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Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind
The co-founder of the menswear startup Bonobos opens up about the struggle with bipolar disorder that nearly cost him everything in this gripping, radically honest memoir of mental illness and entrepreneurship.
"Arrestingly candid . . . the most powerful book I've read on manic depression since An Unquiet Mind."--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of WorkLife
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022--Forbes
At twenty-eight, fresh from Stanford's MBA program and steeped in the move-fast-and-break-things ethos of Silicon Valley, Andy Dunn was on top of the world. He was building a new kind of startup--a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand--out of his Manhattan apartment. Bonobos was a new-school approach to selling an old-school product: men's pants. Against all odds, business was booming.
Hustling to scale the fledgling venture, Dunn raised tens of millions of dollars while boundaries between work and life evaporated. As he struggled to keep the startup afloat, Dunn was haunted by a ghost: a diagnosis of bipolar disorder he received after a frightening manic episode in college, one that had punctured the idyllic veneer of his midwestern upbringing. He had understood his diagnosis as an unspeakable shame that--according to the taciturn codes of his fraternity, the business world, and even his family--should be locked away.
As Dunn's business began to take off, however, some of the very traits that powered his success as a founder--relentless drive, confidence bordering on hubris, and ambition verging on delusion--were now threatening to undo him. A collision course was set in motion, and it would culminate in a night of mayhem--one poised to unravel all that he had built.
Burn Rate is an unconventional entrepreneurial memoir, a parable for the twenty-first-century economy, and a revelatory look at the prevalence of mental illness in the startup community. With intimate prose, Andy Dunn fearlessly shines a light on the dark side of success and challenges us all to take part in the deepening conversation around creativity, performance, and disorder.
"Arrestingly candid . . . the most powerful book I've read on manic depression since An Unquiet Mind."--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of WorkLife
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022--Forbes
At twenty-eight, fresh from Stanford's MBA program and steeped in the move-fast-and-break-things ethos of Silicon Valley, Andy Dunn was on top of the world. He was building a new kind of startup--a digitally native, direct-to-consumer brand--out of his Manhattan apartment. Bonobos was a new-school approach to selling an old-school product: men's pants. Against all odds, business was booming.
Hustling to scale the fledgling venture, Dunn raised tens of millions of dollars while boundaries between work and life evaporated. As he struggled to keep the startup afloat, Dunn was haunted by a ghost: a diagnosis of bipolar disorder he received after a frightening manic episode in college, one that had punctured the idyllic veneer of his midwestern upbringing. He had understood his diagnosis as an unspeakable shame that--according to the taciturn codes of his fraternity, the business world, and even his family--should be locked away.
As Dunn's business began to take off, however, some of the very traits that powered his success as a founder--relentless drive, confidence bordering on hubris, and ambition verging on delusion--were now threatening to undo him. A collision course was set in motion, and it would culminate in a night of mayhem--one poised to unravel all that he had built.
Burn Rate is an unconventional entrepreneurial memoir, a parable for the twenty-first-century economy, and a revelatory look at the prevalence of mental illness in the startup community. With intimate prose, Andy Dunn fearlessly shines a light on the dark side of success and challenges us all to take part in the deepening conversation around creativity, performance, and disorder.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
May 2, 2022
I liked it but I'm biased.
October 5, 2022
5.0
The author deserves kudos for being so transparent in his personal life.
Well written and crystal clear, he articulates a candid story of living with a bi-polar disorder that threatened to destroy his life. I love the fact that Andy Dunn is so open-hearted telling his story; it was the intrigue for me to see how he would overcome his monsters. This story comes from a different perspective, not as what one might expect inside a book on mental health, as Dunn says himself "This book isn't what you think..."
In response to some of the other reviews written which are spot on, I have to assume it's hard enough to take over a business where the infrastructure already exists; but I can only imagine the distress being involved in a startup co. with an albatross around your neck rearing its ugly head.
Yet..good things happen. Andy was the co-founder of Bonobos before Walmart bought the company for 310m cash. Go Andy!!!
The author deserves kudos for being so transparent in his personal life.
Well written and crystal clear, he articulates a candid story of living with a bi-polar disorder that threatened to destroy his life. I love the fact that Andy Dunn is so open-hearted telling his story; it was the intrigue for me to see how he would overcome his monsters. This story comes from a different perspective, not as what one might expect inside a book on mental health, as Dunn says himself "This book isn't what you think..."
In response to some of the other reviews written which are spot on, I have to assume it's hard enough to take over a business where the infrastructure already exists; but I can only imagine the distress being involved in a startup co. with an albatross around your neck rearing its ugly head.
Yet..good things happen. Andy was the co-founder of Bonobos before Walmart bought the company for 310m cash. Go Andy!!!
January 27, 2023
Transparent and engaging are the first two words that come to mind after finishing Andy Dunn’s memoir, Burn Rate.
Andy is a co-founder of Bonobos, the men’s clothing company that got its start with pants. In this memoir, Andy details his career path and the company’s rise as well as its challenges. All of this was very interesting to me, but the book is about much more.
Andy had a manic episode in college, worrying his close friends and family. After the episode, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a secret he kept closely locked with shame. Though he dealt with depression, since a manic episode hadn’t happened again, Andy tried to convince himself it was a one off fluke, until it wasn’t.
Andy’s honesty about his mental health was refreshing and I appreciated his transparency. There have been big strides toward acceptance of mental health and breaking the “shameful” stigma in society, especially in recent years, yet there’s still a long way to go. I also appreciated Andy’s acknowledgement of his privilege in addressing his struggles and owning up to mistakes he made in his entrepreneurial path — Egos can be big with entrepreneurs and his was, at times, but he also worked hard too. Burn Rate was not a fraudulent unicorn story.
Andy is a co-founder of Bonobos, the men’s clothing company that got its start with pants. In this memoir, Andy details his career path and the company’s rise as well as its challenges. All of this was very interesting to me, but the book is about much more.
Andy had a manic episode in college, worrying his close friends and family. After the episode, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a secret he kept closely locked with shame. Though he dealt with depression, since a manic episode hadn’t happened again, Andy tried to convince himself it was a one off fluke, until it wasn’t.
Andy’s honesty about his mental health was refreshing and I appreciated his transparency. There have been big strides toward acceptance of mental health and breaking the “shameful” stigma in society, especially in recent years, yet there’s still a long way to go. I also appreciated Andy’s acknowledgement of his privilege in addressing his struggles and owning up to mistakes he made in his entrepreneurial path — Egos can be big with entrepreneurs and his was, at times, but he also worked hard too. Burn Rate was not a fraudulent unicorn story.
April 25, 2022
I read this book in one evening, it was so engaging.
As someone who is in the "start-up/tech" sphere, I can attest to the fact that this book really captures the pressures of working at a rapidly scaling company, while giving an insight into the extremely raw, emotional and moving feelings and events surrounding the company's founder, Andy Dunn.
Andy writes in a free-flowing authentic manner, which makes the book an emotional page-turner that is challenging to put down.
As someone who is in the "start-up/tech" sphere, I can attest to the fact that this book really captures the pressures of working at a rapidly scaling company, while giving an insight into the extremely raw, emotional and moving feelings and events surrounding the company's founder, Andy Dunn.
Andy writes in a free-flowing authentic manner, which makes the book an emotional page-turner that is challenging to put down.
August 10, 2022
I give this book 3.5 stars. It’s not a 4 because it’s just good, not really good. Despite several times proclaiming to be an unvarnished look at mental health and entrepreneurship, the middle of the book was pretty boring. He spent a lot of time talking about the way Bonobos was built, including a lot of ups and downs related to his illness. I still found it boring — my only charitable explanation is that he was trying not to make any of the key figures at Bonobos sad by leaving them out.
All said, still a really honest look at the intersection of mental illness and entrepreneurship. I hope lots of leaders and gatekeepers of all industries read this and learn to empathize with those struggling with mental illness.
I also wish Andy had spent more time acknowledging the costs of care. He does a little bit early on, but I suspect his Dr. Z is the kind of expert only a millionaire would feel comfortable seeing 3x/week. America needs better mental health care overall — more providers, more insurance coverage, less stigma.
This book barely touches on that world (fairly, it’s not totally relevant and he does continually acknowledge his many privileges).
I’m excited for a world where everyone can get the level of help and care that Andy Dunn has.
All said, still a really honest look at the intersection of mental illness and entrepreneurship. I hope lots of leaders and gatekeepers of all industries read this and learn to empathize with those struggling with mental illness.
I also wish Andy had spent more time acknowledging the costs of care. He does a little bit early on, but I suspect his Dr. Z is the kind of expert only a millionaire would feel comfortable seeing 3x/week. America needs better mental health care overall — more providers, more insurance coverage, less stigma.
This book barely touches on that world (fairly, it’s not totally relevant and he does continually acknowledge his many privileges).
I’m excited for a world where everyone can get the level of help and care that Andy Dunn has.
December 6, 2022
A great look at what it’s like to be privileged and wrestle with mental health in the US. Overall I thought it was a solid book with an impressive level of honesty.
Andy describes many of the initial red flags he saw and eventual consequences of his fight with bipolar disorder. I thought the portrayal was phenomenally done. Andy does great job bringing you inside of his world, and showing what things look like to him and just why he was motivated to act a certain ways. How someone can avoid dealing with illness because of the shame and stigma associated with it.
I am reminded of Elyn Saks “The Center Cannot Hold” as another similar great book describing mental illness. And I think this book is a great contribution in its own way.
The strength of the book is that it doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is, a self described journey through this guys lived experience. The honesty is unflinching even to the point of me thinking several times like “Bro lighten up on yourself. Self compassion goes a long way.” The writing is good and moves well with sort of a tradesmen approach to language. It’s functional without much fanfare.
However I think that the largest strength of the book also is part of its weakness. There’s a throw off comment when Andy is in jail, but the majority the book doesn’t account for the fact that this guy lived incredibly blessed version of a mental health crisis. He did some really bad things and faced no major consequences. Manic episode and end up in jail? Hire a great lawyer and come back to your job as CEO. At one point he even describes how being “up” in the state of hypomania is kind of preferable state for him. It’s just kinda struck me as a like “hell yeah ride the dragon brotha” moment.
So as such you’re almost able to have this unflinching honesty when you do not have the accountability source for your actions be the legal system. And every step along the way, it seems like people were incredibly supportive. And that doesn’t take away from how difficult what this guy did is. And how hard his journey was. But there a slight contextualization that felt missing.
Andy describes many of the initial red flags he saw and eventual consequences of his fight with bipolar disorder. I thought the portrayal was phenomenally done. Andy does great job bringing you inside of his world, and showing what things look like to him and just why he was motivated to act a certain ways. How someone can avoid dealing with illness because of the shame and stigma associated with it.
I am reminded of Elyn Saks “The Center Cannot Hold” as another similar great book describing mental illness. And I think this book is a great contribution in its own way.
The strength of the book is that it doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is, a self described journey through this guys lived experience. The honesty is unflinching even to the point of me thinking several times like “Bro lighten up on yourself. Self compassion goes a long way.” The writing is good and moves well with sort of a tradesmen approach to language. It’s functional without much fanfare.
However I think that the largest strength of the book also is part of its weakness. There’s a throw off comment when Andy is in jail, but the majority the book doesn’t account for the fact that this guy lived incredibly blessed version of a mental health crisis. He did some really bad things and faced no major consequences. Manic episode and end up in jail? Hire a great lawyer and come back to your job as CEO. At one point he even describes how being “up” in the state of hypomania is kind of preferable state for him. It’s just kinda struck me as a like “hell yeah ride the dragon brotha” moment.
So as such you’re almost able to have this unflinching honesty when you do not have the accountability source for your actions be the legal system. And every step along the way, it seems like people were incredibly supportive. And that doesn’t take away from how difficult what this guy did is. And how hard his journey was. But there a slight contextualization that felt missing.
April 23, 2023
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE BOOK. 10 STARS.
what a journey. Depicts mania and bipolar in such a realistic light - makes me begin to understand the minds of people like Kanye and their manic episodes. All interwoven with stories of family and business. Wild.
It was 100% vulnerability, and 150% worth reading.
what a journey. Depicts mania and bipolar in such a realistic light - makes me begin to understand the minds of people like Kanye and their manic episodes. All interwoven with stories of family and business. Wild.
It was 100% vulnerability, and 150% worth reading.
May 4, 2022
The honest truth is nobody knows what it's like - not me, not anyone. Living inside someone else's brain, seeing their hopes come alive, their demons screaming, walls designed to keep reality from seeping into the light. Because there's reps to build, right? Bullshit to deal. CNBC appearances at noon, dinners and laughs and money - major, multiple rounds of money to raise to keep the oxygen flowing. The sheer amount of pumped-in oxygen helped Andy stay alive and maintain a two-decade fiction, over time becoming toxic, concentrated, dangerous. And instead of living that lie forever, instead of protecting that ghost, this guy takes out a match. But here's the trick: that match doesn't explode the room. It illuminates. It helps every single one of us see the world, see each other a little more clearly. Courageous, funny, nauseating in parts, this book should become a cultural touchstone in the history of how mental illness is seen, felt, and understood in a society that for too long has (at best) looked the other way.
January 20, 2023
This book is awash with hyperbole, shallow conclusions and relentless 'storification' of the author's life. Frankly, it reads a bit like an extended LinkedIn post. However, credit where it's is due - in a world where high-flying entrepreneurs are constantly idolized as demi-gods, this vulnerable account of Andy Dunn's struggles with a debilitating mental condition is refreshing. Running in parallel is the story of the rise of Bonobos, and this combination makes for an exhilarating read.
It would've been hard to ascribe the tumult in the author's life to a mental health disorder if he hadn't revealed upfront that he was suffering from one. Most public accounts of entrepreneurs paint the picture of a manic/unstable personality anyway.
As a perma-skeptic, I am also wary of the (very) detailed descriptions of the ongoings in the author's head during his mental episodes. Was he journaling while he was in a mental ward and barely keeping himself together?
It would've been hard to ascribe the tumult in the author's life to a mental health disorder if he hadn't revealed upfront that he was suffering from one. Most public accounts of entrepreneurs paint the picture of a manic/unstable personality anyway.
As a perma-skeptic, I am also wary of the (very) detailed descriptions of the ongoings in the author's head during his mental episodes. Was he journaling while he was in a mental ward and barely keeping himself together?
March 11, 2024
Recommend listening to the audiobook which is narrated by Andy Dunn himself. Hearing him describe his manic episodes really made me feel for him and people around him.
Mental health is something not talked about enough. I came across two people with bipolar in my life. And when I first encountered their hypomanic episodes, I thought I was very ill equipped in recognizing and navigating the situation. I was perplexed but I also wanted to show support. Hope mental health education is as common as sex-ed in the near future.
Mental health is something not talked about enough. I came across two people with bipolar in my life. And when I first encountered their hypomanic episodes, I thought I was very ill equipped in recognizing and navigating the situation. I was perplexed but I also wanted to show support. Hope mental health education is as common as sex-ed in the near future.
April 29, 2022
As a startup founder and father of three, I haven't found time to read a book in a while, but once I started reading Burn Rate I was hooked and finished it in a few days. I really enjoyed reading about the author's journey as a founder / CEO of a venture-backed company and the challenges he faced and lessons he learned. But what really drew me in and kept me reading was how he was able to do all of that while also navigating the very real challenges of bipolar disorder.
I am guessing Burn Rate is a book that people in the startup community (and hopefully everywhere else) will be talking about a lot in the coming years ... not only because the storytelling and vulnerability of the author are so unique and compelling, but also because this is perhaps one of the first books that has brought mental health to the forefront and shown just how potentially devastating and damaging it can be without strong love and support around you.
Definitely recommend this book - whether you're looking for a good startup story or something much deeper.
I am guessing Burn Rate is a book that people in the startup community (and hopefully everywhere else) will be talking about a lot in the coming years ... not only because the storytelling and vulnerability of the author are so unique and compelling, but also because this is perhaps one of the first books that has brought mental health to the forefront and shown just how potentially devastating and damaging it can be without strong love and support around you.
Definitely recommend this book - whether you're looking for a good startup story or something much deeper.
April 26, 2022
This is a truly unique, special addition to the pantheon of business & leadership memoirs -- and one that hopefully engenders a newfound willingness of leaders (or frankly anyone) to fully expose what real self-talk and internal wars look and feel like. While Andy's journey is marked by his decades-long battle with bipolar disorder (no doubt his unforgettable descriptions of the manic episodes will be revisited in countless settings for years to come), a share that since reading has made me ask more and more 'maybe something is going on with that person that I don't know about,' it was the totally uncensored descriptions of his inner dialogue & decision-making that made me feel so much more normal about my own inner world, a place that I feel like a lot if not most folks feel like they have to protect, question, and criticize.
Putting aside the depth and profundity of the mental health-related stories and themes explored throughout the book, Burn Rate is A+ across the lighter aspects of a fantastic read, immediately casting a novel-like spell, no different than a Shoe Dog or Bad Blood, thanks to Dunn's prose and the recounting of his place in the startup ecosystem at such an exciting time in the industry. You can't put it down.
Putting aside the depth and profundity of the mental health-related stories and themes explored throughout the book, Burn Rate is A+ across the lighter aspects of a fantastic read, immediately casting a novel-like spell, no different than a Shoe Dog or Bad Blood, thanks to Dunn's prose and the recounting of his place in the startup ecosystem at such an exciting time in the industry. You can't put it down.
April 28, 2022
Such a compelling story, even more so for anyone who has worked at a start up and/or dealt with mental health issues.
April 30, 2022
Burn Rate is a compelling journey through the chaos of entrepreneurship. More importantly, it elucidates the stigmas surrounding mental illness.
What I was most surprised by was Andy’s unrestrained, self-deprecating honesty—even when it wasn’t needed to drive the narrative. It made the book feel so visceral, relatable, and human. I’ve never read a memoir from a business leader like it, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
What I was most surprised by was Andy’s unrestrained, self-deprecating honesty—even when it wasn’t needed to drive the narrative. It made the book feel so visceral, relatable, and human. I’ve never read a memoir from a business leader like it, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
April 1, 2023
This book was a realistic look at bipolar disease. It had a happy ending because the main character was rich, privileged, and had a supportive family. This is not the reality for many who struggle with mental Illnesses.
September 3, 2022
Great topic but felt like an over extended blog post. I’m also a bit untrusting that bipolar was pushed on by paternal idealism versus severe chemical imbalances.
March 4, 2024
- I really liked this book, and after finishing it I felt hope, gratitude, a sense of peace, a better understanding of and empathy for bipolar, and a lot of respect for the author. The book came at the right time for me, but was also a really astonishing book - after listening to 5%, I was already hooked by his honesty and vulnerability (and bravery in sharing) and seeming self awareness, and recommended it to a friend who was just diagnosed with bipolar. As I continued reading, those elements continued to be a highlight. And he’s funny and articulate. I found the detailed accounts of his manic episodes to be fascinating, and with every detail and episode he revealed the more respect I felt for his honesty and willingness to share - I’ve read many memoirs, and he totally could have glossed over a lot of the details (obviously it would be to the extreme detriment of the book, but I’m saying I’ve def seen it done, if he hadn’t wanted to reveal). For someone that felt so much shame for his actions (and maybe his thoughts?), I cannot imagine writing the detailed account and sharing it with a small group of people let alone the entire world, and as a public figure. I really appreciated the parts about his sister, parents, Manuela (and her family), conveying their feelings and pain, their central roles in his life, humility, and the gratitude he felt toward them. Again, I’ve read many memoirs (and listened to a fair amount of interviews), and I think the tone and type of attention he paid to those important people in his life and how he portrayed them in the book felt very unique and visceral. And again, earned my respect, because it truly felt like a team effort and not just a story of how he was able to triumph on his own. I felt a lot of love. Many reviewers noted his extreme privilege and almost lack of consequence to be able to be this vulnerable, but I thought he did a really good job in conveying that privilege simply and contextually without overdoing it in a way that seems pandering - and yes it is unfair that some people get to go through life being seen and treated so relatively well, but this is his memoir reflecting his lived experience, it feels unfair that anger at how society is translates to this book. A reviewer also noted that it still seemed like he was putting out a very polished version of himself / false self / self promotional, which I totally disagree with. I think when you’re writing from retrospective a place of reflection and potentially past the hardest times of your life, you are writing from a place of polish because you’re looking back and tying it together into a readable narrative. Again, he didn’t have to put in all those details of mania. Anyway, I cried a couple times reading this - the short bit on making it to the cubs game (I was in airport security line), the end when he talks about his son (I was on a plane waiting for takeoff), and when he’s explaining the hospitalization to board members and his sister Monica’s reaction. It made me think about medication and treatment of mental illness, and wondering about medication (which is continuing a thread from strangers to ourselves, which I read about last year) and Wellbutrin (which he mentions specifically and I was recently recommended). I’m proud of him and where he landed!! And it made me feel more inspired to be vulnerable and have had conversations (which I avoid and has been a goal for a few years), and to seek out more help for mental health rather than proceeding as high functioning and therefore it’s fine. And also gratitude and appreciation for my family, and the people around me, and the support I’ve received throughout my life. Made me excited to reach SF and that my friend made the effort to make plans and pick me up and hang out, and everyone else I’ll see this week.
- I think the one part that did feel incomplete / left me wondering was his relationship with his cofounder - I don’t think I had a good understanding of why they broke up and why they never truly reconciled / Andy didn’t take the steps to do that, even tho it seems like he did for many others in his life. I also think I would have liked more insight into decisions made at his job - while I thought it was refreshing to focus on his personal life and relationships and mental health, it ended up feeling like he was just making random, unthought out decisions at work - which may have been the reality, but I couldn’t tell if that was the reality or if it was just skipped over. I think he talked about the impact of work on his wellbeing (it helped, sometimes it was the catalyst) but some really interesting things happened when he was building and running the company that were just explained in a few sentences that I would have loved to hear more about - ie more reflection on his career and different decisions and parts of it.
- Additional notes: I discovered this book sitting on the floor in my friends apartment, in a stack of new books they had bought from a recent Barnes and noble sale. I read the back, it looked interesting, and borrowed it almost immediately on Libby as an audiobook after. Im a sucker for memoirs, entrepreneurship/founder stories, and curious about the mental health and bipolar bit specifically. It’s only 8 hours, and even still some parts of it did drag — specifically the middle, in the bits about his ex before Manuela. Those felt like chronological retellings that were just moving the timeline along without any real insight. It was also very much a mood read, I didn’t always feel like reading it because the middle slogged a bit and was a bit depressing but in a monotonous way.
- I don’t know that this would be universally interesting to everyone, but I think it’s well written and will say that I’m personally very glad I read it. (And I liked it as an audiobook)
- I think the one part that did feel incomplete / left me wondering was his relationship with his cofounder - I don’t think I had a good understanding of why they broke up and why they never truly reconciled / Andy didn’t take the steps to do that, even tho it seems like he did for many others in his life. I also think I would have liked more insight into decisions made at his job - while I thought it was refreshing to focus on his personal life and relationships and mental health, it ended up feeling like he was just making random, unthought out decisions at work - which may have been the reality, but I couldn’t tell if that was the reality or if it was just skipped over. I think he talked about the impact of work on his wellbeing (it helped, sometimes it was the catalyst) but some really interesting things happened when he was building and running the company that were just explained in a few sentences that I would have loved to hear more about - ie more reflection on his career and different decisions and parts of it.
- Additional notes: I discovered this book sitting on the floor in my friends apartment, in a stack of new books they had bought from a recent Barnes and noble sale. I read the back, it looked interesting, and borrowed it almost immediately on Libby as an audiobook after. Im a sucker for memoirs, entrepreneurship/founder stories, and curious about the mental health and bipolar bit specifically. It’s only 8 hours, and even still some parts of it did drag — specifically the middle, in the bits about his ex before Manuela. Those felt like chronological retellings that were just moving the timeline along without any real insight. It was also very much a mood read, I didn’t always feel like reading it because the middle slogged a bit and was a bit depressing but in a monotonous way.
- I don’t know that this would be universally interesting to everyone, but I think it’s well written and will say that I’m personally very glad I read it. (And I liked it as an audiobook)
July 26, 2022
An exceptionally emotional, raw and necessary book that humanizes what it means to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and the stigma that the business/Silicon Valley community put on mental illness. Thank you to Andy for telling his story.
April 1, 2024
A sincere reflection of a successful entrepreneur’s fight with bipolar 1. I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did, and I certainly didn’t expect to feel intensely hopeful at the outcome.
December 29, 2023
I finished this book in 12 hours it was that good.
April 28, 2022
This page-turner highlights the importance of creating more space, acceptance, and support for mental health discussions with the people in our lives -- family, friends, colleagues, etc. Andy also has a fascinating journey with interesting and challenging experiences we can all learn from. Would highly recommend!
September 28, 2022
Oof. I appreciate the author's honesty and bravery in publishing this book, and it certainly carries more weight framed in the narrative of trying to build a company.
... but most of what I got from this book was an immense amount of stress from reading about this young, flashy, fashion-tech NYC CEO making impulsive decisions. I get that the whole point of the memoir is that bipolar disorder played a role in both the highs and the lows of the story, but I think I'm at a point in my own journey where I need more "these were the tricky situations I navigated carefully" stories, and fewer "I made this choice and then changed my mind and had to bring everyone along with me, lol" stories.
(Rounding up because my problems with this book are very much a "me" thing rather than any reflection of the writing itself.)
... but most of what I got from this book was an immense amount of stress from reading about this young, flashy, fashion-tech NYC CEO making impulsive decisions. I get that the whole point of the memoir is that bipolar disorder played a role in both the highs and the lows of the story, but I think I'm at a point in my own journey where I need more "these were the tricky situations I navigated carefully" stories, and fewer "I made this choice and then changed my mind and had to bring everyone along with me, lol" stories.
(Rounding up because my problems with this book are very much a "me" thing rather than any reflection of the writing itself.)
May 2, 2022
I went into this book thinking it would be about a person very different than me having experiences I couldn't personally relate to but would nonetheless appreciate reading about: launching and running a rocketship startup, dealing with a serious mental illness, etc. I expected to observe the author's experience from outside and afar, like fiction. What I didn't expect was to feel so connected to Andy Dunn and his story, in large part because of his unflinching candor and vulnerability. It's a difficult story but a page-turning read, and one that has challenged me to think more deeply about how we approach mental health, especially in the world of business.
May 17, 2022
I may be biased, because I worked at Bonobos and know Andy. However, anyone who is willing to show this level of vulnerability to normalize mental health, deserves an audience. Andy reveals a disorder most people would choose to hide their entire lives. Yet, illness, mental and physical, is probably the most relatable human experience. Ultimately, this book is a reminder that illness may be an obstacle in life, but it doesn’t have to be a boundary to living it.
May 9, 2023
heard Andy’s story on the podcast ‘Anxious Achiever,’ which inspired me to buy the book. remarkable and inspiring, Andy’s journey with bipolar type I proves that mental illness, professional success, and love are not mutually exclusive. hopefully the first of many confessions of mental illness in the business world. well written and fast paced - finished in two days.
May 25, 2022
Psychotic break but make it startup, mental illness but make it seed-stage, a state of deep unhappiness but make it market-driven!!
I adored this book.
I love most business/startup books that avoid the trope of hustle porn. The book is ostensibly about starting Bonobos, but almost all of the content is about mental health.
It's probably Not Ballin how much I relate to his journey. I read this book during the most difficult week of my own startup journey so far. I casually refer to this week as my Grippy Sock Era, when it felt like I belonged more at Bellevue than the office.
(Relevant tweet: "oh boy ever spill a little bit of your coffee and realize the thread you are hanging on by is actually quite thin.")
My family has a fun, flirty history of bipolar/schizo. During my 20s, my greatest fear was those genes unlocking in me. I kept that fear hidden for a decade, despite it being a daily anxiety. From that angle, this book felt like coming up for air.
I don't want to say that entrepreneurship and mental illness are deeply linked. (As he jokes in the book, they're arguably the same thing.) But there's an undercurrent of my life contained in this book - that the top-line narrative may be startup/career, but the deeper story is about trying (and often failing) to stay well.
It's incredible what people can survive. Thrilled that this book exists. I'm recommending it to everyone I know.
I adored this book.
I love most business/startup books that avoid the trope of hustle porn. The book is ostensibly about starting Bonobos, but almost all of the content is about mental health.
It's probably Not Ballin how much I relate to his journey. I read this book during the most difficult week of my own startup journey so far. I casually refer to this week as my Grippy Sock Era, when it felt like I belonged more at Bellevue than the office.
(Relevant tweet: "oh boy ever spill a little bit of your coffee and realize the thread you are hanging on by is actually quite thin.")
My family has a fun, flirty history of bipolar/schizo. During my 20s, my greatest fear was those genes unlocking in me. I kept that fear hidden for a decade, despite it being a daily anxiety. From that angle, this book felt like coming up for air.
I don't want to say that entrepreneurship and mental illness are deeply linked. (As he jokes in the book, they're arguably the same thing.) But there's an undercurrent of my life contained in this book - that the top-line narrative may be startup/career, but the deeper story is about trying (and often failing) to stay well.
It's incredible what people can survive. Thrilled that this book exists. I'm recommending it to everyone I know.
January 2, 2023
In awe of the candor and vulnerability shown in this book. Business can be a world of people saying the "right thing" and encouraging you to hide your inner life in pursuit of external success, which makes this account even more staggering. I'm grateful to Andy for writing this and sharing his story.
September 29, 2022
Burn Rate is an unconventional page-turning read. It's the brutally honest self-reflection of Andy Dunn as he details his triumphs and hardships as a business leader and as a human. He does an exceptional job describing what the human mind goes through with vivid narrations of his manic thoughts during such episodes.
He's fearless in his approach of the subject. In doing so Andy elevates the entire playing field, describing the endemic of myriad mental health issues commonly entrenched in the business and startup world. I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly those interested in mental health and business.
He's fearless in his approach of the subject. In doing so Andy elevates the entire playing field, describing the endemic of myriad mental health issues commonly entrenched in the business and startup world. I would recommend this book to anyone, but particularly those interested in mental health and business.
December 22, 2022
Brave and immersive memoir on the founding of Bonobos and having bipolar disorder.
“It takes only a minute to actually say what it takes you an ocean of time to be able to say. When you get there, after all that time, it is stunning how fast you can put it out there.”
“It takes only a minute to actually say what it takes you an ocean of time to be able to say. When you get there, after all that time, it is stunning how fast you can put it out there.”
February 12, 2023
This is a book I wanted to love. It’s a memoir by a startup founder who struggled with bipolar disorder with a background different than mine but a similar story of going through elite higher education and a manic career buildup before burning out due to a mix of immaturity and poor mental health self-care. So, that’s relatable.
I give Dunn credit for opening writing about mental health and the stigmas that persist around it. As much as I discuss mental health with my students and work with people that have acute disorders, it was reading some of Dunn’s anecdotes about small encounters that reminded me of the professional barriers to treatment.
For example, in the legal field it is verboten to talk about a mental health disorder. Partly because the legal field has not adopted a conduct standard for mental health, in the legal field (where people have duties to clients that involve their life and liberty) mental health diagnosis are never openly discussed and rarely revealed—even when credentials require disclosures no one disclosed for fear of professional ramifications.
I didn’t love this work because I didn’t really like Dunn and found his memoir to be a bit self-promotional. That’s probably unfair to him because he shows a lot of “insight,” into his health but is almost sanctimonious about having that insight.
I’d enjoy talking to his therapist who sounds excellent and related to his difficulties. This didn’t feel like a tell all and that Dunn still shared mostly his “false self,” and while he’s also entitled to that it made it feel like he skipped over a lot of details in his journey at times and occasionally this book felt like a public rehabilitation effort.
I give Dunn credit for opening writing about mental health and the stigmas that persist around it. As much as I discuss mental health with my students and work with people that have acute disorders, it was reading some of Dunn’s anecdotes about small encounters that reminded me of the professional barriers to treatment.
For example, in the legal field it is verboten to talk about a mental health disorder. Partly because the legal field has not adopted a conduct standard for mental health, in the legal field (where people have duties to clients that involve their life and liberty) mental health diagnosis are never openly discussed and rarely revealed—even when credentials require disclosures no one disclosed for fear of professional ramifications.
I didn’t love this work because I didn’t really like Dunn and found his memoir to be a bit self-promotional. That’s probably unfair to him because he shows a lot of “insight,” into his health but is almost sanctimonious about having that insight.
I’d enjoy talking to his therapist who sounds excellent and related to his difficulties. This didn’t feel like a tell all and that Dunn still shared mostly his “false self,” and while he’s also entitled to that it made it feel like he skipped over a lot of details in his journey at times and occasionally this book felt like a public rehabilitation effort.
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