Alex, I went through a similar period of losing my identity after I quit SigFig. I never founded a startup so I am not going to pretend like I know what you went though but I do know that you will delve into your real identity even more during this period. I wrote openly about my struggles here: https://medium.com/@Bosefina/cultivating-genuine-friendships-in-silicon-valley-dc05383d5cb7#.ln79cbzax

Take the time you need to process the startup trauma and also delve deeper into yourself. Alex has always been there inside of you. She just got enshrouded by a sense of identity confounded so deeply with a job/title. And that is ok, it’s normal to think work = me when you’re so dang passionate about it. But like a stool, we grow wobbly when we over rely on just one leg for stability.

I can’t wait to meet the real you now :) In fact, I think I just did a few weeks back.

Keep spinning forward,

— bo