The Hidden Burnout of “Success Mode”

You’re hitting goals.
You’re scaling.
Everyone says you’re doing great.

But inside, something feels… dull.

This isn’t failure burnout.
It's success burnout and it’s more common than you think.

Here’s how to spot it (and reset your drive):
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1. Growth without meaning drains energy​
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​ You’re making progress.​
But if you don’t remember why it matters, it won’t feel fulfilling.

→ Ask: “Is this still the mission I care about or just momentum?”
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2. Scaling work isn’t starter work​
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Early-stage problems are creative.​
​Later-stage problems are systems.

If you’re a builder, scale can feel like slow suffocation.

→ What kind of work actually gives you energy now?

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3. Roles change faster than identity​
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​You may still see yourself as the product brain or the culture builder.
But your company might need a new version of you.

→ You don’t need to reinvent, just re-align.

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4. Reconnect with signal, not noise​
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​Turn down the investor updates.
Ignore the surface metrics.

→ Go talk to a customer.
→ Revisit the version of yourself who started this.
→ Find the thread worth pulling again.

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Ask yourself:​
​If you started this company today, what would you still do and what would you leave behind?

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