I’ll be honest: this wasn’t a noble, enlightened mission.
It was ego, purpose, and self-interrogation all rolled into one questionable decision.

I needed to know if I still had it - the grind, the determination, the ability to hurt and keep moving. Running businesses, writing a book, building a community… they’re all different versions of the same question:

“Can you keep going when every part of you is begging to stop?”

I could talk about discipline.
I could talk about mindset.
I could talk about resilience frameworks and founder psychology.

Or I could tell you the truth:
Sometimes you need to break yourself a little to remember what you’re capable of.

You can’t out-logic biology. Sleep debt, poor diet, zero exercise - it all adds up.
A study from Harvard Medical School found that even moderate sleep deprivation mimics a 0.08 BAC. Congratulations, you’re running your company drunk.

Founders love to pretend they can optimise their way out of exhaustion - new apps, cold showers, productivity hacks. But you can’t hack physiology. Your body will collect the debt, with interest.

The clever bit isn’t squeezing more hours from the day. It’s designing a life you can sustain.

People who say I’m the “nicest guy they know” aren’t wrong.
I’ll help. I’ll support. I’ll go all-in.
I’ll give time and energy I barely have.

I’ll believe in people long after they’ve stopped believing in themselves.

But there’s one inevitable moment for every helper…

The moment you finally say “no.”

Watch how fast people change when their access changes.

When I finally enforce respect…
When I stop cushioning their ego…
When I stop accepting crumbs as gratitude…

Suddenly I’m “unfair”
or “cold”
or “an a**hole.”

Funny that.

Business is full of uncomfortable truths.
Founders spend most of their time avoiding them.

And that’s exactly why the consequences hurt so much.
Because when the universe comes to teach you a lesson, it rarely does it gently.
In fact, it usually shows up holding something rubbery, suspiciously large, and absolutely dry.

Somewhere along the way, someone told us to keep our personal and professional selves separate.
Be personable, but not personal. Be friendly, but not familiar. Be authentic, but only in ways that won’t make marketing nervous.

It’s a lie that’s been killing businesses and leaders for years.

Because here’s the thing — if you’re online, there is no divide. You are the brand.
People don’t follow companies; they follow characters.

You are the culture.

If you want resilience, model it.
If you want accountability, live it.
If you want balance, enforce it.

Otherwise, don’t be surprised when your “dream team” quietly hates you.

Because shit leaders make shit cultures. And shit cultures kill startups faster than bad ideas ever will.

It all begins Start up p*rn isn’t just flashy cars or “I made $100k in 30 days” scams. It’s more subtle than that:

• The influencer selling a fake start up success story through a $997 course.

• The LinkedIn humblebrag announcing a funding round but hiding the burn rate.

• The “digital nomad” shot working on a laptop from a beach while ignoring the 12-hour grind in a noisy hostel.

• The VC darling on stage who conveniently forgets to mention the millions lost before one lucky exit.

Start up lies look glamorous. They sell hope. But they hide reality. with an idea.

Passion Is a Stripper. Purpose Is a Compass.

The start up world loves the “follow your passion” lie. It sounds inspiring. It feels good. But it’s the quickest way to founder burnout.

Passion is a sugar rush. Purpose is long-haul fuel.

Ignoring mental health kills businesses. Because when the founder collapses, the company follows.

Stress makes bad decisions. Burnout slows execution. Silence isolates you further.

The system eats founders alive - and then replaces them with the next one who believed the hype.