Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 39 posts

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#11

Post by geebee »

My only advice is to make sure you distinguish between short term and long term burnout. I once left an entertaining startup (that was later aquired by Apple) because I thought I was unhappy with the field, the job, the office, the nature of the work. I took two months off between jobs, because that was the only way I felt I could get time off.

At the end of the two months, I have to say, the old job didn't sound so bad anymore. I started grad school afterwards, so I was charged up, but I suspect that the time off was what I really needed. Looking back, it was actually one of the more innovative startups I've ever worked at.

You may be looking at deep long term burnout, but how long as it been since you've walked away from work long enough to reset your head? It doesn't have to be decades - a single year of 10 hour days where you often find yourself at the office on weekends can be enough to cause your mind to rebel and shut down. Think of your head as an employee that has been pushed too hard, and has retaliated by not producing anything.

I've learned to identify my short-term tendency to burn out and distinguish it from true career malaise. Maybe I just need more time off than the average person. I wish I could drive harder, but if I can't, I may as well know that about myself and minimize the damage.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#12

Post by falsestprophet »

Working 80 hour weeks in a radically foreign country may be a significant part of the problem.

You sound like you need a strong drink. Start with that.

If you are still in China and, damningly, in one of their wretchedly filthy cities. Get out for a while. Go to the country. Go for a run or a walk or get in a sporting fight. Do something human. I have found that I need this antidote to engineering.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#13

Post by mchristoff »

davidw wrote: post #7
gibsonf1 wrote: post #6

What has worked for me in the past is an experience that combines intense physical exertion combined with attaining a difficult goal combined with an inspiring view. In other words, I hop on my bike and ride up a mountain and refuse to stop until I get to the top and bask in the incredible view. This has worked wonders for me in helping to gain real perspective on my situation, and I think the physical exertion and i…

I wonder how many other hackers are cyclists? I think it's the perfect hacker sport - there's lots of tech, you can go alone if needs be, but it can also be fun to join a team, or participate in events like races. There are things I don't care for here in Innsbruck, but I have some nice trails about 5 minutes away from home, and plenty of tall mountains to ride up.

we do this in LA:

http://www.midnightridazz.com

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#14

Post by h34t »

gigamon wrote: post #3

The fact that you can write such an articulate article tells me that you are much LESS burnout than you think you are. Give it some time and take care of the other two legs of your three-legged stool first (take care of your health and your family which I suspect are also in need of some repair). If you don't have your health and you don't have the support of your family, you don't have a fighting chance to re-start…

Thanks for your advice, and the interesting read.

I've had the past couple of weeks off to think about everything, and I think that's why my posting is anywhere near articulate... Two weeks ago I talked to my partners and they recommended that I take some time to think about what I need to make myself healthy again, totally irrespective of what impact that would have on the business.

It was today when I tried getting back into work again by focusing on the most simple of tasks, and I got deer-in-headlights syndrome again -- for the first time since I started my break. One moment back-in-the-game and it felt like I'd had no break at all. So, more time is needed I think.

I agree 100% that health and relationships are most important. I noticed that I was no longer responding to emails from family and friends, and my health was declining. I tried to take action on these more recently but it was a little too late to have enough impact.

If the business was anywhere near stable, it would be a different story, but in our product development we're currently facing an uphill battle wearing rollerskates -- if we're not advancing, we're sliding backwards due to our burn rate and the seasonal nature of our market.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#15

Post by h34t »

gibsonf1 wrote: post #6

What has worked for me in the past is an experience that combines intense physical exertion combined with attaining a difficult goal combined with an inspiring view. In other words, I hop on my bike and ride up a mountain and refuse to stop until I get to the top and bask in the incredible view. This has worked wonders for me in helping to gain real perspective on my situation, and I think the physical exertion and i…

Some of the best experiences I ever had were climbing volcanoes and hiking through the highlands of Guatemala. Time to re-visit this I think.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#16

Post by mrtron »

I am definitely with the crowd suggesting some physical exertion.

10 months is a long time to go at full steam, take a few days off and reset. Do not think about work at all, and go physically exert yourself, eat well and relax.

It will vary by the individual dramatically, but I usually find all I need is a few days to reset.

Best of luck

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#17

Post by h34t »

nostrademons wrote: post #5

A little hypothesis: Burnout is your subconscious's way of telling you that you're on the wrong track. I've found that every time I've felt burned out - whether in writing, coding, startup, life - it's because I was working on something that ultimately was going nowhere. I needed to revisit my assumptions, yet my conscious mind didn't know that. Burnout was a way for my subconscious to say "This isn't going to work,…

Interesting -- your hypothesis is almost exactly what I wrote down in my journal just this morning, when thinking about how I let my "commitment to the business" override so many other thoughts/desires/gut-reactions. Some level of compromise is needed to get anything done in real life, but too much is too much.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#18

Post by davidw »

mchristoff wrote: post #13
davidw wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how many other hackers are cyclists? I think it's the perfect hacker sport - there's lots of tech, you can go alone if needs be, but it can also be fun to join a team, or participate in events like races. There are things I don't care for here in Innsbruck, but I have some nice trails about 5 minutes away from home, and plenty of tall mountains to ride up.

we do this in LA: http://www.midnightridazz.com

We used to do night rides in Oregon, off road. It's a lot of fun, although it can be kind of creepy to be out in the middle of nowhere in the dark, so it's best done with others.

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#19

Post by mchristoff »

davidw wrote: post #18
mchristoff wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

we do this in LA: http://www.midnightridazz.com

We used to do night rides in Oregon, off road. It's a lot of fun, although it can be kind of creepy to be out in the middle of nowhere in the dark, so it's best done with others.

yeah, rides are always better with others. even better with 500 others =)

Re: Ask YC: Experiences with founder burnout?

#20

Post by edw519 »

You are not burnt out and I have proof. This discussion. A truly burnt out person would not have even bothered. (Kinda like claiming you're over your ex-girlfriend but still wonder what she's doing all day long). The fact that you are here is not an admission of giving up; it is a cry for help. You still really want this.

There is some excellent feedback in this thread. Let me add mine, which may be a little different. I go through what you are experiencing all the time. There are days when I can't stay awake at my terminal. Sometimes I hit a road block and wonder how I'll ever get by. I usually step away for a time, but here is my real secret...

Pick one little thing that needs to get done, no matter how small or unimportant it may seem. If I'm really down, I pick some mundane task like refactoring 25 lines of code, manually updating 50 records, or even changing some naming conventions. But not something big like solving a client-server architecture problem. Hell, that's the reason I'm already down. One other thing - the task must be in the heart of your project; cleaning off your desk or reading a journal don't count. Then do the task. Completely. You'll feel a little better, I promise. The next day, do it again, maybe with a slightly bigger task. And again. And again. Who knows, you may be feeling a lot better before you know it.

I have no idea if my advice can help save your project, but I do know you still want to. Use this group for support (I know I already do) and keep us posted. You are not alone.

Post reply on HN