Self-funded Search Burn Out

searcher profile

July 29, 2025

by a searcher from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - College of Business in Austin, TX, USA

I have been searching for 2-3 years now, and am very tired. Its a constant repetition of finding a business, being lied to about it, or finding out why it cant work, or the owner has a crazy idea of value. Worst part is the job market is so terrible right now, I cant find a job to get some reprieve. To add, the amount of money spent and forgone to try to find a business to run, is insane. Any thoughts?
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commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, USA
I used to think of it like this: In a search, you have 3 main levers you can adjust - geography (wider = more opportunities), business criteria (more flexible = more opportunities), and time. If you can't widen your geography or you criteria any more, then staying patient and grinding is all you can do.
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Reply by a searcher
from University of Maryland at College Park in Brooklyn, NY, USA
I think a lot of people out there are going through the same thing but most remain silent. You're not alone. Hang in there!
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