By Chris Heivly, Managing Director at Build The Fort and Startup Community EIR @ Techstars

You see a founder at a coffee shop, pitching their latest idea for the fifth time this week. Or maybe they’re at an event, nervously sliding into conversations, hoping someone — anyone — might become a future customer, investor, or mentor.

And yeah, maybe their deck isn’t perfect. Maybe their product is still duct-taped together. And their family doesn’t get what they are doing or why. But here’s the truth you need to hear:

That founder feels like they are taking life risks. Are you are not?

When a founder decides to start something, they’re not just playing startup theater. They're betting their career, their savings, their relationships, and often their mental health.

They’re hoping their spouse holds on through the 2 a.m. stress spirals.

They’re dodging the quiet judgment from family members who keep asking, “So, when are you getting a real job?”

They’re navigating emotional minefields, financial tightropes, and a complete fog of uncertainty. And through all of that, they’re supposed to smile, pitch, raise, sell, and build. Every. Single. Day.

Founders aren’t asking for much. Most of them just want a little help:

• Someone to test their product.

• A warm intro to a potential investor.

• A vendor who doesn’t treat them like they’re small potatoes.

• A bit of legal advice that doesn’t cost their entire runway.

• A community that shows up without making them feel like outsiders.

They need grace when they miss deadlines. They need optimism when they doubt themselves. They need you to care — just a little.

You don’t need a fund or a title to support founders. You just need to give a damn.

Introduce them to someone. Share their launch. Ask how you can help. Or just listen without giving a lecture on “realism.”

That kindness is rocket fuel. You may never see the company take off. But trust me, the founder will never forget how you made them feel when things were fragile.

A Final Thought for everyone who is not a founder: Look in the Mirror.

Founders take life risks. They put themselves out there.

If you’re reading this from a safe distance — comfortable, curious, but not committed — maybe the best gift you can offer is empathy. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time to take a little risk of your own.

So next time you meet a founder?

Be kind.

It just might be the thing that gets them through another day.

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