Being a Founder Is Hard. Getting Help Shouldn't Be.

Announcing Our Partnership with BetterHelp.

When you shut down a company, there’s a checklist for everything:
Cancel your EIN. Notify your vendors. Close the books.

But what about the grief?

What about the panic, the guilt, the shame no one warns you about?

What about the part where you’re lying awake at 2AM, wondering if this failure says something permanent about who you are?

At Starcycle, we’ve always believed that shutting down a company isn’t just a logistical process. It’s a full-body experience—and one that founders are too often left to navigate alone.

This is why we’re proud to share that Starcycle has partnered with BetterHelp, the leading platform for discreet, online therapy. Because therapy for founders shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be accessible, stigma-free, and there when it’s needed most.

Every Partnership Has a Story.

This isn’t just a strategic move for us. It’s personal.

When Starcycle’s founder, Jaclyn Siu, shut down her second company, she didn’t just lose a business—she lost her sense of identity.

“When I was in the thick of my shutdown haze — navigating not just the admin of winding down, but also all the shame, depression, and anxiety that came with it — my therapist, whom I had found via BetterHelp, was my lifeline.”

That experience didn’t just lead to healing. It led to the founding of Starcycle. And now, it’s come full circle.

“Being able to unpack and process everything with the help of my therapist was the critical last mile for me to step back into my own power.”

Founders Are Struggling, and It's Time We Talk About It.

The numbers paint a clear picture of what many founders already know, deep down: this work takes a toll.

More than half of all founders report struggling with anxiety. Over a third experience burnout. And nearly one in four are dealing with sleep disorders or chronic exhaustion. These aren’t edge cases—they’re common realities for people building something from scratch.

We’ve come to call it founder burnout. Investors might call it grit or resilience. But behind every polished pitch and LinkedIn win is often someone quietly unraveling under the weight of it all.

These are real mental health challenges for entrepreneurs. And while we’re not therapists, we believe deeply in the power of therapy for founders. Because support shouldn’t come as an afterthought—it should be built into the journey.

While We Handle The Logistics Of Shutdown, Therapy Helps Carry The Emotional Weight.

It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to ask for help. And now, it’s easier to do both. You can learn more about our partnership with BetterHelp and how therapy for founders can offer support when you need it most. As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation if you choose to access their services through our link. If you're navigating a shutdown, we're here to guide you through the process, practically and emotionally, with resources that make moving forward feel a little lighter.