
The “most stressed” wellness CEO, with Calm’s David Ko
From Masters of Scale by WaitWhat
April 7, 2026 · 33 min
About this episode
David Ko discusses the challenges of leading Calm and the impact of stress in the C-suite.
What does it take to lead a meditation company without finding a moment’s peace? David Ko spent years as CEO of Calm, one of the world's most recognized mental health and wellness apps, helping millions manage stress. Now he's stepping down. Ko unpacks why he made the call, what the relentless pressure of the C-suite really does to a person, and how to draw the line between the kind of stress that sharpens you and the kind that quietly breaks you down. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
People in this episode
Guest: David Ko
Topics covered
- mental health
- wellness
- leadership
- stress management
Keywords
- meditation
- CEO
- Calm
- pressure
- C-suite
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Calm
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