Startups look glamorous from the outside. Inside? They can be lonely, identity-shaking, and mentally brutal. In this deeply human episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Nektarios Liolios—FinTech pioneer, ecosystem builder, early-stage investor, and outspoken mental health advocate—to unpack what really happens behind the startup headlines. Nektarios has been there since the first wave of “cool entrepreneurship” between 2011 and 2013, when accelerators scaled fast, pressure was glorified, and speed became a badge of honour. What the ecosystem didn’t talk about back then? The human cost. As accelerators multiplied and expectations intensified, the cracks started to show. Founders struggling. Burnout normalised. Identity wrapped so tightly around “the startup” that failure felt existential. At the time, few took it seriously—including those helping build the system. That changed. After losing his father in 2018—just one day after finishing work at an accelerator—Nektarios was forced to confront what happens when your identity collapses overnight. What followed was a reckoning: with grief, with entrepreneurship, and with the uncomfortable truth that the ecosystem had optimised for businesses, not people. This episode explores the real, recurring patterns founders face: Identity loss when the company becomes you Loneliness at the top with no HR, no safety net Imposter syndrome amplified by constant comparison Co-founder conflict under extreme pressure Anxiety, depression, and neurodiversity showing up more frequently than we admit Unlike corporate life, founders don’t get to “step away.” There’s no structure designed to catch them when things unravel. And research increasingly shows that the very traits that drive people to entrepreneurship—risk tolerance, intensity, independence—often correlate with higher mental health vulnerability. Nektarios doesn’t sugar-coat it: We helped create this pressure cooker. We celebrated hustle. We ignored the people. But this conversation isn’t about blame—it’s about responsibility and redesign. Together, Sabine and Nektarios challenge the myth that suffering is the price of success. They explore how to build ventures that are ambitious without being destructive, and why allowing founders to say “I’m struggling” is not weakness—it’s leadership. This episode will resonate if you: Lead or invest in startups Build accelerators, funds, or innovation programs Are a founder questioning whether this pace is sustainable Care about inclusion, psychological safety, and long-term value creation The takeaway is powerful and timely: We don’t need more unicorns built on burnout. We need ecosystems that allow humans to survive—and thrive—while building them. Because growth that costs people their health isn’t progress. It’s a debt the ecosystem can no longer afford to ignore.