[jandrewrogers]

The experience at 2 years is quite a bit different than the experience at 2 months. Startups have life cycles, some parts of which are much more stressful than others for startup CEOs. It does not become easier over the first few years, quite the opposite in most cases.

Doing something cool is why we do it but as startups grow the challenges of that growth can start to take a real toll on the founders on many different levels. That part is not particularly fun even for people that feed off the stress. Startup entrepreneurs do not complain about it -- it comes with the territory -- but it would also be foolish to deny the true costs of our chosen lifestyle.

I am not an entrepreneur because it is a healthy lifestyle or an easy path to wealth, because it is neither. I am an entrepreneur because that is what I am and I could not imagine being anything else.