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Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

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Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#51

Post by volaski »

nemothekid wrote: post #44
volaski wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who would you pick if you had following two candidates: 1. A rockstar developer who wants work-life balance 2. Not famous but passionate junior developer who has potential I would always pick 2 over 1. I know because I have made exactly that mistake of hiring #1. And the company culture went to shit. If I was the founder of that company and found out about this I would have a talk with OP and if there's disagreement…

I think the onus is on you to show that Bill Gates was a 9-5 man. AFAIK I've never seen anything claiming anything or the other.

Can't believe i have to google stuff to comment here. I don't know where you got that misinformation but here you go: http://www.quora.com/Did-Bill-Gates-really-work-16-hours-a-d...

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#52

Post by curiously »

volaski wrote: post #18
7Figures2Commas wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if one is generous and assumes this kind of behavior is typically well-intentioned, it's foolish to believe that it won't become a detriment as you grow your business. A lot of startup founders don't think much about management principles and the importance of perception in an organization, but these things matter. When founders are emailing around the clock, many employees will come away with the perception tha…

One of the biggest mistakes I made while working on a past startup was listening to an advice like this. What you say is totally valid if your company is a fortune 500 company, but the type of people who start companies shouldn't strive to become those types of managers covered in business case studies. I made this mistake after reading too many business books. It simply doesn't work. From my experience it fucks up t…

This. You couldn't have put it into better words.

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#56

Post by Gatsky »

karissa wrote: post #34
Gatsky wrote: post #7

I think that people greatly overestimate the productivity gained by sacrificing sleep. For intellectually taxing work I think it is probably detrimental overall, particularly if chronically sleep derived. Lots of high profile successful people say the don't sleep, but this may largely reflect their exceptional drive and dedication, rather than any real benefits. The second thing to consider is the use of stimulants l…

don't take that shit.

Just to clarify, I meant that the founder might be using such drugs, not that the OP should start using them!

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#57

Post by dennisgorelik »

prawn wrote: post #23

I work late and send emails at whatever hour it happens to be. If I email a client or employee at 3am, I don't expect them to reply then, but that they'll get to it when they are the office in the morning. I am just trying to get that item out of my queue right then so I can move onto the next thing. Every recipient is in control of the notifications on their phone and can switch them off overnight. It sounds like yo…

Exactly.

I'm surprised that many commentators here imply that email sent at 3am demands immediate reply.

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#58

Post by dennisgorelik »

fsk wrote: post #19

Is he expecting you to answer at 3am? If he expects you to answer at 3am, it's time to find a new job. If he's willing to wait to get an answer, then don't worry about it. I turn of the sound and vibrate on my phone, so I don't get interrupted while I'm sleeping. He's probably just trying to show off about how dedicated he is. Don't get tricked into overworking yourself to match him.

> trying to show off about how dedicated

No.

It's just asynchronous communication in the most speedy way: email as soon as you come up with an idea/solution.

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#59

Post by saluki »

I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I find myself up at 4 am some mornings working, putting together emails, especially if it's something exciting or on my mind. If he only requires 6 hours of sleep he might be turning in at 10pm and up at 4am.

Or sometimes I find myself up for an hour or two around 3 or 4 am and then go back to bed after clearing my mind, finishing up some code, sending some emails, making notes about an idea.

So I wouldn't worry too much about when he's up emailing thinking about his business.

But you definitely are only productive 8-12 hours per day tops, maybe less. But being excited about something can result in getting an early start or being up an hour or two in the middle of the night.

If you notice he's exhausted, making lots of mistakes then think about asking him if he's getting enough sleep or wants to take the afternoon off.

Re: Ask HN: Is it normal for founders of startups to not sleep?

#60

Post by toomuchtodo »

karissa wrote: post #34
Gatsky wrote: post #7

I think that people greatly overestimate the productivity gained by sacrificing sleep. For intellectually taxing work I think it is probably detrimental overall, particularly if chronically sleep derived. Lots of high profile successful people say the don't sleep, but this may largely reflect their exceptional drive and dedication, rather than any real benefits. The second thing to consider is the use of stimulants l…

don't take that shit.

I've used modafinil for personal 96 hour sprints, and while it works, I can't even describe the nightmares I had during the 18 hours I'd then sleep.

Would not use again unless my life depended on it.

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