Recently I received an email from a founder – a reader of this newsletter – who was feeling hopeless.

He felt burnt out, financially handcuffed to a business he once felt so passionate about, but which now caused him only pain.

He felt betrayed by his investors, unsupported by his team, and isolated from his community.

This broke my heart.

But it also, unfortunately, sounded familiar.

See, the internet often makes building a startup seem like a series of small wins punctuated by big rounds of financing.

My social media feed is overflowing with celebration posts about product launches, press coverage, and oversubscribed rounds.

But the truth is a lot less comfortable.

Someone who knows this far too well is the Hustle Fund co-founder Eric Bahn. Eric has built 5 companies throughout his career. And as he puts it: “This is a feeling that I've felt with every single company that I've ever created.”

Turns out, this crushing feeling of hopelessness, betrayal, and burnout appears as a common chapter in virtually every founder's story.

That doesn’t make the struggle easier

The fact that others have gone through these struggles doesn’t make your feelings any less big. Or hard. Or overwhelming.

But it means that you are not alone.

Investors who don't understand your vision, employees who question your direction, partners who seem to abandon ship, mentors who offer conflicting advice…

All of this creates a perfect storm of isolation and despair. The weight of feeling entirely alone in your conviction while everyone else appears to doubt your path is one of the heaviest burdens a founder can carry.

This revelation is both depressing and liberating.

That crushing sense of isolation? That feeling that you're the only person who truly understands your vision?  Everyone else thinking you're delusional?

It's not a sign that you're failing. It's a sign that you're doing something genuinely innovative.

Why Innovation Feels So Lonely

The beautiful thing about a founder is their ability to see the world in a totally unique way.

This is also the thing that isolates them from everyone else.

When you're surrounded by people who can't see what you see, it becomes incredibly easy to gaslight yourself into depression and uncertainty.

You begin to question whether you're incorrect, whether your vision is delusion, whether you should abandon everything you've built.

This is the paradox of innovation: being right too early feels indistinguishable from being wrong.

So. How to pull yourself out of the deep, dark hole of depression?

Your Physical Foundation

Let’s hold off on business pivots or team re-structuring for a moment, and focus on something more… fundamental.

This might sound embarrassingly basic, but how is your body doing?

• Are you eating enough? Or skipping meals in favor of endlessly grinding?
• Are you eating nourishing food? Or candy and fast food?
• When’s the last time you got a full night’s sleep?
• Are you moving your body a little bit at least each day to get the blood moving?
• Are you taking a break from your screens? (sleeping doesn’t count)

These fundamentals are the first things to go when founders feel like everything is on fire.

Eric shares his own experience:

"When you're in the mess, in that deep pit, it's very easy to just ignore all this stuff. And I took a lot of abuse in my body, and what I found is that as I was neglecting myself... it was like falling into a tunnel that was getting narrower and narrower."

Eric Bahn

These fundamentals matter. When you’re not eating, not sleeping, not taking care of your body, you lose the ability to be creative. To make good choices. To react logically.

So, start with thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes to eat a proper meal without multitasking, thirty minutes for a walk around your neighborhood, thirty minutes for a restorative nap.

Your startup cannot heal if its founder is running on fumes.

The Strategic Retreat

"Take a break" might sound counterproductive to a founder whose company feels like it's burning down.

Every hour away from the problem feels like precious time wasted. But you don't need to take a month off and travel to Bali for your own personal “Eat, Pray, Love” moment.

You just need a little distance to regain perspective.

If you can spare a week, awesome. If you can't do that, spare a three day weekend.

No investor, no employee, no one (period) is going to judge you for taking an extended weekend.

Quick forest fire analogy (it’s good, I promise)

As a founder, you probably always feel like there's something on fire. That’s because there is.

In fact, you can probably spot a dozen fires.

But if you take the 30,000 foot view, you’d probably see that it’s a healthy forest.

Focusing on those little fires — while helpful for execution — makes it nearly impossible to see that your company might actually be thriving.

Consider the approach of Tara Viswanathan, founder of Rupa Health, who built quarterly retreats into her leadership routine.

Every quarter, she would schedule a long weekend to herself – away from her partner, away from her team. She would Airbnb a cabin in the woods, bring good food, take walks, journal…

And the results were transformative. Those retreats made her a better founder.

You don't need to replicate Tara’s exact routine, but building regular mental space —even just a long weekend once a quarter — can dramatically improve your leadership capacity and strategic thinking.

The key is to step away from your devices (Google analytics will be there when you get back) and create space for reflection.

Nothing Wrong with Professional Help

Twenty years ago, seeking help as a founder was akin to admitting weakness or incompetence.

Today, the most successful founders recognize it as one of their strongest strategic moves.

In fact, our team at Hustle Fund encourages every founder we invest in to put some of that capital towards someone who can help with the mental load.

This doesn't necessarily mean finding a traditional therapist, though that can be incredibly valuable.

Often, someone who straddles the line between executive coach and life coach can provide the most benefit — someone who can help with business challenges while ensuring you're living your values and building sustainable life practices.

Does that sound a little too fluffy for you? Think of it this way:

Elite athletes work with coaches to refine their performance, identify blind spots, and maintain peak condition. Why would building a revolutionary company be any different?

It’s unreasonable to think that you can start your startup and scale it to huge heights without any great coaching or mentorship.

If you're strapped for cash, start by seeking mentors… but investing in the right coach who understands both business and personal development can be transformational.

You're Never Truly Alone

Beyond professional coaching, there's an often-untapped resource all around you: other founders who have walked this exact path and emerged on the other side.

Successful founders often have a pay-it-forward attitude. Many founders talk publicly about their struggles on podcasts and webinars.

Find those folks. Tell them that you're struggling and ask for advice on how you can break through. Maybe a quick twenty minute coffee or Zoom.The response rate might surprise you.

Every successful founder remembers the dark moments, the periods of despair, the times when they questioned everything. They understand the unique psychological challenges of building something from nothing, and most are genuinely eager to help others navigate those waters.

The key is being authentic about your struggle and specific about what kind of advice you're seeking. Founders respect honesty and are more likely to respond to genuine vulnerability than polished networking requests.

Building Your Support System

Combining these approaches creates a comprehensive support system that addresses both the immediate crisis and long-term sustainability:

Physical Foundation: Check in on your basic needs — nutrition, sleep, movement, and time away from screens.

These 👏 aren't  👏 luxuries 👏. They're prerequisites for clear thinking.

Strategic Perspective: Schedule breaks to step back and see the forest instead of just the fires. This could be quarterly retreats, monthly long weekends, or even weekly half-days dedicated to reflection rather than execution.

Professional Guidance: Whether through formal coaching, therapy, or mentorship, having someone trained to help you navigate both business and personal challenges will change the game.

Peer Support: Building relationships with other founders who understand your unique challenges creates a safety net of people who can offer both practical advice and emotional support.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Every founder who has built something meaningful has stood where you're standing now, staring into that same abyss of uncertainty. The difference between those who succeed and those who don't isn't the absence of despair — it's the presence of systems and support that help them navigate through it.

The world needs what you're building. Take care of yourself so you can keep building it.