Founder Diaries: Entry 12

The Unseen Costs of Being a Solo Founder

Building a startup shouldn’t mean losing yourself. Success is hollow if it costs you the moments and connections that make life meaningful.

There’s a quiet moment every founder knows. It’s not the adrenaline of launch day or the thrill of signing your first customer. It’s not even the panic of an unexpected crisis. No, this moment comes late at night or maybe early in the morning when you realise just how alone you are in all of this.

Being a solo founder isn’t just a job. It’s an identity. A cloak you wear every waking moment, stitched together with ambition, resilience, and sheer bloody-mindedness. But beneath the armour? There are cracks. Cracks that widen with every sacrifice, every missed birthday, every weekend where “just one more email” turns into another 12-hour grind.

Let’s talk about those cracks.

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Entry 12

The Burnout You Don’t See Coming