Genies CEO Akash Nigam Spotlights the Relationship Between Founders and Mental Health
A topic that is rarely talked about is the relationship between founders and mental health- but Genies CEO Akash Nigam is trying to change that. Awareness of mental health issues is finally beginning to take off in society. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 4 American adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. With that in mind, you would imagine around 1 in 4 startup founders to also experience mental health challenges. Would it surprise you to learn that an astonishing 72% of entrepreneurs self-reported mental health problems? Not only that, 19% of company founders directly attribute their mental illness to their choice to found a company. Akash Nigam is one of those 72% who has identified an issue and struggles with a mental health condition while running his avatar tech company, Genies. But he is unwilling to feed the toxic culture of silence around these issues that compounds the dangers of mental health woes. As far as Akash is concerned, the more CEOs are prepared to share that they suffer from depression, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and other such issues, the less of a stigma there will be.
The Dangers of Mental Health Challenges for Startup Founders
There have been times when the pressures of being a startup founder have been too grave to bear for some. Founders have stepped down in order to have more time to address their mental health. Tragically, several founders suffering from mental illnesses have taken their own lives, such as Aaron Swartz, co-founder of Reddit, and Jody Sherman of Ecomom. Founder CEOs skew younger than average for CEOs, and are more psychologically vulnerable, especially to depression. The conditions that young entrepreneurs typically expose themselves to: lack of sleep, chronic stress, and poor diet provide perfect conditions for mental illnesses to develop.
Startup Founders Can’t Afford to Ignore Mental Health
Startup founders may have justifiable fears about the prejudice of others such as major investors and board members impacting the success of their business if they are open about the mental health challenges they face. However, they should definitely avoid trying to sweep their struggles under the rug entirely. Untreated mental health disorders can lead to dangerous judgment errors that can easily be disastrous for a nascent company. Paying attention to your mental health state, and when things seem wrong, seeking professional help for diagnosis and treatment, whether that be therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination, is a wise decision to avoid business disasters and preserve your personal wellbeing.
If you or a friend are in a situation where chronic stress, sleep deprivation, or poor diet may be contributing to a decline in your mental health, Akash thinks it is important for you to find someone that you feel comfortable talking about your problems with. “We’ve been living in an internet era where mental health has been stigmatized, and one of the most I think, underrepresented discussions, and it’s only recently that people are starting to come out with their struggles and start to really understand the negative impacts of it all,” said Nigam. He hopes that his platform, an avatar creation app that is creating new digital environments and economies for users’ virtual personas to occupy, will be useful in facilitating means for people to have these important conversations about their mental health in a way that feels safe.
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