The Inner Game

What The Inner Game does

The Inner Game is a performance psychology and coaching company founded in 1974 by W. Timothy Gallwey, headquartered in Sherman Oaks, California. Its core intellectual property is a methodology built on the "two selves" concept — Self 1 (the conscious, judgmental teller) and Self 2 (the unconscious doer) — designed to reduce self-interference such as self-doubt, fear of failure, and judgmental thinking in order to unlock natural learning and peak performance. The methodology is packaged through a portfolio of six books (The Inner Game of Tennis, Golf, Music, Skiing, Stress, and Work), facilitator certification programs, and live/online workshops delivered globally via The Inner Game Institute (TIGI), a wholly-owned subsidiary established in 2016 to scale international operations. Supporting tools include the STOP technique (Step back, Think, Organize, Proceed) and the PLE triangle (Performance, Learning, Experience).

The company monetizes through three primary revenue streams: (1) book sales distributed via Penguin Random House across retail and digital channels, with the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Inner Game of Tennis released in 2024 featuring an introduction by Bill Gates and foreword by Pete Carroll; (2) professional services revenue from TIGI workshops, facilitator certification (Train The Trainer, For Coaches), and the Inner Game of Selling program targeting sales leaders; and (3) corporate training, consulting, and keynote addresses — the latter anchored by Tim Gallwey's personal brand as a pioneer of executive coaching in America. Customer segments include corporate leaders and executives (primary), sales professionals, athletes and musicians, coaches and facilitators, and general consumers. Long-tenured enterprise clients named in company materials include Apple, AT&T, Coca-Cola, IBM, Rolls-Royce, GE, Lockheed Martin, Xerox, Capitol Records, Anheuser-Busch, Allstate, Harley-Davidson, and Deloitte. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with 11–50 employees and a stated mission of expanding the methodology's reach globally through multilingual, multi-channel delivery.

Name

The Inner Game

Legal name

The Inner Game

Website

https://theinnergame.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Inner Game is a 1974-founded, founder-owned performance psychology and coaching company that monetizes a "two selves" self-interference methodology through books (Penguin Random House), TIGI workshops, corporate training, and keynotes targeting executives, sales leaders, athletes, and facilitators globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sherman Oaks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of Inner Game book series through Penguin Random House, including The Inner Game of Tennis (50th Anniversary Edition), The Inner Game of Work, The Inner Game of Golf, The Inner Game of Music, The Inner Game of Stress, and Inner Skiing. Millions of copies sold over 50 years.
2. Training Workshops and Seminars: TIGI (The Inner Game Institute) offers live and online workshops in different languages, including The Inner Game Methodology Workshop, The Inner Game of Performance, and Train The Trainer programs. Programs delivered in October 2025.
3. Keynote Addresses: Speaking engagements by Tim Gallwey and certified Inner Game Facilitators, including The Inner Game of Work keynote and Manager as Coach keynote addressing topics like redefining work, sustaining focus, and coaching to maximum performance.
4. Corporate Training and Consulting: Custom training programs for organizations including leadership development, sales training, and team performance. Long-term clients include Apple, AT&T, Coca-Cola, IBM, Rolls-Royce, and others.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Inner Game sells a performance coaching methodology delivered through six published books (Tennis, Music, Stress, Skiing, Work, Golf) and a suite of paid workshops and training programs delivered live and online in multiple languages via its subsidiary TIGI. Core programs include The Inner Game Methodology Workshop, The Inner Game of Performance, The Inner Game of Selling, The Inner Game For Coaches, and Train The Trainer, targeting corporate leaders, sales teams, athletes, musicians, and individual professionals.

Product overview

The Inner Game is a performance improvement methodology company offering a portfolio of books, workshops, and training programs. The core products include six Inner Game books (Tennis, Music, Stress, Skiing, Work, and Golf) that establish the foundational methodology of overcoming self-interference through awareness. These are complemented by multiple programs including The Inner Game Methodology Workshop, The Inner Game of Performance, The Inner Game of Selling, and certified facilitator training programs (Train The Trainer, For Coaches). The company also offers keynote lectures on Manager as Coach and The Inner Game of Work. The product ecosystem is delivered live and online in multiple languages, targeting professionals, leaders, athletes, and organizations seeking peak performance and learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Inner Game of Tennis (50th Anniversary Edition) The foundational book that introduced The Inner Game methodology in 1974, now released in a 50th Anniversary Edition, focusing on overcoming self-doubt and anxiety in sports performance through the concept of two selves (Self 1 as the conscious mind and Self 2 as the unconscious doer). Written for athletes, coaches, and individual readers.
• The Inner Game of Music Book co-authored with Barry Green that applies the Inner Game methodology to music performance, helping musicians overcome nervousness, self-doubt, and fear of failure through natural learning principles.
• The Inner Game of Stress Book developed with physicians that applies Inner Game principles to stress management using tools including the STOP technique, Attitude tool, Magic Pen exercise, Transpose exercise, and PLE triangle.
• Inner Skiing Book applying the Inner Game methodology to skiing, helping skiers improve their technique by reducing mental interference and increasing awareness.
• The Inner Game of Work Book applying Inner Game principles to workplace performance, redefining work to integrate learning and enjoyment with high standards of performance for corporate environments.
• The Inner Game of Golf Book applying the Inner Game methodology to golf, helping golfers overcome mental obstacles to improve their game through awareness and reduced self-interference.
• The Inner Game Methodology Workshop Core TIGI workshop exposing participants to the essential elements of The Inner Game Method, teaching how to understand and win one's own inner game through live and online delivery in multiple languages.
• The Inner Game of Performance Workshop designed for professionals to rewire themselves and organizations into cultures that value performance alongside authentic human growth, learning, and evolution.
• The Inner Game of Selling Sales training program that prepares salespeople to achieve success by improving customers' purchasing performance through understanding and influencing the inner thought process.
• The Inner Game For Coaches Intensive facilitator certification program offered through The Inner Game Institute (TIGI) for individuals interested in becoming Inner Game coaches and facilitators.
• The Inner Game Train The Trainer Train-the-trainer certification program that prepares individuals to deliver The Inner Game Methodology Workshop as certified facilitators within the TIGI ecosystem.
• Lectures & Keynotes Keynote addresses by Tim Gallwey covering topics including The Inner Game of Work and Manager as Coach, focused on leadership, learning, and coaching capabilities for corporate audiences and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Inner Game methodology has been adopted by major global corporations including Apple, AT&T, Coca-Cola, IBM, and Rolls-Royce

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Center for Creative Leadership: Nonprofit leadership research and education provider offering executive programs and assessments; comparable as a premium leadership development provider serving Fortune 500 clients.
• Blanchard (The Ken Blanchard Companies): Leadership training company known for Situational Leadership and other proprietary methodologies, with a global certified trainer network; mirrors The Inner Game's facilitator certification and corporate licensing approach.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a major leadership and professional development division serving enterprises; overlaps with The Inner Game in leadership development and executive coaching engagements.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and performance training company offering workshops, certifications, and content (e.g., 7 Habits); directly comparable to The Inner Game's enterprise training and facilitator-certification model.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established leadership, sales, and communication training franchise with certified trainer networks worldwide; comparable to TIGI's train-the-trainer model and The Inner Game's corporate sales/leadership programs.
• BetterUp: Largest digital coaching platform offering on-demand executive and managerial coaching with measurement tools; comparable to The Inner Game as a corporate coaching provider, though delivered through a tech-enabled marketplace rather than a proprietary methodology.
• Gallup: Analytics-driven consulting firm offering CliftonStrengths-based coaching, leadership courses, and enterprise training; competes with The Inner Game in the strengths- and performance-based corporate coaching market.

Direct peers

• CoachHub: Enterprise digital coaching platform with a global network of certified coaches and AI matching; competes for the same corporate L&D budgets as The Inner Game's executive coaching and leadership development offerings.
• Tony Robbins (Robbins Research International): Personal and business performance coaching empire built on a branded methodology, books, seminars, and corporate programs; highly comparable to The Inner Game's founder-led methodology, books, and live workshops.
• Marshall Goldsmith Partners: Executive coaching firm led by a globally recognized thought leader, offering leadership development and coaching certification; directly comparable to The Inner Game's brand-led, methodology-driven executive coaching model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/the_innergame
• Facebookfacebook.com/tim.gallwey

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Inner Game