Impactful Ventures, Burned-Out Founders? Insights from Two Studies of Social Entrepreneurs

Burnout is one of the most consequential forms of low well-being among entrepreneurs. Those who experience symptoms of burnout are more likely to curb growth ambitions, make mistakes, and eventually quit the venture altogether. Founders’ burnout therefore creates negative ripple effects for themselves, their teams, their investors, and their customers and beneficiaries. These consequences are even more dire in the case of social entrepreneurs: their beneficiaries are often socially vulnerable groups who are not served by other sectors of society. Yet, the prevalence and the drivers of burnout among social entrepreneurs are poorly understood in research. In this chapter, we present insights from two international studies: a large quantitative survey of social entrepreneurs in the Impact Hub network (n = 1024) and a qualitative study of young social entrepreneurs at Social Impact Award (n = 51). Results shed light on levels of burnout prevalence, antecedents on the level of the individual and the venture, and coping strategies of entrepreneurs and highlight the importance of a better understanding of social entrepreneurs’ well-being among researchers and practitioners.