Elon Musk once famously compared starting a company to “eating glass and staring into the abyss”. Start-up founders are constantly dealing with the pressure of people’s expectations, self-doubt and even ecosystem challenges like funding winter and talent crunch.

Such a high-pressure work environment can make entrepreneurs prone to mental health issues and stress. On this World Mental Health Day, businessline spoke to unicorn start-up founders about dealing with the pressures of running a high-growth company and importance of taking a break.

Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO of food delivery major Zomato, said, “As a start-up founder, you are always thinking if you are falling short of everyone else’s expectations and whether you are even the right person for the job (impostor syndrome is a very dear friend of mine). I think self-doubt is the primary driver for my growth as an individual and even as a leader, and I have learnt to live in this state for as long as it exists.”

Deepinder Goyal, founder & CEO of Zomato

Deepinder Goyal, founder & CEO of Zomato

Adding to this, Sanjeev Barnwal, Co-founder and CTO of internet commerce unicorn Meesho, said, “While building a start-up that witnesses hyper-growth, you deal with a lot of hurdles and interesting problem statements almost on a daily basis. The key here is to back your ability with confidence and approach every problem as a fresh challenge. At the same time, it’s important to understand when to stop and take a break.”

He added that one has to be okay with unsolved problems lingering for a while. It usually takes time to solve the harder problems but that will only be possible if one’s head/mind is at the right place to think positively.

Sanjeev Barnwal, Founder and CTO of Meesho

Sanjeev Barnwal, Founder and CTO of Meesho

Stigma that surrounds

Further, Jo Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of a mental health start-up Wysa, said it is very common for founders to battle mental health issues but it is hard for them to reach out and admit to struggling. Most people still only seek help when they are unable to function and dealing have moved to the illness end of the spectrum.

“I would compare start-up founders to professional athletes or doctors or actors. In all of these careers, if the market gets a hint of your mental health struggles, it can affect your career opportunities seriously, because people are putting money on you. These are also careers where burnout is high, where the lows are very low and the highs are very high. It is hard to stay grounded and manage your energy through such a journey,” she added.

Jo Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Wysa

Jo Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Wysa

Dealing with stress

While the stress in unavoidable in the life of an entrepreneur, founders do find ways to deal with the everyday pressures of their occupation. For Goyal, spending some time alone, reading and exercising helps in managing the stress. Similarly, Barnwal says it is almost impossible to counter stress without a healthy mind and body.

“I personally exercise at least thrice a week and that has helped me tremendously over the last few years. I also invest a lot of time in reading books and spending time with my family & friends over the weekend, which has proved to be a great stress reliever,” he added.

Talking about how start-up founders can manage stress Sweta Bothra, Lead Psychologist at mental health start-up Amaha, also said they should focus on basics like exercising at least 3-4 times a week, getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep daily, and scheduling time away from screens and connect with loved ones or engage in an activity you enjoy.

comment COMMENT NOW