Although the above conversation is a fictional blend of real experiences, it captures the deep self-reflection many startup founders may need to face. Coping with such intense emotions can be debilitating, but founders don’t have to confront these challenges alone.

One year into COVID-19, First Round organized a series of remote Founder Forums. They assembled groups of early-stage founders and led them in six virtual sessions to share best practices, build community, and, perhaps most importantly, provide support as the world changed rapidly.

Founders are busy people. We have employees to hire, products to build, prospects to pitch, and investors to update. Devoting two hours every month was a daunting prospect. But we each chose First Round as our seed investor partly because of the strength and diversity of their community. So we committed and dove in.