He didn't do the work.
I don't know how familiar you are with HBO's The Pitt. But there's a scene in this season's finale I haven't stopped thinking about.
The show follows Robby Robinavitch — a doctor and emergency department supervisor who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and never shows it. His subordinate, Langdon, has just returned from drug rehab. Their first real conversation happens at the end of a full day of Robby being short and distant. Of Langdon trying to get through.
Langdon finally does.
"You know who I saw in rehab? I saw a bunch of guys just like you. The only difference is, they've accepted that they need help. I think you're afraid to admit that the mighty Dr. Robinavitch isn't perfect."
Robby pushes back. Says he never claimed to be.
"But you expect it of yourself. And it's not realistic, man. How can any of us live up to your standards if you can't even do it? You need help, Robby. You need help."
The scene ends with Langdon urging Robby to face up to the weight, the pain, the struggles he's been hauling around. To do the work of releasing them.
Yet very little changed in Robby's life in the year Langdon was in rehab. He carried the same weight, the same struggle, the same pain. In both season 1 and season 2.
He's yet to make the change he so obviously needs.
ONE IDEA I’M SITTING WITH
A few years ago, we made the Founder Wellness Pact — a commitment from members of the Global Venture Network to take care of the founders they work alongside.
As I reflect on that, I realize we made a mistake.
We didn't start with the leaders. We just put more on their plates. We told the directors, studio heads, and hub managers how to care for founders without supporting them in their own organizations and lives.
And while I don’t believe the lack of a Wellness Pact is entirely the reason for this, annual turnover for venture organizations is 22 percent for mid-level managers and 18 percent for directors and above — much higher than national benchmarks, where turnover averages around 10 percent for white-collar professionals and just 5 to 6 percent for management and executive roles (Mercer 2025 U.S. Turnover Survey).
Somewhere in this network, someone is awake right now holding the weight of the world on their shoulders, much like Robby Robinavitch is in The Pitt. They're doing the math, and calculating whether the cost of admitting that is worth it.
It is.
Langdon didn't fix Robby. He just refused to look away.
That's where it starts.
We can do that for each other.
And unlike Robby — we can also do the work ourselves.
That's what the Founder Wellness Pact was always meant to be. Not a promise we make for our founders. A promise we make for ourselves.
With love and trust,
Pat
TWO QUESTIONS I’M ASKING
When did strength become the only option in venture, and how did we get here?
What's the gap between how you show up today and who you “actually” are?
THREE THINGS I’M SEEING
Megan Garber argued in The Atlantic last week that social media and online posts didn't just give us an audience — it gave us stage fright
Every post, every update, every public-facing thing we do now carries the weight of performance. For people building in public, that pressure is real. And she pushes us to ask: What would you do differently if no one was watching?
FutureSight Ventures built something called the Venture Studio Periodic Table
The premise: Companies don't break from a lack of effort. They break because something essential was missing in the build. Worth the read.
I just landed in Baku to see my good friend Alper Celen
The person next to me on the flight enjoyed taking up all of his space — and mine. Which reminded me of this survey on the most annoying things people do on planes. First on the list: taking up your neighbor's space.
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