I've seen similar situations from close, it makes you think twice about asking for money, the moment you get funds you also get a runway, and that can be a huge stress, for some more than others, it depends if you have all your shit together before starting, some people might have traumas and attach their self worth to the outcome, and everything becomes a big drama under the stress, others might avoid conflict and explode at a later stage, there are so many ways people break under pressure.

> I’ve come to believe that a big part of our jobs as founders is to manage our own emotions through the emotional rollercoaster called building a startup.

I totally agree with that, I'd go even further saying is not a big part, but it is THE big part. Necessary but of course not sufficient for a unicorn, but you need it to be able to persist .