Founder burnout poses a growing risk to UK productivity and innovation but can be reversed, says neuroscience-led coach Sonia Ouarti As the startup economy continues to expand at pace, a growing mental-health crisis among founders risks undermining the UK’s innovation, productivity and long-term growth, according to leading neuroscience and performance expert Sonia Ouarti. With official data showing tens of thousands of new businesses being created in the UK each quarter, founders are under unprecedented pressure to scale rapidly, secure funding and outperform competitors — often at the expense of their own health and decision-making capacity. Recent studies suggest that more than half of startup founders experience burnout, reporting chronic stress, anxiety and impaired cognitive performance. Ouarti warns that unless addressed systemically, the problem will intensify as entrepreneurial activity continues to rise. “Burnout is no longer an individual issue — it’s a systemic risk to the startup ecosystem,” says Ouarti. “We are asking founders to operate at sustained peak performance without giving them the scientific tools to protect their brains and nervous systems.” Sonia Ouarti Ouarti is a neuroscience-trained performance coach and founder of Aida Coaching. She holds a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and Psychology from King’s College London and takes a biology-first approach to resilience, moving beyond generic wellbeing advice to focus on the neurological and neurochemical realities of chronic stress. A former senior leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ouarti spent more than a decade operating in high-pressure, high-growth environments. During her time at AWS, she was also a driving force…
