FounderFuel: Insider tips from the most resilient founders on how to cultivate a strong mindset for the startup rollercoaster

In the second of our series of articles about founder resilience, we lift the veil on what it means to think resiliently. With the help of a panel of high-resilience founders, we identify how to cultivate and maintain a strong mindset, as well as how to stay resilient in the midst of significant setbacks.

92% of founders identified resilience as the #1 trait required for success as an entrepreneur in our founder research five years ago.  Yet despite its importance little was known about founder resilience or, more importantly, how to build it.

This culminated in the largest study yet on founder resilience which proved that the most resilient, high-performing founders take proactive measures to protect sustainable high performance.

Three key factors set them apart, which have formed the basis for our latest series of FounderFuel articles:

• They protect their performance habits
• They think differently
• They have strong support systems

This month we’re taking a detailed look into what resilient thinking looks like in practice.

At one of our recent Scaleup Sessions, we invited seven of our most resilient Founder Family members to share how they stay committed to cultivating a resilient mindset, and how they draw upon that mental strength when the going gets tough.

Resilient thinking has a powerful effect on startup success

Resilient thinking really pays off.  From our research with nearly 400 entrepreneurs, the most resilient founders in our study were found to be healthier, more motivated, and more confident, empowering productivity and better decision-making.  They also experienced up to four times fewer performance-blocking emotions like overwhelm and anxiety.

“Personally, when I’m at my best, I recognise all the things that make me excited about this job, and I’m able to share that with people” Daniel Dunn – CEO of PaperPlanes

This came through from our founder panel in the Scaleup Session too that told us when they felt at their best, they were more likely to….

• be creative and able to problem solve with more ease
• inspire colleagues, investors and customers
• instil higher levels of resilience in their teams
• feel more connected to the passion that started their business in the first place.

So let’s get down to brass tacks and demystify resilient thinking from those in the know….

Tune in to how resilient you feel day to day

Resilience is never constant; it ebbs and flows which means our capacity to bounce back from adversity can differ day to day.  Our mental resilience acts a bit like a bank account: top it up regularly, withdraw from it sparingly but always be aware of the balance.  Being honest about how we’re feeling at regular intervals, rather than defaulting to “I’ll just push through” is a crucial step in managing our resilience.

“If something triggers me into an emotional reaction, 99% of the time it’s because there’s too much on the plate.  So that for me is a real sign things aren’t going as well as they should do” Daniel Dunn – CEO of PaperPlanes

This metacognition skill of tuning into your thoughts and seeing how they’re serving you (or not) is a critical step for being able to lean on resilient ways of thinking when you need them.

Take action to keep your resilience topped up   

Our panel of high-resilience founders told us how intentional they are about prioritising the time to step back from the intensity of founderhood, in order that they protect their ability to think resiliently. This combination of tuning in and then creating space to think, underpinned their performance day to day to ride the waves.  Some had a regular time at the start of every day, while others were strict about scheduling time in their calendar at regular intervals in the week. 

“I have built a routine of going for walks in the countryside every morning.  I find this grounds me, connects me with the real world and puts my work into perspective.  Whilst I walk it gives me the space to think things through and I often do my best thinking whilst out walking” Louise Birritteri, founder of Piki

While the duration, regularity and content of this downtime differed from person to person, what unified everyone on our panel was their unapologetic commitment to it.  They weren’t afraid to challenge the media rhetoric that says successful founders have to push through and burn out to be on top of their game. 

Creating this space loops back to the findings about performance habits from our research.  Physical exercise, regular micro-breaks and sleep were cited as popular ways to use down-time.  Founders also mentioned the benefits of socialising with people outside of the ecosystem, and creating rules to govern when they looked at emails.

Stay resilient when the shit hits the fan

It could be a customer complaint, an investor query or even a tech meltdown. There will always be setbacks that test our resilience.  When the shit hits the fan your amygdala (the danger-monitoring part of the brain) triggers a fear response. Once that happens the thinking power in the pre-frontal cortex goes offline, making resilient ways of thinking even more tough.

So what can we do in these moments?

Be aware of how you’re feeling:

Notice when your mind is running away with you and when thoughts are starting to spiral.  Our bodies tell us we are in fight or flight in a myriad of ways, often before our brains are even aware of it – a quickening of the breath, a pain in the stomach, a sweaty palm.  Getting familiar with how your body feels in those moments is incredibly important, and gives you the ability to intervene productively.

Come back to the present:

When the amygdala is in control, the first priority needs to be to calm it. Focusing on your senses is a powerful way to ground yourself.  On our panel, Louise from Pikl shared a simple technique of pinching the tips of her fingers to bring herself back to the present.  Others like Tasha Tucker – CEO of Olumbria needed a physical break outdoors to jolt herself back to the present, rather than “thinking about something that could happen in the future, or dwelling on something already passed”              

Get fear back under control: 

Once you’re feeling more grounded, it’s your opportunity to quickly shift your thinking from irrational to rational, getting that pre-frontal cortex back online.  Louise from Pikl, told us how she visualises putting her fears in a box and hiding it in the garden.  Others like Ina Jovico – CEO of eNOugh favoured detailed scenario planning, where she explores all the different scenarios that could play out and decide how she’d respond to them. This gave her a feeling of control and confidence that she’d be able to respond whatever happens.

For more inspiration on this topic, Jeff Serini wrote a brilliant article for us on mental models to use during tough times which you can delve into here.  The dual systems approach is also incredibly helpful for slowing your thinking and assessing situations more rationally, whilst tackling any anxious thoughts.

Gain perspective: 

The power of peer conversations also came through for our panel, mirroring that 82% of our FounderCircle members say they have made better decisions thanks to the benefits of group coaching. In those tough moments,  inviting the perspective of a co-founder or other founder peer can clarify our own reactions, sparks creative problem solving, and also reminds us we’re not alone.  This shows the value of getting fresh perspectives, especially during challenging moments.

“You realise everyone else has the same problem and…someone may have had this before.  They can give you advice on what they did and you can learn from it.  And you realise this is just part of the journey” Eric Gordon – CEO of Flash

Maintain resilient foundations

Once the intensity of a significant setback has dissipated, it’s easy to sprint to the next challenge without recognising our energy has been depleted.  As founders, we’re often hard-wired to look for the next challenge to take on without taking the time to utilise the relative calm before the next storm. 

Reflect on what happened:

Let’s face it, as founders every day can be a learning opportunity, especially if this is our first startup.  Take the time to reflect on whether the scenario was avoidable, and whether the outcome matched your initial fears.  Reflecting on what did or didn’t work provides a useful blueprint for tackling future setbacks effectively. In most cases, your fears were worse than reality – and this serves as evidence to tackle negative thoughts and fears in the future, when the next set back happens

Appreciate the wins: 

Look back over what’s worked well and don’t dwell on your latest setback.  List out all your achievements this month and keep it visible on your desk.  Having a reminder that you’re making progress even when it feels otherwise is so important for our ongoing resilience. Take a look at our previous article about celebrating Little Wins here

Build resilience with the help of FounderCircles

Our FounderCircle membership is designed to fuel your resilience with the help of monthly peer-to-peer coaching.  Wherever you are in your startup journey, we’ll connect you with other exceptional founders who are at a similar stage as you, and  have lived experience of the challenges you’re facing too.

“Sometimes when you’re in your own boat, you think the waves are bigger; that they’re stronger than what anyone else is facing.  And all of a sudden, you realise we’re all facing the same kind of stormy weather conditions, or someone’s come through it” Kufa Matiya – CEO of FutureMatch

This is part of a series inspired by the research findings from nearly 400 entrepreneurs. Access the Founder Resilience Report, packed full of data and recommendations, here.

To get your dose of fuel for founderhood and be surrounded by a cathartic and knowledgeable community of fellow founders – subscribe to the FounderFuel Channel here.

All articles in our Founder Resilience series

Part 1: Kick start 2025 with the habits that help you thrive not just survive.

Part 2: Insider tips from the most resilient founders on how to cultivate a strong mindset

Part 3: Coming soon