EP #489 - Ronnie Zemp: The Dark Night of a Founder’s Soul — And How to Overcome It
APR 9, 202554 MIN
EP #489 - Ronnie Zemp: The Dark Night of a Founder’s Soul — And How to Overcome It
APR 9, 202554 MIN
Description
<p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>7:51 - Why is entrepreneurship a lonely journey?</p><p>13:55 - Comradeship in entrepreneurship</p><p>15:04 - Is post-exit depression a thing?</p><p>23:56 - Thinking about the meaning of life</p><p>26:23 - The social responsibility of founders</p><p><br></p><p>This episode was co-produced with<a href="https://eozurich.ch/"> <u>EO Zürich</u></a>. Check out their upcoming event,<a href="https://www.entrepreneurs-summit.ch/"> <u>Entrepreneurs Summit 2025</u></a>.</p><p><br></p><p>Click <a href="https://www.swisspreneur.org/masterclasses/founders-agreement"><u>here</u></a> to check out our free Founders Agreement masterclass, with Melanie Gabriel from Yokoy, Christof Roduner from Scandit, and Viviana Gropengiesser from Talent Kick.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Ronnie Zemp:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-zemp-aa6405b8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Ronnie Zemp</a> is a serial entrepreneur, startup investor and the current president of <a href="https://eozurich.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">EO Zurich</a>. He holds an MBA from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Throughout his career, he has (co-)founded the following companies: <a href="https://www.moneyhouse.ch/en/company/rz-capital-ag-3290488531"><u>RZ Capital AG</u></a>, <a href="https://bitconsult.co/"><u>bitConsult</u></a>, <a href="https://www.notime.ch/"><u>notime AG</u></a> (exited to Swiss Post), <a href="https://osuisse.com/"><u>OSUISSE AG</u></a>, <a href="https://www.moneyhouse.ch/en/company/rz-real-estate-gmbh-6455678491"><u>RZ Real Estate GmbH</u></a>, and <a href="https://tearsofbacchus.com/"><u>Tears of Bacchus AG</u></a>.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p><br>The cover portrait was edited by <a href="http://www.smartportrait.io/">www.smartportrait.io</a></p><p></p><p>Don’t forget to give us a follow on<a href="https://x.com/swisspreneur"> Twitter</a>,<a href="https://www.instagram.com/swisspreneur/"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/swisspreneur"> Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/swisspreneur">Linkedin</a>, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there’s no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.<br></p>
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