EP #489 - Ronnie Zemp: The Dark Night of a Founder’s Soul — And How to Overcome It

Apr 9, 2025

Ronnie Zemp, a serial entrepreneur and president of EO Zurich, shares his journey through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. He discusses the loneliness faced by founders and the anxiety that can come with the responsibility of decision-making. Zemp warns about post-exit depression and emphasizes the importance of seeking fulfillment beyond financial success. He reflects on the need for comradeship among entrepreneurs and highlights the social responsibility that comes with their roles, advocating for a culture of genuine contributions.

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ANECDOTE

Entrepreneurial Loneliness and EO Support

Ronnie Zemp felt profound loneliness as an entrepreneur due to ultimate decision-making responsibility.
EO helped him by connecting with others who understood and shared similar struggles.

INSIGHT

The Reality of Post-Exit Depression

Exiting a company often leads to loss of purpose and loneliness despite public perception.
Post-exit depression is common and unprepared for, impacting founders' mental health seriously.

ADVICE

Take Time for New Purpose

Finding a new purpose after exit takes time and cannot be rushed.
Reflect deeply on your identity, what you want and don’t want to pursue next.

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Timestamps:

7:51 - Why is entrepreneurship a lonely journey?

13:55 - Comradeship in entrepreneurship

15:04 - Is post-exit depression a thing?

23:56 - Thinking about the meaning of life

26:23 - The social responsibility of founders

This episode was co-produced with EO Zürich. Check out their upcoming event, Entrepreneurs Summit 2025.

Click here to check out our free Founders Agreement masterclass, with Melanie Gabriel from Yokoy, Christof Roduner from Scandit, and Viviana Gropengiesser from Talent Kick.

About Ronnie Zemp:

Ronnie Zemp is a serial entrepreneur, startup investor and the current president of EO Zurich. He holds an MBA from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Throughout his career, he has (co-)founded the following companies: RZ Capital AG, bitConsult, notime AG (exited to Swiss Post), OSUISSE AG, RZ Real Estate GmbH, and Tears of Bacchus AG.

During his chat with Silvan, Ronnie talked about the most difficult aspects of being a startup founder. He stressed the loneliness of being an entrepreneur: when you’re your own boss, you’re the ultimate decision marker, responsible for hundreds of employees, and this can really cause quite a bit of anxiety, and even insomnia. When Ronnie sold notime to Swiss Post, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He credits EO for relieving this sense of loneliness by introducing him to many people who have walked the same path.

Ronnie also warned founders not to see exits as the end-all, be-all of entrepreneurship. They happen, sometimes, yes, but not always, and building a cash-generating company that pays dividends is also a great (or perhaps an even better) goal for which to strive.

Ronnie feels it’s natural for founders to require a long time after an exit to be ready to build a startup again, not only because at that point they can financially afford to be picky, but also because having achieved a successful exit makes them wary of damaging their reputation. There’s also a point to be made about how age makes people more risk-averse.

Ronnie’s life was made more complicated by the fact that he lost 4 very close people within the span of 3 months, which really made him reflect about who he is and what he thinks is the meaning of life. Due to all his success, Ronnie feels a social responsibility to give back: he has financed the university studies of several students from abroad, and has spent a great deal of time supporting those closest to him, namely the daughter of his best friend, who was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 16 years old.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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