The Psychology & Anatomy of a Start-Up: Session 1 - Finding Your Problem
Session 1: Finding Your Problem
Why the problem matters — purpose, vision & the CYNEFIN Model
Most founders start building before they truly understand what they're solving — and who it's for. This 45-minute workshop is the first session in The Psychology of Startups: Building Something Meaningful, a nine-part in-person and virtual series designed to help founders think deeper, build smarter, and lead with purpose.
In this opening session, we'll dig into the psychological and strategic foundations of problem definition — because the quality of your problem determines the quality of everything that follows.
Led by Morné Maritz, Founder & CEO of Cogniate, former Accenture and EY partner, and author of The Leadership Balance Triangle (Routledge), this session blends organisational psychology with real-world startup experience to give you a framework — and a feeling — for what it means to build something that genuinely matters.
Whether you're pre-idea, early-stage, or pivoting, this session will challenge you to go deeper than the surface symptom and find the problem worth dedicating years of your life to.
✅ What You'll Learn
Why most startups fail by solving the wrong problem — and how to avoid it
How to apply Simon Sinek's Golden Circle (WHY, HOW, WHAT) to your venture
How to use the CYNEFIN Framework to understand the nature and complexity of your problem
How to write a precise, emotionally resonant problem statement
The homework that will prepare you for Session 2
⚙️What You'll Need
Laptop and Notebook
Connected to an AI (Preferably Claude and/or Perplexity)
⚡️What You'll Get
Problem Framework and definition - Your North Star & Exit definition, Your Data points
Homework - Refine Your Why -> Get Ready for Session 2
Commercial Worksheet Template (What you'll need for the Remaining Sessions)
🎤 Your Facilitator: Morné Maritz — Founder & CEO, Cogniate | Author | Organisational Psychologist | Former Fortune 500 Consultant (Accenture, EY) | Co-creator of EY's Skills Foundry platform, serving 300,000+ employees globally. Morné brings 20+ years of experience in human behaviour, leadership, and enterprise transformation to every session.
🎤 Your Host: Diane Gogoleva — [Networking Expert & Events Curator | Known for building communities where founders, investors, and operators connect meaningfully. Diane curates the space so you can focus on the learning.
This is Session 1 of 9. Each session stands alone — but the magic compounds when you attend the full series.