[DanBC]

> With some regularity I read articles about some amiable, accomplished and brilliant young kid that decides to end their life in the start-up scene

This is confirmation bias. You don't hear about all the other people completing suicide.

> If a start-up fails, then to some degree it may feel like you yourself have failed, even if that is absolutely not the case.

There's a risk that this is extended to everything. "If a new job fails"; "If a new relationship fails"; etc.

Really, the article could be saying "Get treatment for your depression" (which is important whether you're doing a start up or not) and "Develop some tools for resilience, learn some techniques to help you cope with life".

[jacquesm]

I knew these people, and I know a lot of people. Judging by the difference between start-up types committing suicide and people that I know outside of the start-up scene there is a huge difference between the two groups. Of course it is possible that my experience is an outlier, but it is a pretty extreme one (5:0, on groups of 100's of individuals).

[bayesianhorse]

It's still bias. This is something medical professionals have to be reminded of over and over again: Your perception is not a double-blind study! You have no randomized control group and not enough cases.

[jacquesm]

There is a fair chance of that. But since this is my blog I will write whatever the hell I please, it's not a double blind study over 20 years and it does not pretend to be.

It's a plea. Which may stop the next friend or person that I'm in contact with from taking a right turn for a dead end in some broom closet somewhere.

Enough bright lights have been extinguished in this fashion over the last couple of years.

[ZoFreX]

> But since this is my blog I will write whatever the hell I please

Of course. But I hope you would care that what you wrote is upsetting to a lot of people, and that we believe the advice is actually harmful, even though you didn't intend it to be.

If you truly do care about these issues and genuinely want to help people, I would love to chat to you about it. I don't think this is really the place for it, so please email me (@gmail.com) if you want to take up that offer.

[mbesto]

Any specific examples?

[jacquesm]

No, I won't go into specific examples. This was tough enough to write as it is without opening up old wounds.