Last week we had R U OK? Day. A day to recognise mental health is important, so, R U OK?

I have been working with founders now for over a decade, and one of the most interesting insights I've had is that with startups, the health of the team is the most important factor. This is because, in the earliest stages of discovery of the problem, validation, making a prototype and so on, the value is ONLY coming from the energy of the founders. This isn't just my opinion either, I asked a principle from a local venture capital firm here in Sydney what the most common cause of failure of startups was. The answer? Founder burnout That's interesting isn't it?! Not the usual "ran out of money", wrong market, wrong product, or other reasons. The founders just couldn't do it anymore. When I was young, my Dad gave me perhaps the most valuable bit of advice I've ever had. I was cycling a lot at the time, but had asthma, so he told me, "just find a pace that you could do all day". So, I'd find the right gear for the terrain I was in, and found a pace that was decent, but that I felt that I could keep it up. Startups, or making products as a side hustle or internally, are marathons, not sprints. The "move fast and break things" quip is overused and if you're not careful you will break something alright, most likely yourself. And, in 2020/2021, that is exactly what happened to me. I had a complete breakdown, exhausted and out of energy, with mounting financial problems with my startup, I lay on the ground stating up into the sky and felt completely useless. Thankfully I have fantastic support from my wife and friends (this is one of the pillars of resilience by the way), who encouraged me and things improved. Since then, I've always made time to ask R U OK? To other founders and product makers. I know how hard this journey can be, especially when the culture we're surrounded by is constantly bombarding us with updates about how much success others have had, how much money a new startup has just raised. Instead, I want to champion consistency, just like dad taught me. If you can keep going, then that in itself is success and you don't really need all the accolades that others are receiving. If they happen, thats nice, focus on your craft. Part of that craft should be looking after yourself. So, I encourage you, if you're struggling reach out, its the antidote to depression. Having someone listen to you, to bounce ideas off of, or just to sit quietly with will do you a world of good. Isolation is the way to an early grave, not even kidding, loneliness has a similar life shortening effect to severe stress. If you're drowning, stick up your hand, someone might just reach back and pull you up :) You can connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshcrowther/ I'll give you an hour of my time if you want to talk about how to do this journey well. I've been doing this for dozens of founders in the Sydney Startup ecosystem for a while now. Its my pleasure to help good people do their journey well. Take Care and look out for each other.