The World Health Organization estimates that about 121 million people worldwide have some form of depression. Though there aren’t any official stats, I’m pretty sure most startup founders fall under that category at some point.
Being depressed about work, life, money and family is a fairly common thing… yet it is largely unspoken. There is nothing like the stress of manning a startup. While senior executives in multinational corporations face the high pressures to deliver results, they are not starting from scratch, using their own money or putting their lives on the line. Saying that running a startup is way more stressful than regular life is a gross understatement.
Ben Huh of ICanHasCheezburger was one prominent startup founder who openly spoke about suffering depression. Though it is hard to imagine that the man who put silly cat pictures on the forefront of the Internet ever being down, Huh said that at his lowest, he contemplated suicide.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
In truth, how can a startup founder not be depressed? Most startups are caught in between a rock and a hard place. Everyone is struggling to build a good product fast while constantly worrying about running out of cash and getting rejections at every turn from potential investors, partners, employees and consumers. It is akin to climbing a brick wall with your hands and feet tied up.
When you don’t have the funds, there will be times where you have to make a choice between continuing your burn rate or eating dinner. I’ve personally been on the verge of being broke 5 times and having problems making rent payments, yet I have never given up and always paid my staff / bills on time.
When you have the funds, it gets worse. There is a huge crushing expectation to succeed. If you use up family money from relatives, you will have to live through the shame of disappointing your kin. Or expending venture capitalist funds, you will be deemed a failure and this will haunt everything you do in the future.
It may seem like that is no silver lining in this cloud, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. If you are doing your startup right, you will be depressed. If you are getting too many yesses, you are not maximizing your opportunity.
Many startup founders get stuck in the “trough of sorrow” in a startup’s lifecycle, coined by Y Combinator’s Paul Graham:
Startup founders need to be overwhelmingly positive people, and even then it is still easy to fall victim to depression. It is necessary for your physical, mental and business health to get out that downward spiral. Feeling down will wear you out and leave you unable to work at your most optimal rate.
Tips for Survival
Having survived my lowest moments, I realized a few methods to snap out of this funk.
First, keep a routine. Have an office that you go to work daily at regular hours. Working from home is never a good idea – you have too many distractions and comforts. Having a change in environment daily will prevent the deadly duo of procrastination and depression from festering.
Second, immerse in a supportive work environment. Do not work alone – either have a team of employees or work in a co-working space. Like a support group, other founders will understand your plight and be a sounding board for ideas.
Third, do not take depression medication. Medication dulls the senses so that everything seems cool, when in reality your business needs constant pressure to improve. While it elevates your mood, you can’t live in a chemically induced wonderland.
Fourth, exercise and start a healthier diet. Instead of medicinal help, this will keep the body in better shape to handle stresses of the job.
The fact is – startups are hard. All founders gets stressed and depressed sometimes or all the time. Adapt these suggestions to ward off the afflictions and grow your business. When you reach the promise land of a buyout / IPO, it will be all worth it.
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.” – Unknown.