A word from the author

The untold stories of how founders shape culture — and why it matters more than ever.

Launched in 2022, The Soul of Startups has since made waves across the startup and business world — from being Barnes & Noble’s Book of the Month in early 2023, to being featured in over 100 podcasts, cited by Forbes, and highlighted by global media including Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Sifted, and Money20/20.

This book is more than a leadership book.
It’s a raw, honest look into the emotional backbone of startups — their culture — and how much of it is shaped (and sometimes broken) by the people who start them.

Why I wrote it?

This book is close to my heart as I have had to draw from my unique experience to pull this together, and I am proud to share this story with you.

After years of building, coaching, and fixing startup cultures around the world, I kept seeing the same truth:

Founders don’t just build companies. They embed their beliefs, wounds, and blind spots into them.

The Soul of Startups is my attempt to bring these invisible forces into the light — to help founders become more conscious of their impact, and to help teams survive the rollercoaster of startup life without losing themselves.

What you will Learn?

  • How a founder’s personality silently shapes the culture of a company

  • The early warning signs of cultural toxicity — and what to do about them

  • Stories of real startups navigating ego, burnout, purpose, and people

  • Practical frameworks to build culture with intention from Day 1

Who it’s for?

Founders.
Operators.
Investors.


And anyone who’s ever asked themselves: “Why does this startup feel so... weird?”

What the Readers say?

  • “In startups, Human Capital is everything. This is why you will get your first investment, why you will attract talent, and how you differentiate yourself. Like any capital, you need to invest in it. Sophie opens up clues on how to best do it.”

    —Janos Barberis, Author & Co-Founder of SuperCharger Ventures

  • “When I look at companies, the first thing I do is to look at the founders. While you can influence the startup business model, product, and strategies, you can’t influence the character of the founder, who they are, and what they value. And this book does just that.”

    —Theodora Lau, Author & Founder of Unconventional Ventures

  • “It’s time to break the cult of the founder and start an honest discussion around the good, the bad, and the ugly in entrepreneurship. Sophie’s book is a must read for founders, current and prospective startup employees, and VCs.”

    —Gregoire Michel, Investor

  • “Entrepreneurship is a sophisticated, arduous, and at times cryptic endeavor, mostly glamorous from the outside. Utilizing an academic crescendo filter, Sophie deciphers with absolute brilliance the hidden realities and dilemmas of the convoluted startup world.”

    —Ioana Surpateanu, Web3 investor & Entrepreneur