he'd become from his authentic desires.

The breakthrough insight that transformed Philip's approach: "We're living the biggest fucking lie which is the more I work, the more hours, the more effort I put in, the better results. And actually it turns out it's totally wrong." Philip now works 1-2 laser-focused hours daily, spending the rest in deep reflection. This isn't about working less, it's about working with intention rather than desperation. The cultural narrative equating busyness with productivity has created exhausted entrepreneurs who confuse motion with progress.

One of Philip's most contrarian insights challenges hustle culture: "Do not minimize the free time. Stop listening to people who say that because that's what 99% of people say is it's wasted time. Those guys are full of shit." Without space to think deeply about direction, founders end up "shooting in many different directions without actually thinking about what I'm doing." The most successful entrepreneurs aren't those who work the most hours; they're those who think most clearly about which hours matter.

Philip's current nonprofit startup began in his darkest moment. Attempting to donate $15,000 to charity but meeting bureaucratic indifference led to the Nepal experience, building a computer lab in a remote school and witnessing his son cut the ribbon. "It was just like the most mind-blowing experience of my life with my son," he reflects. This authentic connection to impact became the foundation for his venture. The lesson: your most meaningful work often emerges from your deepest pain points, not strategic planning sessions.

Philip's sustainable growth centers on consistent reflection rather than action. Through daily journaling and coaching, he maintains "deep presence" with himself. His discovery: running half-marathons while listening to audiobooks became his gateway to learning. "If I'm physically running, I'm way more present to listen," he explains. This integration of movement with intellectual growth created breakthrough moments where he could hear internal patterns he'd been unconsciously following. For ADHD entrepreneurs, this combination offers a practical path to self-awareness that traditional meditation might not provide.

I love when people aren’t afraid of talking BS out loud. As you know, this is the main reason why the Founder Bible exists, and why I decided to dedicate my life mission to merging ancient wisdom and science for peak performance. As you’ll listen in this episode, Philip arrived to the very same realisations that ancient masters have been teaching us all along. Yet, somehow, we still ignore most of these directions, thinking they probably don’t relate to us, to our modern lives. Actually, they couldn’t be more on point with the current “uncoherent” lives we are living in the modern world.

This conversation is NOT about living less, about aspiring lower, or forgetting our dreams to seek a “more relaxed” life. This conversation is one more proof that when you shift your attention inwards, you reconnect with yourself, that’s when miracles starts to happen. That’s when you “only” need 2 hours of work to achieve the same or higher results than being in the hamster wheel all day long.