Essay · 6 min read

Founder Startup Grief

James Routledge · James Routledge (founder of Sanctus) Free Beginner

Routledge built and wound down Sanctus, then wrote the piece almost nobody writes: the one that treats the end of a company as a real bereavement, not a LinkedIn lesson. His line 'you will need to grieve, lean into the sadness' and his warning about founders who 'skip the funeral' and pay for it later is exactly the permission this question is about. He also gives you the how: ending conversations on purpose, a transition ritual, celebrating the thing before you move on.

  • A dead company is a genuine loss of identity and relationships, so grief is the correct response, not weakness
  • Founders who skip the mourning ('skip the funeral') carry the unprocessed loss straight into the next attempt
  • Do it deliberately: intentional ending conversations, a transition ritual, and celebrating what you built before you move
Open on jamesroutledge.co ↗

The question it answers

  1. When do I need to grieve and reset before starting again, and how do I actually process a startup that failed?

Read with it

  1. This is the honest first-hand account, not a tactical post-mortem. Munson describes meditating in the corner of his office... Matt Munson (CEO, Twenty20) Essay · 12 min read My Journey Through Founder Depression Matt Munson
  2. The India-specific voice this question needs. Serial founder Rachit Gupta says it plainly about shutting his second startup:... Inc42 Article · 10 min read Founders, VCs Open Up About Depression And Stress As Mental Health Enters Public Debate Inc42 Staff
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