

Founder Depression, a Suicide Note and Anonymity - danaseverson
https://startupsanonymous.com/story/how-anonmity-can-save-a-founders-life/

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tucif
"I wonder though, without anonymity, what would have happened?"

Actually, had there been full anonymity they wouldn't have had the email
address, no contact would've been made and the help wouldn't have been
possible.

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jpetersonmn
“I am about to make my company a co-beneficiary of my life insurance. And, I
will take my own life after that. I want to make it work for my investors and
my company. I am done with this life. I am sorry.”

Something tells me that any life insurance policies have clauses for suicide,
especially if you posted online prior to your suicide that you were about to
scam them out of some money. Overall I think that mental illness is a very
serious issue, however I feel like a startups anonymous seems pretty silly
from what I can tell. That's just my $0.02.

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danaseverson
Silly in what way?

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jpetersonmn
Same reason it would be silly to have a mechanics anonymous, or a guitar
players anonymous, etc... In my opinion if the pressures of being a founder is
so much that you need to join some support group like an alcoholic or drug
addict you should probably find another career path. Again, this is just my
opinion. :)

~~~
danaseverson
I think you're missing the point. Like any other forum, Startups Anonymous is
a place of likeminded people. It just so happens that this forum doesn't
require you to pretend you're somebody that you're not, or that your company
is "killing it" , when your struggling to figure it out like everyone else.

If the answer to solving issues was to change careers, nobody would be
employed.

~~~
jpetersonmn
I don't think I'm missing the point at all. I don't think a forum for startups
is silly at all. But per you're "about" page it's "Kinda like AA for
startups." As I said before, I think having an AA like forum specifically for
startups makes as much sense as having an AA like forum specifically for
mechanics. I think in a way it belittles organizations like AA to compare your
forum to that. What you just described to me, a forum for likeminded people,
doesn't at all sound like AA to me? AA is a place where people with a serious
problem, alcohol, go to get support for their addiction. If you're going to
substitute alcohol with startup, that's what I feel is silly. Again, that's
just my opinion. We'll have to agree to disagree. :)

