Go Wide: A Life Less Curated explores how major historical events have shaped today’s world and what they might signal about the future. Do you agree? What else should we dive into? Share your thoughts at [email protected].

The New York Tech CFO Group

Founded in 2016, we’re a free, collaborative community where finance leaders share real-world insights on strategy, benchmarking, and financial solutions. 

We maintain an active email group and host gatherings from casual happy hours and breakfasts to educational and networking events.

This quarter includes:

• Finance Leaders Happy Hour (Feb 11)

• CFOs and the Board: At the Center of Strategy and Scrutiny (Feb 25)

• Profit and Purpose: Building Impactful, Resilient, & Lucrative Businesses (Mar 4)

• CFO Breakfast (Mar 11)

• Trust, Tech, and the Bottom Line: CFOs at the Frontline of AI Risk (Mar 25)

If you’re interested in learning more about the NY Tech CFO Group, contact [email protected].

Leading Like Marcus Aurelius: Calm, Clarity, and Character in Chaos

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. — Marcus Aurelius

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius was never intended for an audience. It was a field journal from the most powerful man in the world, written between military campaigns, political unrest, and a plague that devastated Rome.

That’s why it matters to founders.

Written around 170–180 CE, its core discipline still applies: focus only on what you control. Your actions, your judgment, your character. Not the noise or chaos, and never the outcome.

Lead with integrity and respect. Build trust. When you keep attention on the present instead of the past or imagined futures, decisions get clearer—especially under pressure.

Aurelius reflected daily, reviewing his behavior and correcting himself. Even a few minutes of honest self-audit can build the same momentum for founders.

Meditations endures because intense pressure persists today. It’s a manual for staying steady, thinking clearly, and acting honorably, even when everything around you isn’t.

“Silent Strength celebrates introversion as a path to authentic innovation and entrepreneurial success.” — Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple and Inductee of the Inventors Hall of Fame

Drawing on founder stories, research, and real-world experience, Benjamin Friedman shows how introversion is a superpower and how to thrive in the high-energy startup world.

You’ll learn how to: 

• Lead, sell, and fundraise while staying true to yourself 

• Transform self-awareness into resilience, confidence, and growth 

• Build balanced, high-performing teams by collaborating with extroverts 

Hey extroverts: The book also includes three chapters that celebrate you and explore how you can work effectively with introverts!

Silent Strength: The Introvert’s Guide to Building Successful Startups can be found HERE in paperback and eBook versions.