Founder mental health

Are you crushing it—or crushing yourself? In September 2024, YCombinator founder Paul Graham set off a controversy when he described what sets successful founders apart: Founder Mode. In sharp contrast to Manager Mode, this is a hands-on, intense focus that prefers direct engagement to delegation. And "Founder Mode" joins a long list of words like "Crushing it", "Hustle", and "Blitzscaling" that both describe startup life—and explain how unhealthy it can be. How do you find work-life balance in a journey that's often a marathon rather than a sprint? Let's have some frank conversations about founder mental health.