The 8 Psychological Truths of Entrepreneurship

The very traits that make a founder successful can become the root cause of their challenges

A woman works in a meeting room at the WeWork, in London, on April 13, 2021. Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images

By Emily Anhalt

After a decade of working clinically with executives and founders as a researcher and therapist, I felt I had a strong understanding of the in’s and out’s of the founder personality. But it wasn’t until I became a co-founder myself and experienced these psychological concepts firsthand that I gained a deeper understanding.

In working long hours, navigating fundraising, and enduring the constant pressure of decision-making, founders often sacrifice their own mental health for the success of their start-ups. And, even after years of studying these behavioral patterns, I’ve found it’s hard to avoid falling into this trap.