Nonprofit Founder’s Syndrome and Burnout

What it is

Nine chapters, none of which offer self-care advice. The book describes the position accurately, on the assumption that an accurate description is more useful than reassurance.

Deciding on incomplete information. Having nobody to ask while surrounded by people. The week that disappears, and why conventional productivity advice assumes an employer you do not have. And what you pay yourself, which is not only a budget decision but a public statement about the value of the work, read by everyone who works for you.

Then burnout, described clinically rather than sympathetically. Founder’s syndrome from the inside, which is almost never recognized at the time. Why letting go remains difficult after you have decided to. And what the organization owes you, a question founders are seldom asked.