How are you holding up, startup founder…?

Every once in a while, I like to check in on you, startup founder. Especially when you’re quiet and not asking. To make sure that you’re doing okay. Because startups are hard. And stressful. And debilitating. And it’s always nice to see that I’m not the only one who appreciates the struggle you’re going through. Like this survey came across my desk today: the Founder Mental Health Survey.

Founders carry a psychological burden that’s mostly invisible — to investors, to employees, to family, often to themselves. Cofounder conflict, identity-merge with the company, money pressure, isolation, the relentless self-judgment.

The published research on founder mental health is thin and mostly draws from broader entrepreneur populations. The existing surveys aimed at startup founders are small, not peer-reviewed, and rarely use validated clinical instruments. We wanted something better: a real instrument, taken anonymously, with results shared back to the community.

This survey was built by Jason Shen and Keegan Walden, who are both founders and coaches. People who have lived what they’re trying to measure.

What’s different about this one is the rigor. Validated instruments instead of ad hoc questions. Open source instead of locked away. Anonymous instead of attached to your name. With the results get shared back to the community instead of disappearing into some report you’ll never read.

I’m going to ask you for ten minutes. I know that’s a lot. You’ve already got more than enough to do . And you’re busy. And you’re tired. But you deserve this. So please carve out some time before the survey closes on May 31, 2026.

Take care of yourself. You matter way more than the startup you’re building. No matter how world changing you believe it to be.

For more information or to complete the survey, visit the Founder Mental Health Survey.