Startup CEOs, stop acting like victims.

I don't think any founder would take their role for granted or change their position with anyone else - but when you are in the hot seat and you feel the weight of so many people on your shoulders to do well by them and for them, there are days where you wonder if you should just go work for someone else and let them make the decisions for you.

I would venture that the worst feeling in the world is one of being trapped and not knowing what to do. When you are a startup founder, you are trapped all the time, and constantly between rocks and hard places. You need to learn everything but you don't know what exactly. You need to improve growth, improve product, improve retention, improve revenue, improve profitability, but you don't know how sometimes and you don't know who to ask, and a lot of the time you don't even know how to measure success when it does happen until well after the fact. Being a founder is not like anything else in the world, because it's the one societal role where up until you actually accomplish and build something of value and sustain it for a long period of time, there's nobody but your parents to say how proud they are of you.

I sleep well most nights, but I stress on others. The pressure is on since we've taken money and don't yet earn enough to curb the burn. I also have this belief (crazy?) that we're doing something awesome, and have the background to accomplish it. I've always felt that I (+ my cofounder) have the agency to be in control of our destiny. I've never been more responsible for the outcome of things than I am today.

I'm guessing that the people who don't sleep well are (too far) out of their depth and the weight of their impending doom unless they figure it out is crushing.

As the CEO, I've taken on the bulk of the shit work - like administrative stuff - getting a lawyer, accountant, bookkeeper, bank account (the list goes on). I spend less time than I'd like on the product. Maybe 10-15 hours a week in the code / learning. A lot of time emailing, organizing meetings and phone calls. Overall though, it's fun and rewarding work.

We are building something that doesn't exist in the world and providing it to other people in exchange for money. How cool is that!

The idea is that more work now == more success later. The martyr CEO who sacrifices every weekend and never sleeps a full eight hours is the extreme example of putting in more work. And until the company actually achieves success, the long hours of work are all the CEO really has to show other people (and themselves) that their company is worthwhile.

As someone who has advised hundreds of small business owners, the gritty, hard reality is exactly what most of them need to be educated about.

Most startups fail because founders are unprepared, underfunded, and have a tremendous optimism about what they can accomplish. They fail because they're 'super inspired' and 'totally passionate' and 'serial entrepreneurs'. They fail because they're not losing sleep over how well they execute their sales funnel.

Don't get me wrong, my favorite line in startups is that 'optimism builds companies, pessimism keeps them operating'. You need both to make it long term.

I didn't sense an ounce of complaining, martyrdom, or bitching in the article, just a welcome glimpse into a world that most observers glorify as a real life version of 'the social network'. More people need to see it, especially as we're in the era of celebrating entrepreneurs.

The ones that succeed are the one's fighting for every inch, every customer, and every success. If you're not, someone smarter, hungrier, and better funded is coming for your customers.

Finding a zen and a calm perspective is what the best leaders do to combat the anxiety and stress of solving big problems in global markets.

Once again I totally appreciate your take, I think it's bang on, just as the other is. You need both to make it....

The truth is that as CEO the buck stops with you, for good or bad.

How you choose to experience that is a whole other story. I for one find it more empowering to take this view that you are in control as CEO and to be accountable for your actions.

I know that doing this is hard, but it is no different to everything else where you have to be the best of the best. Blackbelt in martial arts, number 1 hit in the music charts, award winning tattooist, academy award winning movie director. It's all hard work and you never know how hard until you DO it.

The closest thing I can think of to it is probably having a baby: does it change your life? Is it harder/different than you thought? would you do it again anyway?

If you answer no to any of these then you will probably make a bad parent/CEO :)

- Epictetus

But I also think that complaining about something completely in your control, or something you started is silly. If you're the CEO and you don't like your schedule or your daily routine, then change it.

I may not have created anything of importance yet, but my goal is to do something on the side and part time while working, have fun with it, and stay true to to the fun point the entire time. When something you put on yourself stops being fun, you need to start asking questions.

Cheers

A bit of human balance goes a long way to creating a culture for long-term success.