One actionable insight every Tuesday to help you grow.
A 3-minute read every Tuesday with one powerful idea to grow and to help you build the life you always wanted.

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My newsletters have reached 4,000 subscribers across Substack and Linkedin and the audience keeps growing daily.

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My newsletter is now read in over 70 countries and continues to grow every day.

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I have built a global community of over 30,000 people across all my social platforms.
A man in sunglasses and swim trunks sits on a lounge chair under a white umbrella on a stone patio. Xaver Lehmann.

Previous Issues of

The Honest Founder

Everything you need to build the life you always wanted. Lessons, frameworks and stories - all in one place.
Man in glasses and blue blazer speaks into a microphone, gesturing with his left hand, beside a large screen displaying "03:00". Xaver Lehmann.
If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.
Lesson about discomfort and how you should use it to your advantage.
Ocean waves wash onto a dark sandy beach under a colorful sunset sky.
The darkest days of being a founder.
COVID, M&A and a tragic loss that changed my life.

A yellow and dark blue graphic titled "A proven framework to find your next BILLION-DOLLAR STARTUP IDEA" with a pyramid diagram showing "EDGE", "OBSESSION", and "SIGNAL", followed by "THE 3 PILLARS OF SUCCESS", a "BUY NOW" button, and "Xaver Lehmann".
The exact framework to help you find the next billion dollar startup idea.
My repeatable success framework "SOE" and how you can use it to find great ideas.

Coffee mug
3-min energy audit for a better life.
Unlocking your zone of genius.
Excellece is attitude
Forget luck – these 5 factors decide Startup success.
What really matters when you’re building from zero.
Xaver Lehmann playing Golf
Recovering from Burnout.
The slow and messy process nobody prepares you for.

Kind words from the Community.

Honest reflections from people who’ve found value in my content.
Just wanted to say that I really enjoy your “Honest Founder” stories. They’re a refreshing alternative to all the AI write-ups, pseudo-insights, and Coaching Kens & Karens content being shared here. Keep it up! Hope you know what to do with your reach.
Dirk Grote
Global Head Comms & Media Go-to-Market @ ServiceNow
Just wanted to say thanks for writing your newsletter and sharing everything so openly. It’s also really well written, I get goosebumps every time I read it. I know from my own experience what it’s like to hit the limit sometimes, and your stories are such a powerful reminder to take care of yourself. So yeah a big thank you!
Lucas Spreiter
Founder @Venta Al(YC S23)
Xaver, your post made me finally take the plunge. I have been leading "projects and processes" of all kinds for organizations and individuals, other than myself. I need to fulfill the promise of my own Purpose, my own North Star. I have an approaching milestone within sight. After that, I need to build on my Purpose. I am looking forward to building it with all the tools, frameworks, and inspiration I can get. Starting with the Honest Founder newsletter subscription.
Shashi Matta
Vice Dean, Professor WFI University
Xaver thanks for being raw and honest with us. These chats are unexpected but hit hard and stay with you for life - some of us in the room felt like standing up and giving you a huge hug hearing your story. The sentiment I think you are reflecting back for founders in your new phase of life.
Tarang Patel
CEO, SaaS Founder
Hi Xaver :) I just finished my Master’s degree at TU. I find your content really inspiring and see a lot of myself in it.
Toni Koster
Growth @Circle Health
The Honest Founder is one of the few things online that actually feels real. Xaver writes the stuff most founders only talk about behind closed doors... the doubts, the pressure, the small wins that keep you going. Every time I read it, I feel a bit less alone in this whole journey.
Adam Probst
CEO & Founder ZenML
Hey Xaver, thanks for connecting! Just read your post. Really inspiring what you’ve built, and awesome to stand in front of your old student apartment again! 😄 Best regards!
Mahir El
Strategic Alliance Leader Google Germany & AI Strategist
Xavier, been reading your posts lately. Sharp, grounded, and actually worth reading (rare on here). One of the few founders and entrepreneur I like to follow on LinkedIn. You are legit and planning to work together
Xhoni Mimillari
Founder & Sales Coach
Hey Xaver, listened to your episode on Unicorn Bakery at the end of September… thanks for the honest insights, you rarely hear that, and it really gives founders guidance in tough times.
Florian Hasibar
Co-founder Stealth
A man with glasses and a microphone speaks on a stage with "UNBOUND" and "ABU DHABI GLOBAL MARKET" logos.

About me.

Expert with 10+ years of scaling and AI experience

Xaver is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and investor from Munich.
He co-founded e-bot7, one of Europe’s leading AI startups, scaling it to 130+ employees before selling the company for $60M to a NASDAQ-listed US company. He later launched VidLab7, backed by top-tier investors like EQT which he left due to Burnout.
Now he helps ambitious people build the life they always wanted without losing themselves in the process.

Worked with over 200+founders and CEOs

Xaver worked with more than 200+ founders and CEOs across different industries. Each journey taught him what truly drives growth clarity, focus, and emotional resilience.
His mission is to help leaders scale their companies without losing themselves in the process.