Inside the Mind of a Founder: Why Chaos Is the Job (And How to Survive It)
You see the headlines.
You hear the podcasts.
You read the fundraising announcements and shelf placement wins.
But here’s what you don’t see:
The turkey didn’t arrive.
Costco needs an answer in one hour.
The broker just quit.
Your top retailer ghosted you—after you sent the docs.
Welcome to the inside of a founder’s brain.
Not the shiny version.
Not the TED Talk.
Just the raw, rapid-fire, often absurd, reality of running a business that’s growing fast enough to break itself daily.
The Myth of Calm Leadership
Entrepreneurs are told to be visionaries.
-To lead with clarity.
-To operate like CEOs from day one.
But most days, you’re not thinking about 10-year strategy.
You’re thinking about how to get chicken sticks on a truck before you go out of stock.
And when the chaos hits? You can’t just pause and recalibrate. You have to adjust in real time—with real consequences if you screw it up.
This isn’t a sign you’re doing something wrong.
It’s the job.
Real Fires. Real Fast.
This year alone, we’ve dealt with:
Capacity constraints so tight, we had to triage which SKUs even got made.
Avian flu disruptions that left us guessing if tomorrow’s turkey delivery would show up at all.
Sudden retailer asks: “How many truckloads can you commit to for back-to-school? We need an answer today.”
Staffing volatility: Brokers quitting. Category managers rotating out. Key contacts disappearing.
Investors wanting clarity while we’re busy dodging curveballs.
Retailers asking for paperwork ASAP, then ghosting with a vague “conflict.”
And that’s just Q1.
The Psychological Whiplash
The hardest part isn’t the logistics. It’s the mental load.
You’re toggling between:
Fixing production plans
Prepping investor decks
Responding to M&A interest
Managing team morale
Thinking about 2026 SKU strategy
Wondering if your competitor is running an exit process and if that matters
You’re in a constant state of decision fatigue—but you still need to show up with clarity for your team, confidence for your board, and optimism for the market.
5 Ways to Survive the Chaos (Without Losing Your Mind)
I don’t have it all figured out—but here are a few tactics that help me stay upright when it all feels like too much:
1. Build Slack Into Your System
Buffer your capacity, your timeline, and your budget. Growth without slack is a grenade waiting to go off.
2. Create a Triage Framework
Not all problems are emergencies. Have a system to separate noise from fire—and teach your team to do the same.
3. Overcommunicate Early
Retailers and investors can stomach bad news. What they can’t stomach is silence or surprises.
4. Normalize the Mess
Don’t beat yourself up for the chaos. Embrace it. Most founders are duct-taping their way through the week, just like you.
5. Build Buffers Before You Need Them
Hire early. Raise before it’s urgent. Diversify before it’s obvious. Resilience is built before the fire.
Final Thought: Don’t Mistake the Mess for Failure
When you’re in the thick of it, it’s easy to think you’re failing.
That the chaos is a sign you’re doing it wrong.
But the truth?
The mess means you’re in motion.
The noise means you’re growing.
The stress means you care.
You’re not broken. You’re just building.
And building anything worth keeping?
It gets a little wild before it works.
