Hi Jason, thank you for sharing. I’m not currently a startup founder, but these resonated with me a lot in terms of building businesses / life from scratch on our own and all the time. This kind of articles take courage to share. But it makes us feel “you are not alone” which is magical.
“More and more” My life had been non stop. The demand for the growth in the startup was also non stop. I’ve experienced burnout several times. The fire in my heart was dead. At some point, when I defined my life, 90% of it was built on work. Instead of self-controlling work and life, the work was almost controlling me. (I was usually extrovert, but I felt like my social battery was low or none sometime.)
What I noticed eventually was I unconsciously put myself into a random competition. Yet, what I really needed was collaboration, sharing and asking for a little help. This reminds me of these. Again, it means a lot to read this and learn more about you! Hope to see some more stories.
I wish more founders were open about this. Thank you for sharing.
It's definitely not an easy thing to realize while you're in the game. I believe most of us start off and push hard with the right intentions -- you're passionate about the problem you're solving, you want to work on your creation and see it grow. But then, you're used to that cadence and maintaining that pace feels "normal".
What an insightful and powerful share. Thank you for your vulnerability. Lighting up the dark places is how we grow. The entrupeanure journey is a complex one. Like after my husband sold his company, even though it was successful, the crash that came after it was one of the hardest parts of his journey - it has taught him much since.
Thank you for creating a space to share these truths.
the last sentence hits hard. as a 22 yr old just starting the founding journey, this entire article hits a bit close to home and made me rethink 996 startup life. well written and excited to see more
As the wife of a Silicon Valley veteran, I would say:
You should work super hard in your 20’s esp when it comes to building yourself. But just remember, the secret to 10x yourself, two heads are better than one - find a life partner.
Work hard and work smart. And, focus on mental fortifying; meditation, exercise, spiritual cohesion, social connections and love. The more fortified you are, the more you will be able to do.
thank you fatema! i recently found someone really stable and supportive/inspiring and i’m looking forward to the journey! will take your luck with appreciation!
And if you ever need support or help, we the community are here. You can message me directly on here or instagram @fatema and Jason is a well of knowledge. We veterans are more than just business advice. We care deeply for those brave enough to keep dreaming and manifesting those dreams 🙏🏽
The part about needing everything to depend on you stood out to me, because I think wanting the company to succeed and needing to feel indispensable can look almost identical in everyday behaviour, even though at some point they start demanding different things. Having a team that can function without your constant involvement would be good for the company, but it could feel threatening if being needed is also what makes you feel valuable.
I think success can make this harder to recognise too. If you credit every good result to never allowing yourself to slow down, the company growing gives you another reason to maintain the same behaviour, even when you’re already feeling its consequences. You have more to lose now, and seemingly more evidence that your constant involvement is what prevents you from losing it.
This is where I think you have to ask “why”. If the concern is the company’s future, why does taking a break that preserves your ability to lead start feeling like a failure of commitment? Your point about being judged as lazy suggests that part of the pressure concerned what resting would supposedly say about you, which growing the company wouldn’t necessarily resolve.
Obviously, recognising this doesn’t remove the actual demands of running a business, but it seems useful to question what you believe would happen if you stopped making yourself necessary everywhere. Otherwise, even when you finally have time to rest, you might spend it feeling guilty about the very thing that would help you recover.
Hi Jason, thank you for sharing. I’m not currently a startup founder, but these resonated with me a lot in terms of building businesses / life from scratch on our own and all the time. This kind of articles take courage to share. But it makes us feel “you are not alone” which is magical.
“More and more” My life had been non stop. The demand for the growth in the startup was also non stop. I’ve experienced burnout several times. The fire in my heart was dead. At some point, when I defined my life, 90% of it was built on work. Instead of self-controlling work and life, the work was almost controlling me. (I was usually extrovert, but I felt like my social battery was low or none sometime.)
What I noticed eventually was I unconsciously put myself into a random competition. Yet, what I really needed was collaboration, sharing and asking for a little help. This reminds me of these. Again, it means a lot to read this and learn more about you! Hope to see some more stories.
This all rings so true! Thanks for sharing brother.
I wish more founders were open about this. Thank you for sharing.
It's definitely not an easy thing to realize while you're in the game. I believe most of us start off and push hard with the right intentions -- you're passionate about the problem you're solving, you want to work on your creation and see it grow. But then, you're used to that cadence and maintaining that pace feels "normal".
What an insightful and powerful share. Thank you for your vulnerability. Lighting up the dark places is how we grow. The entrupeanure journey is a complex one. Like after my husband sold his company, even though it was successful, the crash that came after it was one of the hardest parts of his journey - it has taught him much since.
Thank you for creating a space to share these truths.
🙏🏽
Thanks for sharing and excited to follow along for more!
the last sentence hits hard. as a 22 yr old just starting the founding journey, this entire article hits a bit close to home and made me rethink 996 startup life. well written and excited to see more
As the wife of a Silicon Valley veteran, I would say:
You should work super hard in your 20’s esp when it comes to building yourself. But just remember, the secret to 10x yourself, two heads are better than one - find a life partner.
Work hard and work smart. And, focus on mental fortifying; meditation, exercise, spiritual cohesion, social connections and love. The more fortified you are, the more you will be able to do.
I wish you luck.
🙏🏽
thank you fatema! i recently found someone really stable and supportive/inspiring and i’m looking forward to the journey! will take your luck with appreciation!
And if you ever need support or help, we the community are here. You can message me directly on here or instagram @fatema and Jason is a well of knowledge. We veterans are more than just business advice. We care deeply for those brave enough to keep dreaming and manifesting those dreams 🙏🏽
Thank you so much <3 so kind of you and words so uplifting
The part about needing everything to depend on you stood out to me, because I think wanting the company to succeed and needing to feel indispensable can look almost identical in everyday behaviour, even though at some point they start demanding different things. Having a team that can function without your constant involvement would be good for the company, but it could feel threatening if being needed is also what makes you feel valuable.
I think success can make this harder to recognise too. If you credit every good result to never allowing yourself to slow down, the company growing gives you another reason to maintain the same behaviour, even when you’re already feeling its consequences. You have more to lose now, and seemingly more evidence that your constant involvement is what prevents you from losing it.
This is where I think you have to ask “why”. If the concern is the company’s future, why does taking a break that preserves your ability to lead start feeling like a failure of commitment? Your point about being judged as lazy suggests that part of the pressure concerned what resting would supposedly say about you, which growing the company wouldn’t necessarily resolve.
Obviously, recognising this doesn’t remove the actual demands of running a business, but it seems useful to question what you believe would happen if you stopped making yourself necessary everywhere. Otherwise, even when you finally have time to rest, you might spend it feeling guilty about the very thing that would help you recover.
Beautiful reflection on how easily (and often, without noticing) we can slip into prisons of our own creation. Thanks for sharing Jason!