Founders Under Pressure: Go-to-Market Execution Tops the Stress List

Building a startup is not for the faint of heart. Every founder knows that sleepless nights come with the territory but what exactly keeps today’s SaaS leaders awake at 3 a.m.? According to the 2024 SaaS Benchmarks Report by High Alpha, the answer is resoundingly clear: Go-to-Market (GTM) execution.

A striking 76% of founders said GTM is their single biggest concern, far outweighing other anxieties like product execution (49%), cash burn (28%), and competition (25%). Even AI strategy, the buzzword of 2024, came in at only 10%.

This data tells a compelling story: no matter how revolutionary a product may be, the ultimate challenge remains getting it into customers’ hands at scale.

The Evolving Concern: From Cash Burn to Talent

The report highlights an interesting shift. In 2021, fears around burning too much cash dominated. By 2024, those worries declined, replaced by anxieties around sales pipelines and talent acquisition.

Stage matters, too. Early-stage founders are more preoccupied with burn rates, while later-stage leaders stress over hiring and retaining the best talent. It’s a reminder that the startup journey is not static; stressors evolve alongside growth. 

Stress Rises with Growth But So Does Financial Security

Perhaps the most paradoxical insight from the report is that as startups grow, so does founder stress.

• At early stages, only 5% of founders report being highly stressed.

• Among later-stage companies, that number skyrockets to 33%, with nearly two-thirds of founders admitting to moderate or high stress levels.

And yet growth also brings reassurance. Founders at high-growth companies report feeling financially secure, with 78% stating they feel “neutral,” “secure,” or “very secure.” Security, it seems, doesn’t always translate into serenity.

Why This Matters

The findings underscore a critical reality: startup success does not eliminate stress it reshapes it. From funding rounds to hiring wars, and from cash flow fears to competitive pressures, the weight on founders’ shoulders only shifts in form.

For founders, investors, and accelerators alike, the message is clear: supporting the ecosystem means going beyond capital. Founders need mentorship, go-to-market expertise, and wellbeing strategies just as much as they need runway.

WOWS Take

The 2024 SaaS Benchmarks Report by High Alpha paints a nuanced picture of modern entrepreneurship: one of ambition, resilience, and relentless pressure. GTM execution reigns as the central challenge, but the deeper story is about founder wellness, how growth fuels both security and stress in equal measure.

At WOWS Global, we believe shining a light on these realities is vital. Because when founders thrive, ecosystems flourish.