Patrick J. McGinnis
Decision-Making & Influence Thought Leader, Creator of the Term FOMO, Podcaster & Entrepreneur
Patrick J. McGinnis
Decision-Making & Influence Thought Leader, Creator of the Term FOMO, Podcaster & Entrepreneur
Biography
Dubbed a "pop entrepreneur" by New York magazine, Patrick J. McGinnis is a venture capitalist, bestselling author, and creator of the hit podcast FOMO Sapiens whose works centers on the intersection of decision-making, influence, and entrepreneurship.
He coined the term FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and its lesser-known twin, FOBO (Fear of a Better Option), in a 2004 article at Harvard Business School. FOMO has since been added to the dictionary, and FOBO was the subject of Patrick's popular TED Talk "How to Make Faster Decisions." The New York Times, Le Monde, FT, and El País have covered his work on FOMO, FOBO, and decision-making.
The author of The 10% Entrepreneur: Live Your Startup Dream Without Quitting Your Day Job and Fear of Missing Out: Practical Decision-Making in a World of Overwhelming Choice, Patrick is the brand ambassador for Latin American tech titan MercadoLibre's award-winning "Fear of Missing Audience" campaign. Additionally, Patrick appears in the cautionary crypto documentary This is Not Financial Advice, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
With a passion for harnessing the power of words to elevate humanity, Patrick he serves on the boards of Bridge USA, a campus-based youth movement fighting political division through dialogue, the Leadership Now Project, and the Planet World Museum in Washington, DC.
A graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Business School, Patrick has visited more than 115 countries and is fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
Speaker Videos
Patrick McGinnis Keynote Speaker Reel
Is FOMO Driving Government Decisions?
FOMAI, the fear of missing out on AI
FOMA Fear of Missing Audience for Mercado Ads
The 10% Entrepreneur | Patrick McGinnis | Talks at Google
How to make faster decisions | The Way We Work, a TED series
Fear of Missing Out: Practical Decision-Making in a World of Overwhelming Choice | Talks at Google
Speech Topics
Decisive Leadership in the Age of FOMO: How to Lead with Conviction in a World of Overwhelming Choice
Today's leaders face an unprecedented challenge: when everything feels urgent, it becomes harder than ever to know what truly matters. The danger? Individuals and organizations can fall into the trap of making reactive choices instead of plotting a well-reasoned strategic path forward. In this dynamic keynote, Patrick unpacks the psychology behind distraction, comparison, and indecision in today’s fast-moving environments. Through interactive exercises, real-world examples, and practical decision frameworks, he shows how leaders can filter the noise, focus their attention, and commit to a clear direction. Rather than trying to eliminate FOMO entirely, McGinnis demonstrates how to harness it as a tool for sharper judgment and stronger leadership. The result is a mindset that prioritizes clarity, conviction, and disciplined decision-making in a world overflowing with choices.
Audiences will learn:
- How FOMO influences attention, comparison, and decision-making in modern leadership.
- Practical frameworks for filtering distractions and identifying what truly matters.
- How to transform FOMO from a source of anxiety into a strategic leadership advantage.
All Marketing is Based on FOMO
Every great marketing campaign is built on one fundamental principle: FOMO. Whether it’s a product launch, an exclusive offer, or a viral brand moment, the most effective marketing strategies tap into the deep psychological drivers that make people take action. But FOMO isn’t just about scarcity or urgency—it’s about aspiration, identity, and the innate human desire to belong. Marketers at all levels and in a wide range of industries can harness the power of FOMO to fuel engagement, build loyalty, and drive business growth. By building their strategies on the two types of FOMO, Aspirational FOMO—the desire to achieve a better version of oneself—and Herd FOMO—the instinct to follow the crowd—they can tap deeply into the psyche of their clients to build a much deeper connection.
Through compelling case studies and real-world examples, this keynote explores how today’s most successful brands use FOMO to create cultural relevance and influence purchasing decisions. From luxury brands cultivating exclusivity to social media platforms leveraging community-driven momentum, marketing that truly resonates doesn’t just sell a product—it sells a feeling, an identity, and a fear of being left behind. Beyond theory, this keynote delivers practical, actionable insights that marketing leaders can apply immediately. Using interactive exercises, participants will analyze their own marketing strategies through the lens of FOMO, identifying ways to enhance messaging, create urgency, and build campaigns that drive action.
As a result of this program, attendees will:
- Understand the drivers and triggers of consumer behavior
- Identify the two types of FOMO and how they correspond to essential marketing concepts
- Design a marketing campaign that leverages FOMO to drive consumers into action
The Power of Entrepreneurial Thinking
Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, blockchain, Web3, NFTs, and whatever comes next. Innovation is everywhere and the pace of change is unrelenting. While the term intrapreneurship was first coined a quarter century ago, building a truly entrepreneurial culture at an established company remains challenging, regardless of their R&D budgets.
But it’s not impossible. Any company can create a culture of entrepreneurship by encouraging its employees to explore their own entrepreneurial projects out side of work (i.e., their side hustles) and then challenging them to apply what they learn back at their day jobs. In doing so, they leverage their employees to become leaner, faster, and more innovative, for the benefit of their business. Also, by encouraging their employees to spend time on projects that interest them in their free time companies unlock a unique and powerful retention tool.
Based on Patrick’s international bestseller The 10% Entrepreneur as well as practices at companies ranging from Google to Goldman Sachs, Patrick will provide your teams with the inspiration and the practical frameworks required to actively integrate every employee in the firm in the process of building an entrepreneurial culture.
As a result of this program, attendees will:
- Identify the three advantages of entrepreneurial thinking versus traditional thinking
- Learn how companies and teams can employ the 10% mindset to drive innovation, build an entrepreneurial culture, and retain talent in a hypercompetitive world
- Formulate an action plan to integrate entrepreneurial thinking into their work (The 5 types of 10% Entrepreneur)
Don’t Miss Out! Sales & the Power of Now
Good marketers and effective salespeople share a common secret: they know how to use urgency and scarcity to move potential customers from “maybe” to “yes.” Put simply, they infuse their strategies with FOMO–the Fear of Missing Out. That’s because FOMO taps deeply into our psychology in two ways. First, it shows us the positive qualities of a product or opportunity in order to convince us that we want, need, or desire it (also known as aspirational FOMO). Second, FOMO reminds us that if we don’t take action, that product or opportunity we risk missing out (known as herd FOMO). It is this potent combination of aspirational and herd FOMO that drives markets, moves products, and closes deals.
But knowing how the psychology works and using it effectively - and authentically - requires skill, planning, and a deep understanding of your product and your customer. In this action-oriented keynote that presents case studies of what works (and hilarious, what doesn’t), you’ll learn how to use FOMO to drive sales, market products, and deploy powerful yet ethical strategies to supercharge your sales and marketing machine.
As a result of this program, attendees will:
- Understand the psychological power of urgency
- Identify triggers of urgent action and design their own triggers for the products or services they would like to market
- Understand the potential ethical or marketing pitfalls to navigate when using this strategy.
FOMAI: Fear of Missing Out on AI & What to Do About It
Just as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can drive our behaviors and decisions in social settings, it also profoundly influences how we adopt disruptive technology. After all, both of these forces are deeply connected to human psychology. Whether in the business sphere or beyond, AI sits at the intersection of ambition, human anxieties and the pervasive fear of being left behind in an age of profound change. Understanding the parallels between FOMO in the social sphere and its manifestation with respect to AI adoption is critical in a world where the relationship between humans and intelligent machines is evolving by the day. In this keynote, you will learn how to develop strategies for when to “miss out” and avoid the temptation to fall victim to all the AI hype, wasting time and money on the next not-so-big thing.
Fear, Greed, FOMO & Financial Markets
Navigating the complex world of financial markets requires more than just analytical skills—it demands an understanding of the powerful psychological forces that drive market behavior. This keynote delves into the critical roles that fear, greed, and the fear of missing out play in shaping financial decision-making. Drawing from real-world examples and his extensive experience in both the entrepreneurial and financial sectors, Patrick uncovers the impact of these emotions on investors, markets, and economies. He explains how recognizing and managing these forces can lead to better investment strategies and more resilient financial decisions. Most importantly, Patrick offers fresh perspectives on how to thrive in an environment where emotional intelligence is just as crucial as financial acumen.
The Courage to Forge Your Own Path: Finding the Freedom that Comes with Not Following the Crowd
In a world full of potential opportunities–and potential pitfalls-it can feel impossible to choose just one path and commit to it. At the same time, there are so many temptations to follow the crowd– hot trends like blockchain, NFTs, Web3, and AI beckon-even when it seems like the responsible thing to do is to head to Corporate America, graduate school, or a more traditional path. So, what are you supposed to do? What’s real and what’s hype? And even if something feels like it’s more than a little bit about hype, what should you do? In this fun, interactive, and yet highly practical session, you’ll receive the context, strategies, and hacks you need to find the power to choose what you actually want and the courage to miss out on the rest. Using a mix of psychology, anecdotes, and actionable advice, Patrick will help you to figure out what you really want so that you can find the best path forward.