I just learned a new word in English that has helped me sum up the relationship between the founder and his or her business. The word is “holistic,” and in my dictionary it is defined as:
“characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.”
I feel that founders are interconnected with their companies, or at least they should be if they want to succeed, and therefore they must not only nurture the company but also themselves.
In the first years of any company’s life, the company is dependent on the founder helping it grow and develop. During those years, the founder must put a lot of energy into making sure the infant company survives those trying years. The end goal of that process should be to create an adult company that can survive with or without the founder.
During this process, it is not uncommon for the founder to focus all of his or her energy on the company and forget to focus on him or herself. But since founders are interconnected with their companies, it can often benefit the company if the founders take care of themselves by focusing on their health, continued learning, building stronger relationships with family and friends, and creating a bit of balance.
I’m not saying you should treat being a founder like a normal job, hell no! Being a founder is difficult, and I expect you to work your ass off, but at the same time just be careful not to overdo it and take care of yourself. If something happens to you, it also affects the company.
Exercise a few times each week, eat healthy, and sleep well.
Frumkvöðull í meira en 20 ár. Stofnandi 7 fyrirtækja og Frumkvöðlar-samfélagsins. Skrifar um ferðalagið — gott og illt.
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