Lonely indie hackers: Your solo grind might be messing with your mind

In a recent poll on X, almost 50% of Indie Hackers admitted they feel “usually lonely.” According to a new study, loneliness isn’t just a vibe — it’s rewiring how you think and talk, especially about culture and people.

Researchers dove deep into how loneliness affects the brain, and what they found is wild. Lonely folks don’t just feel different, their brains literally process the world differently. When shown celebrities like Barack Obama or Kim Kardashian, their neural responses were totally out of sync with the majority. It's like they’re thinking in their own secret language.

And when they tried to describe those same celebrities? Their words were noticeably different — more unique than what most people said. Loneliness, the study suggests, doesn't just cut you off socially—it might be isolating your thoughts, too.

For Indie Hackers, this hits hard. Going solo to build your dream is great and all, but that isolation could be shifting how you think, make decisions, and even communicate with others. In a world where networking and community are key, that’s something to pay attention to.

The study, published in Communications Psychology, ran two experiments. The first involved brain scans of 80 people thinking about celebrities. The lonelier participants? Their brains lit up differently, especially in areas tied to social knowledge. The second experiment had nearly 1,000 people describe a random celeb, and lonelier folks’ descriptions were less similar to everyone else’s.

Here’s why it matters: Being on your own can sometimes feel empowering, but too much loneliness creates a feedback loop. You feel disconnected, which changes how you think and talk, which makes it harder to connect back. Add in the mental and physical health risks — depression, anxiety, weaker immunity, lower self-esteem — and it’s clear this is a big deal.

So what’s the move? Maybe it’s time for Indie Hackers to double down on community. Hop into those Discord or Facebook groups, DM a fellow founder, or actually hit “Join” on the next Meetup invite. Loneliness doesn’t have to be part of the hustle.

At the end of the day, this study isn’t just about feeling lonely — it’s about how that feeling affects every part of your life, including your startup. The takeaway? Building something big doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.