key takeaways
- Evan Spiegel is the CEO of Snap, a social media company with a recent market valuation of $13 billion.
- In a recent interview, Spiegel said he viewed the stress positively as a “gift” and a “learning opportunity”.
- Other technology leaders, such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, experience the stress of the CEO job more negatively.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel manages the pressure of a run $13 billion The social media company redefines the way she thinks about stress and creates habits that help her deal with it.
In a recent episode of Patience podcast, Spiegel said he views the stress positively, calling it a “gift” and a “learning opportunity.” An important part of Spiegel’s approach to stress is to act as a buffer rather than a transmitter of stress. He believes it is his responsibility to take care of his team and family instead of putting pressure on them. They don’t want coworkers or loved ones to feel the importance of their role.
To make this possible, Spiegel personally relies on practical routines to manage stress, including regular exercise, sauna sessions and meditation. Those habits allow her to lead while maintaining emotional stability at home and work.
Connected: Employee burnout has a hidden cost of millions of dollars for employers, according to new research
“I’ve tried to find my own way,” he said on the podcast. “I don’t want to go through that stress, right? I don’t want to burden the people I care about.”
Spiegel argued that the most important thing is how a person creates stress in his or her mind. Viewing stress as an opportunity for positive growth “can have a huge impact on your ability to manage it,” he said.

Research supports their claims. stanford psychologist kelly mcgonigal‘s 2015 book, the flip side of stressclaimed that viewing stress as a positive challenge rather than something harmful can improve work performance and resilience. This positive mindset became necessary for Spiegel after years of turning down high-profile decisions Meta’s $3 billion acquisition proposal in 2013 make snap public In March 2017.
Connected: Snap’s CEO says this one feature is the ‘X factor’ for entrepreneurs
Spiegel has been CEO of Snap For over 13 yearsSo being a CEO for a long time has made him better at managing stress.
“Once you get into the rhythm of dealing with stressful events all the time, it becomes very normal,” he said on the podcast.
Other technical leaders have different reactions to stressful situations. For example, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said earlier this month that he lives in a constant “state of worry” that Nvidia is “30 days from going out of business,” even though the company is currently the most valuable in the world and Record revenue reported $57 billion in its third quarter last month. Huang said on the podcast that he works “every waking moment” and is “exhausted.”
Are you ready to explore everything on Entrepreneur.com? December is your free pass to Entrepreneur+. Enjoy full access, no strings attached. Claim your free month
key takeaways
- Evan Spiegel is the CEO of Snap, a social media company with a recent market valuation of $13 billion.
- In a recent interview, Spiegel said he viewed the stress positively as a “gift” and a “learning opportunity”.
- Other technology leaders, such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, experience the stress of the CEO job more negatively.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel manages the pressure of a run $13 billion The social media company redefines the way she thinks about stress and creates habits that help her deal with it.
In a recent episode of Patience podcast, Spiegel said he views the stress positively, calling it a “gift” and a “learning opportunity.” An important part of Spiegel’s approach to stress is to act as a buffer rather than a transmitter of stress. He believes it is his responsibility to take care of his team and family instead of putting pressure on them. They don’t want coworkers or loved ones to feel the importance of their role.
The remainder of this article is locked.
Connect with Entrepreneur, For access today.

