The grind doesn’t make you stronger — it makes you brittle. Founders who win in the long term don’t hustle harder; they build recovery into how they operate. From mental resilience to stress regulation, this article reframes self-care as a performance tool that sharpens judgment, sustains momentum, and keeps the founder — and the company — intact.

“In a world increasingly shaped by smart machines, we need workplaces—and communities—that help people show up more human, not less. The future of work doesn’t start with tech. It starts with identity.”