Some AI startup leaders step away to address health concerns, but for others, the cost of leaving may be too steep.
Lilian Weng, a cofounder of the high-profile AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, stepped down Tuesday after suffering what she described as a stress-induced illness. Other tech leaders have recently scaled back their roles or left them altogether for health reasons, too, including OpenAI executive Fidji Simo and xAI cofounder Greg Yang.
“The amount of consistent stress and workload have pushed me beyond what my health can sustain physically,” Weng wrote in a post on X.
Burnout and intense demands are hardly new challenges for tech leaders and their employees. In Silicon Valley, some AI companies have embraced “996” schedules — 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — despite the toll it may take on workers’ health.
Yet despite the importance of self-care, not every leader has the financial cushion or trusted staff needed to step back when that strain becomes unsustainable. Some may have little choice but to keep going, as the AI race adds pressure to raise money, recruit scarce talent, and ship products ahead of rivals.
“It’s really hard for leaders with lots of responsibility and stakeholders to deprioritize work,” said Mandy Haskett, a leadership consultant who advises CEOs, executive teams, and boards of midsize companies and startups.
Under pressure
Founders often work themselves to the point of illness because they feel guilty about taking care of themselves, knowing employees, investors, and others are counting on them.
“That’s the tug that high-performing people find themselves in,” Haskett said.
Some companies have a workplace culture that reinforces those instincts by rewarding employees for working constantly and devoting nearly all their time and energy to the job, said Marie-Hélène Pelletier, a workplace psychologist and executive coach.
In some workplaces, the prevailing message is to “keep going, no matter what,” said Pelletier. “You can do this for a period of time, but you cannot do this in a sustainable way for an extended period.”
The allure of equity can create another source of pressure, said John Baldino, president of HR consulting firm Humareso. Leaders may fear that taking time away will alarm employees who view their commitment as crucial for their own compensation, he said.
AI raises the stakes
Building a business is difficult, but running an AI startup can be especially taxing. Technical talent commands exceptionally high salaries, and compute is costly.
Meanwhile, AI leaders face a crowded field of rivals “nipping at their heels, trying to do the same thing and solve for the same problem,” said Baldino. “That puts more pressure on these founders for sure.”
Leaders are also contending with broader fears about how their AI products could affect society, said Liane Davey, an advisor to executives at companies such as Amazon and Google, and author of “Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work.”
The cognitive demands of being a founder “are profound and complex,” she said.
Stepping back before a crisis
Not all startup leaders can afford to take a much-needed sabbatical when stress threatens their health. However, some may have workplace protections available to them, such as a leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, even if they hold the title of founder, said Joseph H. Harris, a partner at employment law firm FordHarrison.
Leaders can also look for ways to reduce tension before reaching a crisis point. Remaining immersed in every decision, for example, can deepen the burden of an already demanding role.
“Focus on the one thing or two things that need your unique value, and deputize other people to pay attention to other things,” said Davey. “If you try and pay attention to 15 things at once, you’ll do a terrible job of all of them.”
Leaders often argue that they are too busy to recharge, she said, using the intensity of the work as a reason to keep pushing. She described that as “bad logic.” It’s like saying, “you have to get to Point B faster than the other guys, but you don’t have time to put gas in the car,” Davey said.
For leaders who can’t imagine taking a break from work, Baldino recommends starting small. His “two by two” approach calls for taking two hours over the next two weeks to begin building a habit of disconnecting.
“Sit on the beach, read a book, just unplug,” he said. “If the organization will fall apart in two weeks because you’re taking two hours, then the organization has never been set up for success from the beginning.”
