The Cognitive Sport of Building Startups

Founding a startup is a cognitive sport. Most founders treat themselves worse than their company treats its infrastructure. Just build things as fast as possible. Don’t worry about what’s going to break until it falls apart. There’s no time. The phrase “tech debt” is a cliché because it is everywhere. “Founder physiological debt” is the same. I’ve been watching the gap between founders and the help they need for over thirty years. The data underneath it is grim. Founders are 50% more likely to report a mental health condition than the rest of the population. 72% say the job has affected their mental health. Only 23% see anyone about it. The gap isn’t denial. Most of the founders I know are aware the job is mentally taxing. They just don’t have an obvious place to go. The standard system is fragmented. A therapist who’s never met your doctor. A doctor who’s never seen your sleep data. A nutritionist your assistant booked once. Bookmarked podcasts that you never get to. Unless a founder…