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Hi there, I'm on the YC Hacks team working on this. I agree that "founder depression" is somewhat vague and potentially confusing in describing what we're doing

Hi there, I'm on the YC Hacks team working on this. I agree that "founder depression" is somewhat vague and potentially confusing in describing what we're doing. The intent is simply to anonymously connect people who are going through similar situations, whether positive or negative, in order to edify and support one another. Based on both anecdotal evidence and recent articles, it seems as though people in the startup community often don't have many compassionate outlets they can leverage to talk to others who are either going through something similar or have gone through something similar before. By finding someone relatable to share experiences or learnings, they can release some of the pent-up emotion or frustration that they have and be able to move forward. Furthermore, this is not designed to replace working with a mental health professional--not in the slightest! This is more purpose-built around finding peers who have the right context to really understand or comment on what you're going through and empathize. This isn't meant to be a counseling service.

7Figures2Commas 12y ago
> Based on both anecdotal evidence and recent articles, it seems as though people in the startup community often don't have many compassionate outlets they can leverage to talk to others who are either going through something similar or have gone through something similar before. There's a huge difference between providing an outlet for startup founders to commiserate with each other and providing an outlet for individuals who believe they're suffering from depression to obtain support. Again, it's hard to criticize well-intentioned efforts, but my (hopefully) constructive criticism is that you seem to be blurring the lines. You can build a useful founder support network without focusing on depression. Clinical depression is a disorder that has a variety of causes. Some of them are social or psychological, but there may also be biochemical causes. A startup founder's depression may have less to do with his or her startup experience than one might think, in which case focusing on this part of the person's life could be more harmful than helpful. An individual who may be suffering from clinical depression (or an anxiety disorder) should be encouraged to obtain a professional diagnosis, and treatment should be guided by a professional whom that individual trusts. > This isn't meant to be a counseling service. Easily said, but harder to enforce. Case in point: one of the services you're considering using, 7 Cups of Tea, is positioned as an online counseling/therapy portal.
- juneyham 12y ago
  > There's a huge difference between providing an outlet for startup founders to commiserate with each other and providing an outlet for individuals who believe they're suffering from depression to obtain support. Again, it's hard to criticize well-intentioned efforts, but my (hopefully) constructive criticism is that you seem to be blurring the lines. You can build a useful founder support network without focusing on depression. We're definitely on the same page and our goal is to do the former rather than the latter. Describing it as a founder depression product was ultimately incorrect and we're moving away from that description here at YC Hacks. I definitely appreciate the distinction and your constructive criticism. > Easily said, but harder to enforce. Case in point: one of the services you're considering using, 7 Cups of Tea, is positioned as an online counseling/therapy portal. Also a great observation -- with regard to 7 Cups of Tea, the company is an inspiration point but we are not using them and we don't believe our service is competitive to their offering.
  - 7cupsoftea 12y ago
    Would love to work with you on this :). If interested, shoot me an email at info@7cupsoftea.com.
    - juneyham 12y ago
      Will do! We're hard at work right now but will reach out.
davmar 12y ago
are you part of YC, or just a team working on the hacks?
- juneyham 12y ago
  We're a YC Hacks team.
drumdance 12y ago
The smartest thing I ever did was join a men's group. It's not depression-focused per se, but in my case it became something of a depression support group. I wish I had done this 20 years ago, and I say that everyone I meet who shows an interest.

7Figures2Commas 12y ago

> Based on both anecdotal evidence and recent articles, it seems as though people in the startup community often don't have many compassionate outlets they can leverage to talk to others who are either going through something similar or have gone through something similar before. There's a huge difference between providing an outlet for startup founders to commiserate with each other and providing an outlet for individuals who believe they're suffering from depression to obtain support. Again, it's hard to criticize well-intentioned efforts, but my (hopefully) constructive criticism is that you seem to be blurring the lines. You can build a useful founder support network without focusing on depression. Clinical depression is a disorder that has a variety of causes. Some of them are social or psychological, but there may also be biochemical causes. A startup founder's depression may have less to do with his or her startup experience than one might think, in which case focusing on this part of the person's life could be more harmful than helpful. An individual who may be suffering from clinical depression (or an anxiety disorder) should be encouraged to obtain a professional diagnosis, and treatment should be guided by a professional whom that individual trusts. > This isn't meant to be a counseling service. Easily said, but harder to enforce. Case in point: one of the services you're considering using, 7 Cups of Tea, is positioned as an online counseling/therapy portal.

juneyham 12y ago
> There's a huge difference between providing an outlet for startup founders to commiserate with each other and providing an outlet for individuals who believe they're suffering from depression to obtain support. Again, it's hard to criticize well-intentioned efforts, but my (hopefully) constructive criticism is that you seem to be blurring the lines. You can build a useful founder support network without focusing on depression. We're definitely on the same page and our goal is to do the former rather than the latter. Describing it as a founder depression product was ultimately incorrect and we're moving away from that description here at YC Hacks. I definitely appreciate the distinction and your constructive criticism. > Easily said, but harder to enforce. Case in point: one of the services you're considering using, 7 Cups of Tea, is positioned as an online counseling/therapy portal. Also a great observation -- with regard to 7 Cups of Tea, the company is an inspiration point but we are not using them and we don't believe our service is competitive to their offering.
- 7cupsoftea 12y ago
  Would love to work with you on this :). If interested, shoot me an email at info@7cupsoftea.com.
  - juneyham 12y ago
    Will do! We're hard at work right now but will reach out.

davmar 12y ago

are you part of YC, or just a team working on the hacks?

juneyham 12y ago
We're a YC Hacks team.

drumdance 12y ago

The smartest thing I ever did was join a men's group. It's not depression-focused per se, but in my case it became something of a depression support group. I wish I had done this 20 years ago, and I say that everyone I meet who shows an interest.