Founder depression
I know this is a real thing amongst founders, but I was just wondering, how are founders mental health holding up in relation to their startup and how do you deal with the ups and downs?
It's tough, there's no doubt about it. It's back-breaking, it's horrid, it's lonely and a million more adjectives. You're grinding away at a project, which statistically will fail. Every day feels like a chore, that design is never good enough, the code is terrible, I can't do it, I'm not good enough.
These are every founder's thoughts.
But you pick yourself up and you bounce back. The reason we're entrepreneurs is that we have this unique skill of somehow seeing that light at the end of the tunnel and coming back from whatever life throws at us. We remind the world we're here to make a difference and we're going to learn from it. This journey will teach you more than you ever thought you could know and make you a better person because of it.
I found after a few months of starting my business, you just start to enjoy the rollercoaster. The small wins are celebrated, few care that you got some more page views or secured your first sale of $5 but there's nothing stopping you from celebrating it with those who do. We're building a better tomorrow for someone, even if that means dragging ourselves through the dirt at times.
Just hold on, because the journey is always worth it.
@Mike_Miner
Yeah, that image is very accurate and describes the journey very well. I'm probably at the "Reality sets in" part.
Been building startups for years with no real success (financially anyway), starting to see it all as a waste of time. I keep telling myself "one more year", "success is right around the corner", "eventually something has to work". yet it never shows up.
Seriously considering this as my last year unless something drastic happens.
Did you enjoy those years? If you enjoyed it's still a success, but I understand that financial success is important as well. I am wondering, for you, does success mean founding a company on your own and having it succeed? I always thought I had to found my own company and have it succeed, but I think joining someone else in a shared dream and building it is still cool.
In addition, I'd be interested in your approach to the products you build. How do you come up with the products?
Regardless, I've taken a look at your work and it looks amazing, you're a very talented developer and wish you all the best.
@_UchennaOkafor Thanks for the reply…
Yes, I love building stuff, always have and the fact that people do you many of my products is still amazing to me and certainly a success (plus I have learned a TON of things). I think the hard part now is justifying all the time spent on everything with nothing but debt to really show for it, is what's dragging me down at the moment. I just think about all the missed time with my family, friends, other hobbies I could have been doing instead.
Many of my projects are things that I simple needed for my day-to-day needs that I couldn't find a solution I liked or could afford, so I'd just build something to handle it. And like I said, I do enjoy the process.
Thank you for the nice comments on my projects, I always fear it doesn't look very good :)
Appreciate the encouragement!
@micahiverson It's never too late to go and catch up with friends, family, hobbies and the outside world!
It’s tough. Like really, really tough. On top of the practical difficulty of building something from nothing, we also have to deal with fear, self doubt, anxiety, loneliness, and burnout.
I’ve been building for years, with very few successes, and it’s a thankless job. But grit and perseverance is key. If you don’t have a why, or a North Star, then it will be a lot easier to give up when it gets really hard.
Mental health is extremely important, and it’s vital to take care of yourself both physically and mentally during this journey. Take breaks, get away from it all from time to time, exercise, eat well, sleep well.
It also helps to have others to talk to, who understand and either have gone through or are currently going through what you’re going through. I’d suggest connecting with other makers at every opportunity, whether it’s here, on indiehackers, on Twitter, or wherever you can find them. It’s helped me to not feel so alone.
Good luck. Keep pushing!
Yeah, you're right, joining a community has helped tremendously. I think the big taker is to focus on the important essentials like sleep, eat, exercise and socialise. Those all help in dealing with it.
In 2018, I left my corporate job to found a startup. During that time, I was fortunate to have a very close friend as a co-founder. Having someone to go through the journey with me, and for us to be a mutual support system to each other, definitely helped.
After 18 months, our runway ended. So we both went back to the corporate life.
Now, I'm back down the startup route, only this time as a solo founder. And with financial commitments first and foremost, I don't have the luxury of doing it without a regular 9-5. Which helps deal with the downs, as - for better or worse - there's a safety net underneath.
But damn, do I miss sleep!
It's simple for me.
Before I start working on a product, I morally prepare that there is a possibility that I will fail.
Once prepared, when you arrive in difficult moments, you no longer blame yourself, because you did not promise miracles and you were reliant with yourself.
I know, it's hard, but with a little mental training in time it can keep you in control so you don't lose motivation and be able to focus on other projects.
I get depressed all the time to think about it & I hate it. So being in a small business, I get to experience many things I never thought of.
I had no one to talk about it in the past. It was a long journey for 15 years! I tried talking to friends, but they told me to get a full-time job and it pisses me off. Is something I'm very passionate about doing business and learning about tech/design. I have some digital skill sets that help me to earn some money through the service business and sell some digital products online. I also make content & create a small audience that supported my work.
So I started to learn from others & connect with like-minded people. Thanks to twitter and makerlog! I overcome mental health & reversing diabetes. I wrote an article about this. Let me know if you want to read it.
Today I inspired by makers on the internet. There were so many helpful people and I became more helpful to others as well. There will be highs & lows, but don't worry. Keep focusing on the product, skills & metrics. The market is always here, create a better MVP. Profit vs Purpose
Let me know if you want to video call me, i would love to talk about it. Makerlog community is here 💯
If you want to see some nice MRR of other companies and products. You can get some inspiration here from verified stripe on indiehackers, set it hight to low or low to high or just added, you can view it - https://www.indiehackers.com/products?revenueVerification=stripe&sorting=highest-revenue
Oh, that's amazing that the community helped you tackle your depression. And yes I'd love to read your article on how you reversed diabetes. I too improved my health, so I love to read about other peoples stories with their progress/journey.
"Profit vs Purpose", that's a great line. Also, thanks for the support, I might take you up on your offer :)
I find this interesting actually. Myself and my friend with our new start up - because we’re doing it together (this is my 1st time with a startup, his 2nd time) I think I’d much prefer going in with someone - if someone is having an off day or is feeling down, the other can pick them up and keep them on track. Whereas I could imagine on your own, negative thoughts can lead to going down rabbit holes almost, you rely on your own self motivation and discipline.
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