Brandon Hoffman’s Post

YES! And the mental health crisis extends not only to founders, but to emerging VC Fund managers and startup leaders and will particularly hit hard female and BIPOC leaders, who already face additional challenges just by simply being themselves. 💔 After starting 2 companies since Covid, going thru the capital journey, growing 2000% in 18 months organically, and then facing huge personal and professional setbacks the last 2 years (including having to bankrupt 1 company) - I know firsthand the massive mental health toll being in this startup world takes. 🤯 AND I have found, learned, and intimately know the tools, practices, and resilience systems that not just get me back into the arena, but make me bolder, more audacious, and more alive. 💃 (Huge thanks to Regena Thomashauer!) That is why I'm starting 2024 with an event (K. Immersive | Jan 18th | D.C. ) for female founders, VC Fund Managers, CEOs, and leaders who are craving a new internal operating model, a feminine growth model, that gives them: 🔥 tools to actually metabolize and integrate challenges and setbacks and turn them into renewable energy sources for themselves and their businesses (vs shutting down, disassociating, and just powering through) 🔬 clarity into their desires for growth (that tricky balance of listening & incorporating valid feedback but not conforming to whims) 🏃♀️ Power, confidence, and the long-haul resilience capacity to build and invest in companies the world needs. We know that founders (and those that support them) are literally building our future. And we NEED female and diverse founders in the mix to build a more inclusive, diverse, and expansive tomorrow. These founders need different types of support, and I'm so glad to hear that funds like Felicis, Seven Seven Six 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣, Forerunner, First Round Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Freestyle Capital, Sunset Ventures are supporting this!

Startup founders will face an 'unprecedented' crisis of mental health this year, VCs predict   “A funding logjam at the early stages. A shut window for IPOs. Clients ghosting businesses. If the investor warnings are to be believed, struggling startups will face a bloodbath this year as cash runs low and wary investors encourage founders to return the capital.   Now, investors are predicting an epidemic of founder mental illness in Silicon Valley and beyond, the likes of which tech has never seen.   "Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis," said Brad Svrluga, a cofounder and general partner at Primary, which invests in early-stage startups based largely in New York City.”   https://lnkd.in/gRgzK6My   #empower #mentalhealth Empower Mental Health

Startup founders will face an 'unprecedented' crisis of mental health this year, VCs predict   “A funding logjam at the early stages. A shut window for IPOs. Clients ghosting businesses. If the investor warnings are to be believed, struggling startups will face a bloodbath this year as cash runs low and wary investors encourage founders to return the capital.   Now, investors are predicting an epidemic of founder mental illness in Silicon Valley and beyond, the likes of which tech has never seen.   "Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis," said Brad Svrluga, a cofounder and general partner at Primary, which invests in early-stage startups based largely in New York City.”   https://lnkd.in/gyKdkhSh   #empower #mentalhealth Empower Mental Health

"Sadly, but not terribly surprisingly, it feels as though we are in the early stages of an unprecedented founder mental health crisis, said Brad Svrluga (cofounder and general partner at Primary Venture Partners)." VCs are predicting that 2024 will be a tough year for founders. Will investors and the entrepreneurship community step up and support founders? At the Founder Mental Health Pledge, we want to help provide that support to founders across the world. Learn more about our mission ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gmNv7RUA Check out our resources page ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gAqPRRkR Check out the full Business Insider article 👇 #mentalhealth #founders #startup #mentalhealthawareness #support #2024trends

As startup life presents relentless challenges, it’s crucial to prioritize mental health to sustain the #entrepreneurial journey. Alarmingly, a recent Sifted survey revealed that nearly half of the startup founders are contemplating quitting their ventures, with 85% experiencing high stress and 75% facing anxiety. Read Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA’s three-part series in Built In to build a stronger, healthier foundation to tackle the unique challenges of the startup world: https://lnkd.in/gbpiHYcV

Founders of startups are like parents; they give birth to ideas that have been carried in their heads for a long time. These ideas, once out, require constant attention. Founders spend sleepless nights nurturing their 'babies', easing their pains in times of sickness and distress. They have big dreams for their newborn ventures and, soon after their inception, start guiding them towards greatness. Founders often sacrifice their own energy, mental health, time, and social life to ensure their startups have everything they need to grow. On the path to greatness, they frequently encounter obstacles that seem insurmountable. Surrounded by bystanders and skeptics, the founders bear the brunt if the venture fails. If it succeeds, everyone wants a piece of the pie, thinking the journey to maturity was easy. However, they fail to recognize that these 'young adults' still need guidance to mature into fully-grown entities with bright futures. When greed, ego, and ignorance intervene, these ventures, in the best-case scenario, may never reach their full potential. #samaltman #stevejobs #elonmusk

Discover how the Founder Mental Health Pledge is revolutionizing the startup ecosystem by integrating mental health support into VC term sheets. #mentalhealth #startups #entrepreneurship

"Founders are reaching breaking point    During the first year of the pandemic, I lived with a founder. I saw first-hand just how relentlessly tough it is to run a company day in, day out: how you jump one hurdle just to whack right into another one; how the whole team’s problems become your problems; how fundraising runs your batteries all the way down; and how your mind never really switches off. That was a brutal year. But, based on our recent survey of 156 founders’ mental health, it seems like last year was equally difficult, if not more so.    Founders told us about their experiences in the past year, with 85% suffering from high stress while 75% said they had anxiety. 45% told us they felt that their mental health was ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ at the moment.   “I have been at extremely high levels of stress pretty much non-stop and I am tired and exhausted most of the time,” said one respondent.   “I’m not sure I can muster the energy to keep going,” said another.   Worryingly, they’re far from alone: 49% of founders said they’re considering quitting their startup this year.    “I cannot sustain this rhythm anymore. Solving problems seems the only purpose in my life and while doing it my mental and physical health is deteriorating,” one founder told us. Not every founder, however, feels this way: 28% said if they left their current startup they’d want to start a new one.    But a far bigger group is considering leaving startup life for now. Of those wanting to depart their business, 39% said they’d take a break while 30% would look for a job." Very good radiography made by Amy Lewin from Sifted Now, we stand at a crossroads, faced with the monumental question: Who rescues the startups teetering on the brink of oblivion? In our quest for salvation, we've turned our hopeful gazes towards the EU funds, envisioned as the deus ex machina for the startup world. Yet, for many, this divine intervention remains an elusive dream, shrouded in layers of bureaucracy, seemingly beyond the reach of mere mortals striving to innovate and disrupt. Angel investors in Europe? Perhaps, if you're willing to barter your visionary ambitions for a paltry €2,000, only to find yourself tethered to a new overlord, your dreams diluted by compromise. And what of the brave souls venturing westward, seeking to court US investment? "You are not eligible," echoes the cold, indifferent refrain, a stark reminder of the vast ocean that separates not just continents, but opportunities. For women founders, the journey is fraught with even greater perils. Each step forward seems to edge them closer to the abyss, as opportunities dwindle, leaving them to navigate a labyrinth designed for their exclusion. In this drama that unfolds, where heroes are born and dreams are dashed, the question remains: Who will rise to save the startups? #startuplife #mentalhealth #investment

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 Amidst the frenzy of tracking startup metrics like revenue and growth, one vital aspect often gets sidelined: the emotional journey of the founders themselves. Picture this: founders are like the proud parents of their startups, nurturing their brainchild with boundless love and dedication. Yet, amidst the pursuit of financial success, their emotional well-being often takes a backseat. It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of scaling revenues and expanding market share, but let's not overlook the heartbeat of every startup: the mental health of its founders. After all, they're the ones pouring their sweat, tears, and endless hours into turning their vision into reality. So, while the numbers climb and the business landscape evolves, let's not forget to check in on the emotional resilience of those steering the ship. In the journey of startup success, mental fortitude is the compass guiding us through the highs and lows. Thanks Sifted article https://lnkd.in/ec4VQQsu to address a standard condition between founders. Daniele Francescon and Danila De Stefano it could be an interesting suggestion based on data to build a specific path for those who are leading startups.

❗ The stats in this article are a great concern but unfortunately they do not surprise me at all ... 81% (!!!) of Founders are not open about their stress, fears and challenges. Wow. 💲 And one of the biggest drivers for stress and anxiety is funding. And the "pitch parades" Founders are asked to enter do NOT ease the stress. 💰 Founders ask questions like, "Do I have enough runway (cash) to grow my business? To sell the products or services I have built? To develop the future products and services my customers want? To pay, grow and retain my talent?" Now if we are really honest, much of the "process" that has been created around (venture) capital raising is obsolete and non-productive, and in no way is it Founder friendly. ❎ the use of poorly designed web forms for Founders to sell their story ❎ junior analysts deciding if Founders proceed through the "deal pipe" ❎ non-timely responses to enquiries and follow ups ❎ no real transparency over the process and how long things might take ❎ often no information on the funds mandate or ability to actually invest And is it any surprise that if they are funded, ONLY 10% (!!!) of Founders would talk to their investors about their stress. Sounds like a recipe for disaster (and an impact on power-law returns if you ask me!) Capital is a key ingredient clearly for early stage companies. And diligence is needed to move us away from some of the wild "informed" gambles we see. But we also need early stage companies to continue to launch and grow because through them, innovation lives and the status quo is challenged, and the solutions to the worlds most wicked problems are developed. #capchat #venturecapital #startups https://lnkd.in/dErqfW6w