Burnout
Why Founder Burnout Is Real – And How to Prevent It
Founders are praised for their grit, but behind the hustle lies a harder truth: burnout is real, and it costs more than you think. Here’s what I learned—and what I coach others to do differently.
There was a point in my founder journey when I was working 70 to 100 hours a week—weekends, holidays, middle-of-the-night laptop sessions.
Our digital health company was winning awards, earning industry praise, creating real value. From the outside? Success.
But underneath, I was quietly burning out.
We had built something ahead of its time. But the regulatory environment wasn’t ready—and I wasn’t ready to slow down.
I told myself “just a little longer,” “this is for the patients,” “you can’t let go now.”
I was passionate—but I was also isolated, overworked, and physically and emotionally depleted.
I wasn’t sleeping.
I had stopped seeing friends.
Some dropped off food. Others pulled me aside to ask: “Are you okay? Is this sustainable?”
At the time, I didn’t want to hear it.
But they were right.
What I’d Do Differently (and Now Help Others Do)
Burnout taught me that being a passionate founder is not the same as being a healthy one.
Here’s what I now coach founders to implement—before they hit the wall:
1. Set Boundaries
Treat your time and wellbeing as non-negotiable.
Schedule breaks the same way you schedule board meetings. Protect evenings and weekends where you can. Your team will follow the precedent you set.
Saying “no” to what drains you lets you say “yes” to what actually matters.
2. Manage Your Energy—Not Just Your Time
Time management is table stakes. Energy management is the unlock.
Track what fuels you vs. what drains you. For me? That meant sleep, movement, and (gasp) turning Slack off occasionally.
When I started prioritizing high-impact work during my peak energy hours—and stepping away when I hit empty—everything improved.
3. Shift the Founder Mindset
The hardest part was unlearning hustle culture.
I used to think rest was weakness. Now I see it as strategy. Delegating more. Trusting my team. Realizing I didn’t have to be everywhere and do everything.
Burnout isn’t a badge—it’s a liability.
4. Ask for Help & Stay Connected
One of the hardest parts of burnout is how isolating it feels.
Eventually, I moved part-time to San Francisco and built a circle of other founders who got it. I started asking better questions:
“When do I not give up… but when do I need to let go?”
That shift—from isolation to community—was a turning point in how I led and lived.
If You Don’t Take Care of the Founder, You Can’t Take Care of the Company
Now I build resilience the same way I build product: intentionally, iteratively, and with feedback loops.
The result? I’m a better leader, a healthier human, and my companies are stronger because of it.
Not a Founder? Here’s Why It Still Matters
When founders burn out, innovation slows down.
Teams lose momentum. Impact stalls.
Supporting founder wellbeing isn’t just personal—it’s good business, and good for the future we’re all building.
Feeling the Burnout Creep In?
You don’t have to scale your business at the cost of your wellbeing.
I coach founders, executives, and operators to lead with clarity, protect their energy, and grow sustainably—without running on fumes. Need a reset or strategy check-in?