I tend to have large stress in startups, more than in established companies. I won't get into some of the occasional toxic-element sources that can happen anywhere, but some reasons that happen more in startups:
1. Caring about the mission -- the real-world positive impact -- and potentially able to make or break that. Not just taking a shot at making money, for some opportunity cost that I could evaluate quantitatively on a napkin, and walk away from as soon as an option with a higher expected dollars number came along.
2. Livelihoods and investments of time&effort by colleagues hinge to a large degree on decisions I make, ideas I have, and things I have to pull off, and not wanting to let them down. (A bit similar with money investors, but I care more about personal connections, and involvements where it's not just someone buying lots of lottery tickets.)
3. Low "paychecks" for my HCOLA, at that startup and earlier, so personally needing a big win financial exit, and the startup is what I decided to invest my time&energy into. If that fails, it's starting over, and a lot of wading through various startup ickiness to get another good opportunity (or doing FAANG interview BS, and then their promotion-chasing BS).
1. Caring about the mission -- the real-world positive impact -- and potentially able to make or break that. Not just taking a shot at making money, for some opportunity cost that I could evaluate quantitatively on a napkin, and walk away from as soon as an option with a higher expected dollars number came along.
2. Livelihoods and investments of time&effort by colleagues hinge to a large degree on decisions I make, ideas I have, and things I have to pull off, and not wanting to let them down. (A bit similar with money investors, but I care more about personal connections, and involvements where it's not just someone buying lots of lottery tickets.)
3. Low "paychecks" for my HCOLA, at that startup and earlier, so personally needing a big win financial exit, and the startup is what I decided to invest my time&energy into. If that fails, it's starting over, and a lot of wading through various startup ickiness to get another good opportunity (or doing FAANG interview BS, and then their promotion-chasing BS).