Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 87 posts

Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

#1

Post by howtowin »

To you individually, do you believe startup PTSD is real and possible?

Do you yourself - or someone you know and/or love - have it?

I ask this as a young person who has had both success and failure in tech entrepreneurship, with particular moments from the hardships causing severe negative emotional reactions and ultimately (at least temporarily) debilitating me from accomplishing things effectively, if at all.

I’d really like to treat this like any problem in my life: acknowledge it, understand it, take responsibility for it, and work to improve it, but struggle to find authoritative related resources.

P.S. I wrote this via my phone while sitting on my couch in silence on a Friday evening pondering this. My apologies for any spelling or grammar errors.

Re: Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

#2

Post by tlb »

I had to shut down a company and lay off a dozen people, losing most of my savings and several years work. Friends have experienced much worse.

These might not compare to the worst horrors of war, but they rank among life's agonies with getting divorced, or losing a parent. They can cause something like PTSD. It can take months or years to be ready to try something big again, and some people never bounce back.

Most people who haven't experienced that kind of failure can't appreciate how much it hurts. So it's worth seeking out people who have gone through big failures to commiserate with. There are lots of them out there. Few will post details online, because it's sensitive stuff that involves other people. So you have to talk 1-on-1.

Re: Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

#3

Post by cryptoz »

Very real and have experienced it. There is a lot of privilege in running a startup, even a failed one, and few people who have gone through it. So finding help is hard because many people won't be sympathetic and nearly nobody will understand your trauma unless they have also run a startup.

There should be more startup mental health groups, or awareness, or something.

End of a startup can also end friendships and relationships and financial security and all of those things together can happen at the same time and honestly be very traumatic.

Re: Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

#7

Post by drenvuk »

Any harrowing experience can cause PTSD. Usually time makes the feeling fade and understanding what specifically caused the stress during trying circumstances and avoiding or controlling those situations prevents them from occurring again.

I suggest you slow down and write cause, effect and solution for everything that seems to be circling repeatedly in your mind when your mind wanders. I also suggest taking a hike or few.

Healthy living, effective analysis, and time is a fix for most problems.

Re: Ask HN: Is startup PTSD real and possible?

#10

Post by floatinglotus »

Having recently been affected by the end of an Intent-based networking startup, I can tell you it is a very emotional thing. I feel like part of me has died and my belief in the industry’s future state shaken. I learned that many people I had trusted were complicit in the failure and that hurts as well. We had money but a complete lack of leadership. I saw people that I felt were true believers like me change overnight.

It was hard to accept the fact that your friends/coworkers will sell you out so quickly, and that no matter how bright the future looks, a stupid founder can ruin the whole thing in an instant.

Post reply on HN