Terrified much? Maybe you are right where you need to be.

The fine edge between fear and excitement that is the sweet spot for founders.

During a recent conversation with one of my awesome founders, he blurted out the following:

"No matter how much cash there is in the bank account, I am afraid we are about to go under."

As his friend, I wanted to reduce this level of anxiety for him but as an investor, this was at least partly, music to my ears. Clearly consistent elevated levels of fear lead to burn out and is not healthy or desirable but in small doses, fear is a powerful motivator and catalyst for change.

From childhood, we are conditioned to believe that fear is a bad thing but the reality is that we need some level of uncertainty and the risks that come with it for true personal development.

Seeking to increase levels of fear is challenging and counter-intuitive as adults particularly because most of us crave lower levels risk as we attain higher levels of wealth but this is exactly what founders have to do to succeed in new ventures.

So how do we find the right balance between the need for change and avoiding being straight out foolish by diving into serious damage?

• Firstly, recognise that each of us has our own internal risk and fear thresholds born from all our past experiences and our natural predispositions so there is no 'right answer'.

• Secondly, increasing research and preparation can materially lower actual risks (even if the perceived levels remain). In this vein, mapping out potential plan B, C and D might be a useful exercise to do even if you don't need it. Feeling prepared might be all you need to brave enough to succeed in plan A.

• Thirdly, know you are not alone - there is a whole sea of us terrified but excited fish swimming around you so come jump in when you are ready!

I heard an interview once where a successful serial founder/investor said, "20 years later, I am still running hungry, still running scared" and I thought it was one of the most beautiful and accurate ways to describe being a founder and I would not have it any other way.