harryh:

caro:

fek:

“In the startup community, there’s a real stigma to depression. Every time someone comes around and asks ‘Hey, how’s it going?’ you’re always like ‘Best day ever, man! Killing it! We’re crushing it!’ You have to do that.”

+1

I dunno, when people ask me how I’m doing I routinely tell them “God, it’s killing me.”  I think the rigors of a leadership position (or really any position at all) are a pretty common topic of discussion these days.  Pretty much everyone understands that working at a successful startup is likely to have a strong negative impact on your life, health, relationships, and overal mental state. 

I’m with Harry on this one.

Working at a startup means higher highs and lower lows, which most often aren’t even tied to the company’s performance. It’s a side-effect of the type of work we’re in, and the fact that we commit our souls to it. One day you’re crushing it, and the next you’re being crushed. It could be product-related, or triggered by user feedback. Maybe you’re blown away by a co-worker or a partner, or you’re feeling disappointed by them. Or, maybe it’s just the frustration from always wanting to get to tomorrow one day earlier. 

When someone asks me how we’re doing, no matter what the answer is, positive or negative, it is usually followed up with “ask me next week and I’ll have a different answer for you”. You get beat down, and you get energized, and over time you realize it’s all just waves on the ocean.

Related to this is the perpetual statement that “the next couple of months are going to be really important for us.” It sounds trite, but in startup world it is always true, as least on the micro level. Step forward a year or two, and maybe X wasn’t the milestone you thought it was going to be leading up to it, but if you don’t feel like what you’re working on today is the most important thing that you could possibly be working on, then you’re doing something wrong. 

(via harryh)