Here’s how I’m fighting founder burnout

Just Hupo is CEO and co-founder of Hupo, a digital platform designed to enhance leadership development for organizations in Asia Pacific.

Founder burnout is real – I’m experiencing it now.

Recently, we officially launched Hupo after significantly growing our revenue over the last 10 months.

I’ve had to say no to 99% of the kind invitations I’ve received from investors and media – not because they weren’t great opportunities, but because I feel like I’m running on fumes.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

As much as we’ve made “sustainable high performance” a bedrock of what Hupo stands for, I haven’t been working sustainably. It’s ironic, given that the company provides personalized, targeted leadership coaching for organizations.

Burnout is real. Acknowledging it doesn’t make you weak – it takes strength to be proactive and to stay on top of it.

I want to outline a few of my struggles so that other founders can learn from them to avoid getting burned out.

1. Taking real vacations

On the rare occasions I do go on “vacation,” I’m still making or taking calls, checking emails, chatting on Slack, and more.

I recently met a leader who helped build an amazing Singaporean food and beverage brand that generated more than SG$100 million in annual sales in just over a decade.

Every year, she goes on a weeks-long silent retreat because she needs that time to recharge and recalibrate. Despite being one of the busiest people I know, she can completely unplug from work. As a result, she’s seen a measurable increase in performance, motivation, and productivity – not just for her but also for her team.

2. Embracing an abundance mindset

This one is the hardest for me. If you operate from a scarcity mindset – which involves obsessing over what you lack rather than focusing on what you have – you’re always going to be stressed.

As tempting as they look, I’m trying to avoid decisions that might look great for this month’s targets but have a negative impact six to 12 months down the line.

It’s great to be frugal and efficient, but there’s a balance you have to strike.

3. Correctly estimating your smarts