The post was originally published in Polish on Szymon’s LinkedIn profile. Szymon kindly agreed to republish what we think is of great value to our readers.
A startup CEO tells me that he was giving up his apartment and moving to the office. The reason is prosaic –to save transportation time, rent money, and focus more on the development of the company.
Szymon Janiak, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Czysta3.VC
I am amazed by such passion and sacrifices I see in founders when building tech companies. But how should an investor react to such news? Should I appreciate the full dedication to the company and applaud because such involvement bodes well for business? Or maybe exactly the other way around – might one say that the complete lack of a border between the two spheres of life will cause the decrease in efficiency, and, in the long run, the pressure and stress of the CEO position will adversely affect the entire company?
I asked myself another question – would I do the same? Without hesitation – YES, but… 15 years ago. Almost every successful entrepreneur I know has done exactly the same thing. In the first, most difficult phase, they work like an ox. Stubbornness, determination, titanic work – a whole life built around the company. Starting completely without anything, I also followed this path. In your twenties, you have to run faster than others to learn more, gain more experience, make more mistakes. It works.
But would I do the same today? Again, without hesitation – definitely NO. Because life itself wrote me a script in which the only right choice for me was to start appreciating its other aspects. This revaluation comes in different shapes for everyone and, what’s more, it happens at a different time. However, let’s be honest – it looks completely different when, being 40 years old, you already have a specific position, financial security, and, above all, opportunities. The network itself and the fact that you do not have to start from scratch presents a big advantage.
I’m still going to do things that fascinate me and do them differently than most. However, I want to work and I can, above all, do it at a sensible pace. This is my way.
It so happened that even Bill Gates (the famous titan) wrote a few days ago about how he regrets that he understood so late that ‘there is more to life than work.’ Being richer than him will be rather hard, but as you can see, in this one aspect you can feel smarter than him. Of course, it will all be according to your own preferences. Let’s leave it to individual assessment.
The comment section burst into sharing their experiences:
It is worth educating founders about boundaries and caution. Investors (and angels in particular) give companies value beyond financial because they have their own experience from the stage which the founder is just approaching. It is very important not to let key people overwork. Unfortunately, investors are optimistic about the 24/7 work, but if the result is delayed, the sprint becomes a marathon. Burnout is 1 year+ away, and then it’s recurring. And it suffices to show boundaries, find a supportive coach, require rest, etc.
– Jakub Slusarczyk, CEO at iine Systems
Age is indeed an important issue. Indeed, mental changes occur over time, and that’s a good thing. It seems that we haven’t lost our instinct of self-preservation yet.
Another question is whether living in the office can be called a private life or just semi-regular breaks from work. I have the dubious honor of having the history of living for a year in a large house divided into a company office and a private apartment, without clear boundaries. And I consider the consent to this idea to be the greatest demonstration of my naivety, stupidity, and unfortunate faith that people understand what borders are and respect them. Well, they don’t understand, they pretend to be idiots and they don’t like to remember who they are. I consider theft of private life by a company/business to be one of the worst thefts.
– Ewa Waszkiewicz, Psychologist and Consultant at Pracownia Waszkiewicz
Each of us has their own path, different priorities, dreams, values. It is important to walk this path consciously, with a sensible view of its lights and shadows. It takes a lot of wise experience not to make a wrong turn.
– Izabela Walkowiak, Director of Sales and Warehouse Management at BGW Sp. z o.o.
When I started growing, I literally lived with my company. One room for me, the other one for packing herbal potions. I remember it with a tear in my eye, but I wouldn’t want to go back to that 🙂 On the other hand, we are now moving to a new location, and I am trying to recreate a ‘homely ’atmosphere there, through flowers and plants. I think it’s a bit like with a child – depending on the stage, the child has different needs. First, the baby needs to sleep close by their mother’s side, but teenagers prefer to have their own room.
– Klaudyna Hebda, Business Owner at Klaudyna Hebda Nature
It is interesting that most people are waiting for this second stage until their retirement. Even when they hate their job. Then, they don’t learn anything new because they’re too old. They know they should change something, and they don’t. And in the end, when they have little health left, and even less money, they are disappointed. Bill Gates, despite all these successes and all his fortune, made it clear that life is more important than work. Because then we regret that there was no time for this and that. That the children grew up too quickly and our time shrank drastically. These are cool things to reflect upon. At every stage of life.
– Piotr Kruk, CEO at NextLevel s.c.
Szymon Janiak is an investor and a business-driven Managing Director at czysta3.vc, a Venture Capital fund located in Poland. He has over 10 years of experience in the technology sector. Szymon is also a Member of the Supervisory Board at stockbroker Grupa Trinity S.A.
