Essays/linkedin/23-12-06 working hard

🏋🏻‍♂️ Can you build a startup from 9 to 5? Definitely! Working hard means tackling the largest problems first. Long hours are just an excuse for inefficiency.

I was fortunate enough that during my PhD I was in an environment that didn't value long hours above smart working.

I carried this approach to my startup: find the most impactful problem and solve it first.

Mystifying the long working hours is just damaging. It leads to burnout, to poor enjoyment of the process, damages relationships and people.

As a team leader, I took it to my heart fostering an environment that wouldn't push those boundaries. I never sent e-mails in the evenings, avoided as much as possible personal communication channels like Whatsapp. In fact, I forbade the creation of a group for the company.

Being able to unwind at the end of the day, during weekends and holidays, is so much more important than an extra hour of work every day.

To achieve great things, we must work hard. And working hard means not wasting time.