[spellboots]

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data".

I'm sorry for what you have been through but ultimately, this article, whilst coming from a thoughtful and heartfelt place, is ultimately just displaying misunderstanding and bias against mental illness.

Some people should not do startups. Some people suffer from some degree of mental illness. There will be some overlap in these groups but it is insensitive and prejudiced to suggest that the groups are the same.

[jacquesm]

Of course those groups are not the same. But from where I'm sitting it looks like one of the groups has significant overlap with the other group.

[spellboots]

Yes, I can tell that you are prejudiced against people suffering from mental illness from what your wrote, and I'm sure this is due to what you experienced.

Often prejudices are due to personal experience. Many people think that women are less capable in tech roles due to personal experience. Many people are prejudiced against other races due to personal experience. And many people are prejudiced against people suffering from mental illness due to personal experience.

Just because of your personal experience, does not mean it is not prejudice. Even though I'm sure your intentions are admirable, ultimately your message is incredibly negative towards a subset of the population based on anecdotal evidence, and this is why I am calling it out.

Anyone should think carefully before embarking on a startup and be aware of the huge trials they will face. However you should not be dissuaded from trying solely because you are a certain gender, a certain race, or have a certain illness. This is why I disagree with what you have written.