How This Swedish Entrepreneur Is Addressing The Mental Health Crisis In The Startup World

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash

Eighty-hour weeks. Demanding work. A high chance of failure.The start-up world is gruelling. It’s no surprise entrepreneurs (particularly founders) are up to 49% more likely to report a mental health condition than other workers.

Swede David Brudö is an example of an entrepreneur who turned this problem into a competitive advantage. An avid snowboarder, he describes startups as the “extreme sport” of the business world.

During the early 2000s, he worked for several different startups and struggled with the gruelling pace of work.

“Most startups fail, statistically, so the odds aren’t the best. That, of course, has a mental toll on you because there’s a constant pressure, more or less,” he said.

The pressure Brudö felt was exacerbated by depression, a condition he has faced on and off since his teenage years.

“I lived in Sweden; I had a roof over my head; I had food on my plate. I had more material stuff than I would ever need. But I wasn’t feeling grateful,” he said.

“Instead I was feeling increased amounts of worry, anxiety, stress, much work related. That … took over me as a person.”