The 35-year-old founder of a successful start-up recently handed over the reins to a professional CEO and stepped away. Curious decision given how well the company seems to be doing. “I am too burnt out”, he said to me. “I have planned to do this for a whole year. I just could not sustain the daily stress any longer.” I am astonished to hear this. He is, after all, a physically fit young man with a rich personal home life and a happy story building a company with a great culture. And yet he feels utterly drained by the experience of building an enterprise.
The effort of taking something from idea to enterprise in just a few years is exciting but is also all-consuming. In the early years as a founder/ founding team, you managed every aspect from the mundane like paying bills and managing the physical office to hiring, and raising money to planning and executing growth strategies. It can be a lonely experience as you carry the onus of keeping spirits up, even in the midst of intense pressure. Falguni Nayar, founder of Nykaa spoke about how, in the early days, her schedule was packed with meetings, product launches, and strategic planning and how it took a severe toll on her. Running a start-up is a wild rollercoaster—one that founders love, but also one that can leave them overwhelmed and making poor decisions or completely depleted. How then can a founder/ founding team member aim to retain their sanity and quality of life through the early years? Here are some lessons from the founders we surveyed and best practices.
Admit when things are overwhelming
When Falguni Nayar, began to see how the stress was affecting her, she started deliberately carving out personal time, even during the busiest periods. Nayar realized that a rested mind is always sharper and stepping away and maintaining balance was crucial for making measurable, sound business decisions.
Similarly, when Nithin Kamath experienced a serious health scare – a heart attack at just 34 – he realised the dangers of not addressing the overwhelming stress of running a high-growth startup. It was a stark reminder that no amount of success is worth sacrificing one’s health, and that self-care needs to be a priority, not an afterthought.
We are often conditioned to plough through adversity. But acknowledging things are hard enables permission to pause and recharge and come back with a clear head. It’s good for the founder personally and in turn, also good for the business.
Avoid the trap of “Doing It All”
Being a founder means wearing every hat possible: CEO, accountant, HR manager, and sometimes, even the office janitor. It’s exhausting, and the constant multitasking can skyrocket your stress levels. Upasana Taku, co-founder of MobiKwik, has been candid about the pressures of running a fintech startup. Managing funding, team dynamics, and the fast pace of digital payments impacted her mental health adversely. Her advice? Don’t try to do it all. Upasana learned that delegation was essential, and trusting her team to lead different areas of the business helped relieve the overwhelming stress. She realized that sharing responsibilities wasn’t just helpful—it was necessary for her sanity.
The key takeaway – delegating isn’t just about lightening your workload; it’s about ensuring your mind stays sharp for the most important decisions. Letting go of the need to micromanage and trusting your team allows you to focus on the bigger picture. As you hire, set for yourself a horizon for when you will delegate to be ‘hands-off’ on any role thereby building a reliable leadership team and empowering them to make decisions.
Loneliness: The Unseen Struggle of Leadership
Despite being surrounded by people, from employees to investors, many founders feel incredibly isolated. Leadership in a start-up is both about running the business and maintaining the collective faith through uncertain times. For this, they cannot be fully open about their own emotional state with even their immediate teams. This can make the weight of responsibility feel even heavier. Families are often disconnected from the founder’s intense work experience and can support with love and concern but not as thought partners. Kunal Bahl, co-founder of Snapdeal, has spoken about how responsiveness from others can fluctuate based on a founder’s perceived success, emphasizing that support often diminishes when a founder is facing challenges.
Suchita Salwan, founder of LBB, felt the isolation of the startup grind early on. She struggled with the weight of building a business and keeping up with competitors. What changed for her? Connecting with fellow founders and mentors, and talking to people who had “been there” gave her practical advice and emotional support, helping her realize she wasn’t alone in the journey. Surrounding yourself with a support network, whether through mentors, peers, or friends outside the business world, can make a huge difference. Having people to lean on when things get tough helps to alleviate the pressure and brings fresh perspectives.
Prioritize Self-Care
In the now-famous HBR article “The Making of a Corporate Athlete”, Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz argued that for an executive to perform at their best they need to first be physically fit to take on the stress. So building regular exercise and healthy eating routines is key to finding the energy needed to run the start-up marathon. They also highlight now emotional and spiritual well-being enables sound decision-making and longevity of careers. Including practices like meditation can help you stay centred through the roller coaster rides of building a business.
Self-care isn’t just about pampering yourself—it’s about survival. Founders like Ghazal Alagh have stressed the importance of regular self-care routines like exercise, meditation, or simply getting a full night’s sleep. Taking care of your physical health has a direct impact on your mental clarity, helping you stay focused and resilient. Mukesh Bansal echoes this sentiment, asserting that investing in health is essential for productivity. He believes that by prioritizing health, one can approach work with a fresh and energized mind, ultimately leading to meaningful outcomes.
Embrace Failure as part of the Journey
Life as a leader in a start-up is like being on a roller coaster of uncertainty with many highs and equal (or many more) lows. Use the highs to propel you further but equally, it is important to reduce the psychological cost of failures. Accepting that things will likely go awry and using these experiences as learning opportunities, helps reduce the anxiety that comes with each low.
Ritesh Agarwal faced six failures before hitting success with OYO and viewed each setback as a valuable lesson that toughened him up as an entrepreneur. His knack for converting challenges into an experience has been key to navigating the complexities of the hospitality space and building a successful brand.
Startup life is full of highs and lows, but your physical and mental health shouldn’t be something you sacrifice along the way. Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself isn’t just good for you—it’s good for your business.