9 – From Trulia’s $3.5B Exit to Virta Health: Rethinking Leadership That Lasts

Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Sami Inkinen — Co-Founder of Trulia and CEO of Virta Health — to discuss what sustains leaders beyond the big milestones. After scaling Trulia to a $3.5 billion IPO, Sami discovered that while he had trained his body and educated his mind, he had never truly trained his inner world. That realization sparked a 12-year practice that reshaped how he leads, motivates teams, and builds lasting companies.

In this conversation, Sami shares why authentic leadership outperforms the “founder mode” playbook, the psychology behind sustainable motivation, and how to create self-driven teams without slipping into the role of therapist. He also explains why a single authentic story can inspire more than a thousand data points, how cultivating multiple identities builds resilience, and the surprising “unexplainable love” test every founder should apply before starting something new.

For leaders building through rapid growth or aiming for long-term impact, this episode offers a fresh lens on what truly sustains founders and their teams.

To continue the conversation with Sami, connect with him on LinkedIn or explore Virta Health at virtahealth.com.

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