Patrick McGinnis

Patrick J. McGinnis is an international venture capitalist, host of the hit podcast FOMO Sapiens, and author of the international bestseller Fear of Missing Out: Practical Decision-Making in a World of Overwhelming Choice (2020), a modern handbook on how to live and work decisively. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Politico, The Financial Times, The Guardian, BBC, MSNBC, Boston Globe, Inc, and many other media outlets worldwide.

Patrick coined the term FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), as well as the related term FOBO (Fear of a Better Option) in a 2004 article in the student newspaper of Harvard Business School. FOMO has since been added to the dictionary and FOBO has become an increasingly popular framework to describe choice paralysis. His 2019 TED Talk on FOBO and decision-making has surpassed 1.5 million views.

Patrick’s hit podcast, FOMO Sapiens, uncovers how entrepreneurial leaders make personal and professional decisions in a world of overwhelming choice. Guests have included leaders in business, politics, and culture, including Jay Shetty, Gretchen Rubin, Andrew Yang, Steven Kotler, and the Founders/CEOs of companies including Luke’s Lobster, Zola, Primary, Super Coffee, Hint Water, Magic Spoon, Floyd, Hello Fresh, and Farmgirl Flowers.

Patrick is also the author of the international bestseller The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job, a guide to part-time entrepreneurship that was published in 2016 and has been translated into more than 10 languages. As a 10% Entrepreneur, Patrick has invested, advised, or founded more than 20 part-time entrepreneurial ventures spanning the high-tech, real estate, and entertainment industries. Two of the companies in his investment portfolio have subsequently become unicorns.

Originally from Maine, Patrick is a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Business School. He has visited 103 countries and lives in NYC.