The Psyche · Shadow Index
A 12-question assessment built on peer-reviewed entrepreneurship research spanning 11,000+ founders and professionals. Understand how your personality shapes how you lead, raise, and build. Takes 4 minutes.
Not a clinical tool. For founder self-awareness only.
Three personality traits that consistently shape founder behaviour across research on entrepreneurship and venture performance.
Vision Trait
Self-belief and the drive for recognition. The most studied Dark Triad trait in founders — linked to fundraising ability and early venture performance, but also to difficulty learning from failure.
Strategy Trait
Strategic thinking and calculated decision-making. Associated with opportunity recognition and tactical flexibility. Research shows moderate levels benefit founders; extreme levels erode team trust.
Edge Trait
Emotional detachment under pressure and fearless action. Helps founders act decisively in crisis. At extremes, associated with ethical drift and reduced empathy for co-founders and team.