Building a business is difficult, but running an AI startup can be especially taxing.
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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 pressureFounders 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.
