The 24/7 Founder Dilemma: Should startup founders sleep at the office

Copyright Illai Gescheit

I do not believe in 'startup-life balance', but I also don't believe that founders should sleep in their offices, or exhaust themselves so they burnt out.

In the last months and weeks, I have seen many calls for founders to work 24/7, and many founders are sharing stories of them living and sleeping in the office, eating while constantly coding and some sharing that they do not sleep at all.

I'm a big believer that great founders are always ON, full of energy and curiosity to build and grow. I also think that you can do it while making sure you take care of yourself as the leader of the pack. I know this first hand, because, I slept on desks, floors, didn't eat, didn't sleep, and woke up with no shower just to keep on working. I took me years to understand that it was not healthy for me, for my teams, my customers and yes, for my investors.

This is why you should not take this to the extreme as a founder:

- You need to be fresh, clear and sharp when you pitch your startup to investors. If you look like you just came out of bed, you hurt your chances to get funded by VCs. I can think of so many times I pitched but because I was so exhausted I probably showed low energy or lack of clarity.

- When you go and meet potential customers or existing customers, you need to be fresh, full of energy and empathy. You need to listen carefully to feedback, and respond promptly. If you are constantly tired, they will see your company and offering as low energy and care.

- You are leading people, and you must show example, be attentive and inspire them. Team members that see you burnt out, see you sleeping in the office, not showering or sleeping for days, will make people maybe admire you for a few weeks or months for your dedication, but they will soon start to question your ability to lead the team, make strategic decisions and manage your time.

- You probably have a family, maybe you have kids. You need to see them, take care of them too. Your personal life is important if you want to run this marathon we call startups. Remember, a startup might succeed or fail. Your family is everything.

- It's not good for your physical or mental health. Go for a run, take some time to meditate. You will come back to the office and make smarter and better decisions. Having you being strong physically and mentally reduces the risk of your business to fail.

Bottom line, you can be always ON, and take care of yourself so you could take care of others: your customers, employees and your family.