Don’t Try to Be a Hero

Over the last couple of months, I had a series of conversations with founders in my network who were all struggling mightily. Some have disagreements with their co-founders, others are about to run out of money, others yet face product setbacks or increased competition. The one thing they all have in common is that they didn’t share their struggles with anyone for months. They all tried to be heroes.

Tell you what — it usually doesn’t work out all that well. Not just because it’s insanely stressful, but also (and more importantly) it typically doesn’t solve the problem.

I firmly believe (and have said such a couple of times) that founders need a social support network. Of course, you often can’t or don’t want to share your struggles with your staff or even co-founders. That shouldn’t keep you from finding people with whom you can be open, honest and vulnerable. Sometimes it means hiring a professional coach (which can be a truly life-changing experience), often it just means finding other people who are walking in your shoes (why not see if you find someone in the amazing Heretic community).

Don’t try to be a hero! We need you healthy and strong to build the things that matter.

This post is part of the “The Heretic”, a daily dispatch about entrepreneurship, the art of the start and doing the work by Pascal Finette. It’s raw, unfiltered and opinionated. All straight to your inbox. You will like it. → https://theheretic.org