Written by Elle Whitelegg

Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. The pace is intense, the stakes are high, and the demands can feel endless. Success in this space is often associated with strategy, innovation, and endurance—but beneath it all lies something less visible and just as crucial: how founders see themselves. Over time, the identity you adopt—how you define what it means to lead, work hard, or succeed—shapes not just your decisions, but your sustainability. In fast-moving ventures, this internal narrative can either fuel longevity or quietly erode it.

The rush of solving problems, hitting targets, and riding that wave of momentum creates a compelling feedback loop. Adrenaline and dopamine fuel late nights and fast pivots, and success—even in small doses—feels intensely rewarding.

But over time, that loop can become a trap. As teams grow and stakes rise, so does the pressure. The responsibility to lead, deliver, and not let others down becomes a constant hum in the background. Adrenaline no longer spikes for a sprint—it pulses continually. The body stays alert, primed for problems. And when the initial dynamism begins to edge into chaos, when growth outpaces capacity, and when creativity is dulled by sheer cognitive fatigue, the costs start to show. For many founders, the price of building something meaningful is paid in health, sleep, and relationships.

Burnout among entrepreneurs is more common than many realise. While research within Cambridge’s own tech cluster is limited, global data is telling: studies in 2023 and 2024 estimate burnout rates among founders sit between 37% and 53%—a staggeringly high figure for a population celebrated for resilience.

Even outside a start-up context, we each make thousands of decisions a day—what to eat, how to commute, when to speak, when to stay quiet. To cope with this mental load, our brains take shortcuts. These become what psychologists call our “default settings”: learned patterns rooted in experience, belief systems, and crucially, our identity. Who we believe ourselves to be heavily influences how we act.

Productivity strategists have long exploited this. Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day. Tim Ferriss swears by repetitive meal routines. Delegation, automation, and minimalism aren’t just efficiency tools—they’re identity management strategies, designed to preserve energy for decisions that matter.

But identity doesn’t just preserve energy—it drives change. Two separate 2015 studies found that smokers who began referring to themselves as “non-smokers” were significantly more successful at quitting than those who said they were “trying to quit.” (Meijer et al., 2015; Tombor et al., 2015) Similarly, an Australian study from 2012 found that weight-loss participants who adopted the identity of being a “healthy person” achieved more sustainable results than those who saw themselves as “on a diet.” (Leske et al., 2012)

The lesson is clear: when behaviour aligns with a core belief about who we are, change sticks.

So consider this: what image comes to mind when you hear the word “entrepreneur”? If what appears is someone grinding through the night, surviving on caffeine and sheer willpower, you’re not alone. That narrative is pervasive. But if that’s your mental model, there’s a good chance you’ve unconsciously adopted habits that mirror it. Your calendar, your sleep, your stress—all structured around being that person.

But what if the image shifted? What if “entrepreneur” evoked balance, clarity, endurance? What would change in your daily choices? When identity includes resilience, not just relentlessness, habits start to shift. You begin to notice when you need rest. You stop equating busyness with productivity. You let go of the martyrdom baked into hustle culture.

Psychologist Steve Peters describes our impulsive, emotionally reactive brain as the “inner chimp”—a part of us that often drives decisions out of fear or habit. When we operate without awareness, the chimp is at the wheel. But when we connect our behaviour to our values and beliefs, we start to respond, not react. We steer.

Beliefs, then, are more than ideals. They’re your rudder. And in the unpredictable waters of entrepreneurship, that rudder matters more than the size of your sail. Without it, even the most talented founders risk capsizing.

So why hasn’t this shift already happened? Why is burnout still so common, and the myth of the always-on founder so celebrated?

Cultural narratives play a role. Western hustle culture has roots in 1980s economic shifts, where leaders like Thatcher and Reagan championed individualism and bootstrapping. With weakened safety nets and increased inequality, success became both a necessity and a measure of worth. Those messages filtered through generations—amplified by media, pop culture, and the aspirational pull of the “self-made” entrepreneur. Even now, lifestyle brands and social media glorify those who never stop.

But that story is changing. It has to. For today’s founders, the question isn’t just how to succeed—it’s how to succeed without burning out.

Wellbeing isn’t a luxury or a post-burnout repair job. It’s a foundation of daily choices—aligned with a clear identity that prizes resilience, presence, and long-term thinking. Rethinking identity means rethinking value. Being seen to be working hard is not the same as moving your business forward. Reframing “I am a hard worker” into “I am clear on my priorities” creates space for discernment. One day, the most important thing might be solving a funding issue. Another, it might be making it home in time to cook dinner.

There’s no right path, only one aligned with the person you want to be.

For founders navigating the chaos and creativity of entrepreneurship, then, the question isn’t just “What am I building?”, it’s “Who am I becoming while I build it?”

References:

Leske, S., Strodl, E., Hou, X.Y., 2012. BMC Public Health 12, 1086.

Meijer, E., Gebhardt, W.A., Dijkstra, A., Willemsen, M.C., Van Laar, C., 2015. Psychol Health 30, 1387–1409.

Tombor, I., Shahab, L., Brown, J., Notley, C., West, R., 2015. Addictive Behaviors 45, 99–103.

Who You Decide To Be Determines Your Path To Sustainable Success

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