Professionally, I focus on creating social benefit startups. In my Saturday morning emails I share what I’m learning and thinking. Topics range from better living and parenting to business and philosophy.
The Founder Podcast. I mentioned the Founder Podcast when I first heard about it. Now that I’ve listened to many more episodes, I wanted to spread the word more. The premise is the host reads a founder’s biography a week. Then he summarizes key insights and makes connections with other founders. There are patterns to entrepreneurship and by studying the past we can make better decisions today. Some of the episodes I liked about founders I did not know well: Edwin Lam, Estée Lauder and Chuck Feeney. One caution: listening to the podcast can cause the stack of books by your bedside to grow.
Hustle and Work. In these biographies and in my own experience, success at a founder requires a certain level of work. What is the required amount of work? What are the marginal returns to the 55th hour of work in a week? When does the extra work say more about a need for control or anxiousness than it does about necessity? In listening to the Founder’s podcast, you can find plenty of examples of founders consumed by work and it hurting their relationships and health. At my peak, I may have worked ~80 hours for a few weeks. I don’t advocate doing that for long. I believe you can build valuable companies without working all the time. What’s your experience? Have you seen any data on this topic?
Family Rituals. I’m curious about your favorite family rituals. I’ve enjoyed walking to school, a moment of silence before family dinner, sharing our favorite part of the day, tuck in and reading rituals. All establish connection and through repetition ground us and add meaning. What has worked for your family?
Until next week,
Miles