Mental Health in the Revenue Race | Chris Walker, CEO of ENCODED

From capping a quota‑crushing career to dismantling “growth‑at‑all‑costs” myths, Chris Walker shows that most burnout starts on the cap table, not in the cubicle. He and Jolie rip through VC term-sheet traps, why 40% rep attainment is a strategy failure (not a sales failure), and how EBITDA-first planning turns frantic startups into sustainable businesses.

Key Takeaways
• Cap‑table math = mental‑health math—raise sanely or suffer later.
• EBITDA goals force healthier, slower, but longer‑lasting growth.
• Less than 40 % quota attainment screams bad planning, not bad people.
• Morning meeting bans protect the only deep‑work hours a C‑suite gets.
• Pick investors who value tenure over vanity ARR.

Timestamps
00:01 – Opening & origin story
05:06 – Hyper‑growth scars & cap‑table reality
10:15 – Quota failure as planning failure
15:30 – 40 % attainment unpacked
20:55 – Burn multiples vs. burnout
26:53 – EBITDA > vanity metrics
31:14 – Designing humane comp plans
35:45 – Deep‑work rituals for execs
41:37 – Choosing sanity‑first investors
46:42 – Closing reflections

Links
Learn more about Chris
Learn more about Jolie
Learn more about Revenue Mind