Inside Scoop

Photo: Michael “Mike” L. Baird, bairdphotos.com via Flickr

If you have a startup, you’ll be working long hours. That entails a few sacrifices: you simply won’t have time to do most of the other things you enjoy. (For me, that means missing many social engagements, a few hair appointments, and a lot of sci fi )

There are three things you absolutely shouldn’t sacrifice though:

1. your health
2. your relationship
3. your few true friends

Why startup founders need good health

Neglecting your health is dumb because your brain is housed in your body. When your body is in bad shape, that has a direct impact on your brain — you’ll get less done and your work will be lower in quality.

You also risk more serious illness if you neglect your health. If you’ve been letting your health slowly deteriorate, at some point your body will say “enough!” and you’ll be too ill to keep working. When will this happen? Usually, at the worst time possible: say, on the day of your most important investor pitch.

You’ve no doubt heard all the rules for staying healthy, so I’ll keep my summary short and sweet:

1. Eat some nutrients. You cannot live on Coke alone; vitamins are the real brain food. Even swapping junk food for nuts, popcorn or a piece of fruit when you snack in front of the computer will make a difference.
2. Do some exercise. You don’t have to be a gym junkie. Just go for a walk, stretch out your back, or do whatever physical activities you do enjoy. The immediate benefits include a clearer head and relief from the back aches most people get from too long in front of computers; the improvement in your overall health is a nice bonus.
3. Rest when you need to. When you work long hours, there will come a point when exhaustion starts to set in. It takes longer if you eat well and exercise, but it will still happen. If you learn to spot the signs early on, you can fix it with an evening off to read a book (possibly even a work-related one!) But if you don’t ever rest when you need to, the long-term health consequences can really suck.
4. Manage health conditions. If you have any chronic health condition, from asthma to short-sightedness to carpal tunnel syndrome, make sure you manage it properly. With the right treatment, you can keep most conditions under control — but start neglecting it and you’ll probably have a nasty flare-up when you want it least.

If you do all of the above, you won’t get incredibly buff, but you will minimize the health-related downtime you have to take each year.

Why startup founders need great partners

No way would I marry me. I work crazy hours and neglect all sorts of other things to do so. I’m slightly obsessed with my work, so I talk about it a lot (but only to my husband; I do have some manners!) I also convinced Merc to help with the marketing and PR side of the business because that’s his professional specialty, not mine — even though he’s plenty busy already.

As well as helping me out here, my wonderful husband takes care of all the life-stuff while I work endlessly. By keeping me fed, housed and wearing clean clothes, he frees up my time to concentrate on this.

In return, at the times when he really needs me, I’m there for him — work be damned.

If you have a wonderful, supportive partner, take care of them. Find out what makes them feel loved and make sure they get it.

The alternative is a messy and expensive break up / divorce, most likely at a point when you’re finally able to relax and enjoy your success. Don’t want that? Then look after your partner NOW.

Why startup founders need true friends

Most people can count the number of true friends they have on one hand. If that hand is full, you’re really lucky.

These are the people who will always be your friend no matter what. They’re the people who will be there for you when times are tough. They’re the people who will tell you honestly when you’re full of crap. They’re also the people who are genuinely happy for you when you succeed, and love celebrating your successes. In short, they’re your support network.

Having great friends is incredibly important to your overall well-being.

Take care of these people. True friends understand that pursuing big goals takes so much time that they might not see you for a while — but if they have a major crisis and need you, make sure that you do for them what they would do for you. If that takes you away from your business for a short time, so be it.

If you have a loving and supportive family, they also fall into this category. (But most of the successful company founders I know don’t have this; perhaps you have to face some big challenges at a young age to be strong enough to stick with your business through the tough times.)

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If starting a great company is what you really want to do in life, none of the above is a substitute for that — but starting a great company is also no substitute for any of the above.

So work hard, work smart, but make sure you still have your health and your loved ones around when it’s time to celebrate.