• 15 Aug, 2025
• Neil Seeman

From Dopamine and Brain Chemistry to Business Strategy That Drives Entrepreneurs: A Deep Dive with Neil Seeman on What Makes Us Tick

Magazica: Dear viewers and readers, today we have with us Neil Seeman. He is an associate professor in health systems policy at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Neil spends his time digging into—well, we can phrase it like this—what makes people tick. He explores the hidden forces, the brain chemistry, and the systems that shape our actions.

He examines the intense mix of drive and vulnerability in high achievers, looking at the role of brain chemistry. He challenges standard public health approaches, asking why the one-size-fits-all approach often fails, and advocates for solutions based on individual complexity. It’s a compelling look at the fundamental mechanisms impacting our well-being.

Ultimately, what Neil offers his readers and listeners is a compelling lens—one that helps us understand how to build better habits, navigate challenges, and design environments for well-being.

Neil Seeman, thank you for being with us. It’s a genuine pleasure to have this conversation.

Neil Seeman: Thank you. I’m honored to be here and look forward to the conversation. That was a very good synopsis of the things I try to do.

Magazica: Thank you very much. Let’s start with your book. The first one, Accelerated Minds, explores the unique drivers of entrepreneurs. What personal observation or experience—or maybe an “aha” or “eureka” moment—first led you to dive into this fascinating connection between entrepreneurial drive and mental health?

Neil Seeman: Thank you, Suman. There were two key moments. The main word I associate with entrepreneurship is failure. Most entrepreneurial ventures fail—about 90 percent, and that’s probably a conservative estimate.

What struck me about entrepreneurship is that even among—and especially among—entrepreneurs who are commercially successful, I was seeing a lot of debilitating self-harm, high degrees of suicidality, depression, anxiety—truly terrible conditions. I found that deeply concerning.

After my father died in January 2021—he was one of the greatest brain researchers in Canadian history and discovered the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain, where dopamine attaches—I began reading his manuscripts. I started thinking that the same dysregulation that occurs in the brains of people who suffer from psychosis might also affect high-achieving entrepreneurs. I began researching and speaking to scientists around the world, and they helped validate my hypothesis.

Magazica: Is that the reason you started your book with the crisis of entrepreneurship in the first chapter? Then you defined dopamine—how it works and its dangers—and closed with a chapter on remaking the entrepreneur’s world. What do you mean by that? Could you offer a brief synopsis for our readers and viewers?

Neil Seeman: Yes. The current entrepreneurial world is very fast-paced. There’s a lot of messaging telling people they need to exit quickly and succeed rapidly. I want to slow it down.

Historically, entrepreneurship was viewed as a gradual process. Over the last 10 to 15 years, we’ve seen acceleration due to the internet and technology. Expectations around venture success have sped up dramatically, and I believe that’s gone too far.

I want to change the messaging, especially for young people, who actually understand this better than people my age. I want to help them appreciate that entrepreneurial ventures are slow builds. You’re solving problems—new or old—and you’re building those solutions over time.

Magazica: Research shows entrepreneurs face mental health challenges at notably higher rates, which you also mentioned in the book. Beyond the statistics and figures, what does this tell us about the systems or environments surrounding entrepreneurship? And what can we learn from this about human resilience and vulnerability—another topic you write and speak about so powerfully?

Neil Seeman: That’s a great question, and it ties deeply into the concept of resilience and dopamine. The current entrepreneurial system is not aligned with human psychology.

Human psychology is inherently reflective and resilient—that’s who we are. Dopamine in the brain doesn’t just attach to achievement; it attaches to the expectation of achievement.

That’s what entrepreneurs—particularly what I call “fast-money entrepreneurs,”—increasingly chase. Much like addiction, it’s the anticipation of that success, the moment when you first share your vision with others, that provides the biggest dopamine hit.

That expectation is what dopamine attaches salience to, and we spend our time chasing that first high. Like with addiction, you can’t recapture that moment, which makes resilience especially hard for certain types of entrepreneurs.

Magazica: Staying with that connection to dopamine, your book explores dopamine’s dual nature. For entrepreneurs, it powers success but also links to vulnerability. Could you explain how this single neurotransmitter can drive both incredible progress and potential struggle in an entrepreneurial brain?

Neil Seeman: Dopamine is like rocket fuel—it’s the superpower that energizes the entrepreneurial brain. But it can become dysregulated. Here’s how dopamine works: it’s a brain chemical that binds to one of five dopamine receptors. My father, Philip Seeman, discovered the D2 receptor, to which dopamine attaches.

But it’s not just the attachment that matters. The speed of dopamine release is crucial. For instance, gambling and addiction are associated with some of the highest speeds of release. In the entrepreneurial brain, if dopamine isn’t regulated—if it’s too fast—it creates a kind of pressure. That’s why I advocate for messaging that slows down entrepreneurial systems and resists the demand for unrealistic, rapid commercial success.

Magazica: Your work also touches on a fascinating philosophical shift in entrepreneurship—from stoicism to Epicureanism. It addresses the mindset most people have around the need for quick financial gain. What does this shift mean for the daily habits and inner well-being of high-performing individuals?

Neil Seeman: Entrepreneurs often beat themselves up. In media, we usually hear only about spectacular successes or spectacular failures. What’s missing are stories about the vast majority of entrepreneurs—quiet builders working across trades and industries beyond tech—who are the real drivers of prosperity.

Historically, entrepreneurs were stoic—slow-moving, thoughtful. Many still are. But investor ecosystems now pressure them to move fast and chase dopamine highs. The shift toward Epicureanism reflects this demand: the thrill of the fast release, the expectation of success. Social media exacerbates this pressure. Young people often tell me it’s overwhelming. They only see people boasting about rapid wins, which can make thoughtful, slow-building entrepreneurs feel inadequate.

Many of these individuals are “all-or-nothing” thinkers. They’re vulnerable to self-criticism and anxiety. So, this cultural pressure pulls us away from stoic entrepreneurship toward what I call fast-money entrepreneurship—an emphasis on exits and inflated expectations. The hockey stick curve, market capitalization tables, and obsession with scaling quickly have become pervasive.

Now, all of that said, I should emphasize—entrepreneurship is tremendously exciting. We live in a time of great ideas and innovation. But we also need to promote a healthy approach to entrepreneurship.

Magazica: The way you present this argument—it’s not just about entrepreneurs, is it? Couldn’t this apply to professionals in fintech, HR, accounting—anyone caught in the fast-paced corporate race?

Neil Seeman: Absolutely. These dynamics ripple throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem. You can be an entrepreneur inside a large organization—I call those people “intrapreneurs.” They operate beyond the founder role but still drive innovation.

Founders, though, do have unique traits. They might be writers, magazine founders like you, or podcasters—creative people launching new ideas. The partners of entrepreneurs are also essential to consider. They’re often closest to the entrepreneur and most exposed to the ups and downs.

Investors, board members, and advisors need to understand the specific vulnerabilities of people prone to dopamine dysregulation. This can show up in large corporations too. HR departments must be aware of this because it directly affects retention. These individuals are often highly productive, but they may leave if they’re misunderstood or unsupported.

Magazica: While reading Accelerated Minds, I noticed you shared personal details: your father was a major thinker in neuroscience, and your mother’s work was also aligned with the field. Yet you and your siblings didn’t go into medicine or scientific research.

Later, when you began reading your father’s papers, it seemed like a calling, as though you should be a flag bearer of that legacy and spearhead the continuity of knowledge. Everything you’ve written in Accelerated Minds—and we’ll get to your second book—feels rooted in that. Is it connected to your personal experience and the way you grew up? Could you shed a little light on that?

Neil Seeman: Thank you, Suman. Yes, it’s entirely aligned with my life. Everything I do is in honor of my parents. I returned to the University of Toronto as faculty in tribute to them. Many of the entrepreneurial and social impact initiatives I pursue aim to share their message and advocate for individuals at risk of mental health challenges.

There’s a real connection. I was raised in a lab—literally—in the Medical Sciences Building, just a few hundred meters from where I am right now. According to my parents, my second word as a toddler was “dopamine.”

I grew up immersed in the field. That’s how I learned about mental health—and addiction, in particular—which has always fascinated me. My brothers and I are all entrepreneurs in different ways, and our paths are inherently linked to that upbringing and our parents’ work.

After my mother passed away, I felt an even stronger obligation to continue their legacy. She was a women’s health and mental health researcher. Her work focused on estrogen in the brain, and together with my father, she contributed meaningfully to destigmatizing mental health.

We forget that in the 1960s and 1970s, even respected outlets like The New York Times ran headlines suggesting children’s mental illnesses were caused by bad parenting—particularly blaming mothers. It took time and people like my parents and their colleagues around the world to prove that these conditions had biological foundations. It wasn’t the mother’s fault—it was brain chemistry.

Their work inspired me. To this day, I strive to help families, caregivers, and parents understand that when someone suffers from a mental health condition, it’s not a reflection of their parenting. It’s not their fault.

Magazica: What I’ve come to realize is that everyone wants a genius child—but no one wants to be a genius parent.

Neil Seeman: I don’t know if I’ve ever met a genius parent.

Magazica: The environment you grew up in sounds remarkable—your parents were actively working to destigmatize these issues through science. That’s a privilege.

Neil Seeman: Yes, it absolutely is. I often measure the success of my day by whether I’ve furthered their mission or deepened public understanding of the knowledge they shared. What’s fascinating is that when I published Accelerated Minds, I assumed my core audience would be business owners—people in their forties and fifties.

But I soon discovered four unexpected groups were reaching out the most. First were new immigrants to Canada and North America. Second were women entrepreneurs. Both are populations I’ve come to realize are often bullied in entrepreneurial circles.

The third group were caregivers and partners of entrepreneurs—those closest to them, who bear the emotional weight often overlooked. We forget that entrepreneurship is not a solo endeavor. It’s a family unit.

The fourth group was teenagers. Young people seem to genuinely admire entrepreneurs, but they’re also far more familiar and open about mental health conditions. Speaking at high schools has been incredibly rewarding. I find so much hope and inspiration in this next generation.

Magazica: That’s powerful. What’s also interesting is how your book feels like a post-COVID phenomenon. I believe the first edition came out in 2023?

Neil Seeman: Yes, right after COVID. Entrepreneurship was surging globally—torquing into high gear. There are many theories on why that happened. COVID accelerated innovation, pushed people to escape traditional work environments, and expanded the remote workforce.

And in just a few weeks, Accelerated Minds will be released in Japan. I’m very excited about that. The publisher is Toyo Keizai, a respected name in business and economics.

Magazica: Wow, congratulations!

Neil Seeman: Thank you. The message has resonated globally, and I’m grateful for that. It’s had a lasting impact. I’ve been invited to speak at stock exchanges, banks, and various institutions. There’s been strong receptivity to the ideas. I’m proud to be part of a growing movement that’s spreading this message around the world.

Magazica: Just as a footnote—I started reading your first book, Accelerated Minds, and passed it along to my son’s therapist, who’s been working with him for the past nine years. She loved it.

Neil Seeman: Oh, thank you! That’s really meaningful.

Magazica: I loved it too. She works with the Geneva Convention, and she was thrilled. I told her I’d pass the good words along to the author.

Neil Seeman: Well, thank you.

Magazica: Now you have to read the second one—Double-XL. She said she will! So while we were searching for it, we noticed Accelerated Minds was published by Sutherland, but the book we’re now discussing is your earlier work, Triple-XL: Obesity and the Limits of Shame, published by University of Toronto Press in 2011. That’s quite significant. How did your focus shift from the medical environment you grew up in toward the topic of obesity in Triple-XL? Do you see any behavioral patterns or impulse dynamics that link entrepreneurial drive with the challenges many people face around food and weight?

Neil Seeman: Yes, absolutely. The same impulse control issues show up across both domains—entrepreneurship and obesity—in very complex ways. Obesity is what we call a “wicked problem.” It’s systemic, societal, and not reducible to personal failure. It’s shaped by cultural, socioeconomic, and familial factors. We have to resist oversimplifying it.

Emotional dysregulation affects both entrepreneurs and those prone to obesity. They tend to be “all-or-nothing” thinkers. Entrepreneurs chase success or spiral into failure, often blaming themselves. Similarly, people who struggle with overeating may pursue extreme diets—and we know that diets fail around 90% of the time. These internal narratives become self-defeating.

Magazica: That’s definitely true. In Double-XL, you challenge traditional shame-based public health campaigns around obesity. That theme is central right from the book’s introduction—the genesis of shame. Why do these one-size-fits-all messages often fail to create meaningful change in individual behavior? What can we learn from that in terms of forming healthier habits?

Neil Seeman: The last thing someone living with obesity needs to hear is that obesity is bad. They already know that. They’re inundated with messaging—especially via social media—about the medical risks and chronic conditions linked to obesity.

The problem is they internalize shame. These top-down messages only intensify that. What we need instead are tailored, sensitive approaches that consider individuals’ unique circumstances.

The reception to Double-XL was fascinating. It came out at a time when childhood obesity was on the public agenda, largely thanks to First Lady Michelle Obama, and received considerable attention in the U.S.

Scientists and researchers who study obesity embraced the book. But libertarian economists mocked it—they misunderstood the message, assuming I was advocating widespread government subsidies. That wasn’t the case.

My co-author, a leading Canadian economist, focused on the economic drivers of obesity, which are incredibly complex. We aimed to show how public health messaging could be reshaped—not simplified, but personalized.

Since the book’s publication, we’ve seen meaningful shifts in public health campaigns. I wouldn’t claim we’re solely responsible, but the community began to recognize the harm of shame-based messaging. In the U.S., particularly in New York, subway ads openly mocked people with obesity—those campaigns were devastating. Thankfully, they’ve largely disappeared.

Magazica: Considering your two books and your work at the University of Toronto—how does this intellectual osmosis work? You’ve got your father’s manuscripts, your mother’s research, growing up in a scientific household—that’s your personal intellectual bank. Then there’s the academic rigor from teaching at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. How does that blend? How much does your personal study and curiosity influence your teaching and broader work?

Neil Seeman: That’s a beautiful question. The exchange between personal curiosity and academic rigor is constant—it’s enriching and humbling. My teaching is informed by what I grew up with, and my writing is shaped by the conversations I have in the classroom.

The Dalla Lana School is filled with brilliant minds. Interacting with students, colleagues, and researchers challenges me to think more deeply and question assumptions. It’s not one-way—it’s an ongoing dialogue. It sharpens both my writing and my worldview.

The values my parents instilled—curiosity, compassion, and scientific skepticism—are alive in my classroom. Whether I’m writing about entrepreneurial resilience or systemic obesity, those core lessons remain at the heart of what I do.

Thank you, Suman. What this journey has increasingly taught me is that we must pay attention to individual behavior when designing systems. We can’t sketch out a framework on a chalkboard and expect it to work universally. A solution that works in one country won’t necessarily apply in another with a different culture.

Take eldercare, for example. I’ve become more sensitive to the social isolation of older individuals. Many aren’t using apps or digital tools. They’re alone, often in their apartments, without partners. We need to study how they actually live.

In France, they’ve conducted experiments where postal workers check in with isolated seniors. In Canada, we’ve seen success with naturally occurring retirement communities—where social workers engage with residents directly. These are examples of going to where people are, rather than expecting them to conform to a system. It’s a public health lesson—match the system to behavior, not the other way around. Many others share this view, and it’s something I’ve realized across a range of societal challenges.

Magazica: Absolutely. And looking ahead, considering the pressures entrepreneurs face and the complexity of public health challenges like obesity, do you see any signs of hope? Are systems starting to evolve to better support individual well-being?

Neil Seeman: Definitely. In the public health field—among both academics and practitioners—there’s a growing recognition that we must evaluate individual behavior before designing policy. We need empathy and understanding before we scale.

In addition, for instance, there has been a shift toward destigmatization. Public health efforts now focus on learning from individuals rather than prescribing universal solutions.

On the entrepreneurial side, the Founders Mental Health Pledge is one example. It has now reached tens of thousands of organizations across more than 40 countries. Importantly, it’s not fueled by government money—it’s driven by founders themselves. They’re committing resources upfront to help both entrepreneurs and early-stage employees access mental health support when they feel disconnected or overwhelmed.

I’ve seen widespread discussions, a shift in narrative. Young people are increasingly aware of the mental health challenges associated with entrepreneurship. It’s hopeful. Very hopeful.

Magazica: And finally, for our listeners and readers—whether they identify with having an “accelerated mind,” as you say, or are navigating personal health journeys, recovery, or making lifestyle changes like overcoming obesity—what is one practical idea you’d encourage them to explore?

Neil Seeman: I recommend something I call radical self-compassion. When I first began engaging with this concept, I heard about helpful strategies—meditation, journaling, and mindfulness. These are valuable. But the real core is objectivity: learning to see your condition and your self-defeating narratives with dispassion.

A practical way to do this is to imagine advising a close friend or family member going through the same situation. What advice would you give them? Apply that same gentleness and wisdom to yourself.

And laugh. Laugh for 15 minutes a day if you can. Entrepreneurship—and life—is filled with absurd juggling acts. Humor creates healthy distance. It helps you stop being caught up in yourself and start observing your struggles with perspective. That’s the heart of radical self-compassion.

Magazica: What a beautiful takeaway to end on. Neil Seeman, it has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for sharing your insights with us and with our readers and viewers.

Neil Seeman: Thank you, and to your entrepreneurial endeavors—congratulations. And thank you to all those who support entrepreneurs: the families, the friends, and everyone affected by their work. I appreciate it deeply.

Magazica: Thank you.