Qatar’s startup founders are often under intense pressure to deliver, yet the mental and emotional dimensions of that journey remain largely unaddressed, according to the organiser of a recent virtual session on founder wellbeing.
“Through Startup Grind Doha, we aim to address the gaps that matter most for founders. While they are constantly under pressure to perform, the mental and emotional side of the journey is often overlooked,” Indica Amarasinghe, chapter director of Startup Grind Doha, told Gulf Times.
He added: “By bringing conversations like this to the forefront, we’re adding real value to the community – helping founders not just build better companies, but sustain high performance over the long term.”
The virtual event, titled ‘The Inner Game of Building a Startup: How to Lead and Perform with Clarity, Composure and Conviction’, brought together founders based in Qatar, as well as the UK, Singapore, Bangkok, Tunis, Muscat, Dubai, and Manila, and was hosted by Startup Grind Doha, in collaboration with Startup Grind chapters from multiple countries.
The session was led by Lorna Devine, a UK-trained psychologist and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) therapist, and explored the inner dimensions of high performance for founders.
Founding and building a startup demands a level of resilience that is easy to underestimate, the session noted.
According to Devine, most founders are pushing hard every day – pitching to investors, building their product, managing their team – while privately carrying stress, self-doubt, and pressure that rarely gets discussed.
Among the key takeaways from the session was the parallel between professional athletes and founders: just as athletes train their minds alongside their bodies, investing in mental fitness is as important as investing in the business itself, given its direct impact on performance, decision-making, and team leadership.
The session also highlighted that high-achieving founders often carry the greatest pressure beneath the surface, even when they appear composed.
Participants were reminded that mindset mastery begins with awareness of one’s own thoughts, including learning to challenge and reframe them, given the direct effect thinking patterns have on emotion, physical response, and behaviour.
Practical, evidence-based tools were also shared to help founders manage stress and pressure in real time, enabling clearer thinking and sustained performance.
Long-term performance, the session emphasised, is built on inner foundations: self-awareness, self-regulation, an identity beyond one’s company, and a clear sense of purpose.
The question-and-answer segment also covered topics ranging from procrastination and energy management at networking events to the science behind breathing and mindfulness exercises, as well as maintaining mental resilience when faced with others’ expectations.