10 Oct When Running It Solo Gets Lonely — Why the Relationship Economy Might Be the Answer
Entrepreneurship is often romanticised as freedom, control, and creating from scratch. But behind that narrative lies a frequently unspoken reality: it can be lonely, especially if you’re running a one‑person operation, or scaling with only a handful of people.
The Hidden Toll of Lone Founding
Multiple academic and practitioner sources confirm that loneliness plays a role in why some entrepreneurs abandon their business:
- A study titled The Many Faces of Entrepreneurship Loneliness reveals that entrepreneurs vary in how they appraise and cope with loneliness, and that if unmanaged, loneliness can become a serious psychological burden.
- Another paper, Should I Stay or Should I Go? The impact of entrepreneurs’ on lonliness on business exit intentions , shows that high levels of loneliness are linked to reduced entrepreneurial passion — and in turn, a greater likelihood of wanting to exit the business.
- In practice, many solopreneurs and small‑team founders report that the emotional burden of going it alone — making decisions with no one else to bounce them off, celebrating wins alone, carrying all risk — is a heavy price to pay.
Enter the Relationship Economy
If solitude is one of the hidden costs of entrepreneurship, then the antidote is connection. A shift is happening — not just toward networking, but toward building authentic, reciprocal relationships as a core business strategy. Think less “I pitch you” and more “we grow together.”
In this emerging relationship economy:
- Our networks aren’t just pipelines for leads; they become safety nets, sounding boards, and co‑creators. We all need feedback!
- Connections become more authentic and human. We start to see every person we do business with as a person, not just a business contact. People are multi-faceted, complex and come with a valuable personal story.
- You invest in relationships early — so when stress, ambiguity or crisis arrive, you already have allies, colleagues, mentors to tap.
What It Means for You (and Why It Matters for BASE)
As someone building a business with purpose, you don’t just need frameworks and strategy — you need connection, context, and a community that truly gets the challenges you face.
That’s why the BASE Conference is more than just an event. It’s a space designed to help founders:
- Step out of isolation and exchange real experience
- Learn systems and practices that bring structure and soul
- Expand their relational capital: peers, partners, collaborators
At BASE, the goal is not just learning new tools — it’s about finding your people again.
If this resonates, I’d love to invite you to join us:
BASE Conference 2025: Systems That Create Flow
October 30 | Amsterdam
Check Our Event page
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