Infinite Loops Arkady Kulik - The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ep. 305)
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Mar 12, 2026 Arkady Kulik, a venture capitalist and trained physicist focused on deep tech and founder psychology. He talks about resilience as adaptability, how self-deception undermines founders, the importance of hard conversations and ownership, and signals—like rituals and hiring choices—that reveal true motivation.
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Reject Externalizing Blame Immediately
- Take personal responsibility; avoid externalizing blame as a fast route to failure.
- Arkady quotes a musician: saying 'I'm not to blame' is how people lose everything, so look for finger-pointing behaviors.
Email From Age 22 Revealed Early Arrogance
- Arkady showed his wife an arrogant email he sent at 22 and she said she would never have dated him then.
- He uses the example to illustrate how he learned humility through being 'punched in the face' by experience.
Self-Deception Is The Hardest Founder Risk
- Self-deception is the hardest risk because people genuinely believe false narratives about themselves.
- Arkady combats this with repeated, varied questions about ambition and life goals to surface honest answers.
