Every Founder Needs Tactile Hobbies

Even when you feel like you have no time for anything besides your business, regular immersion in another craft is essential to make you better at this one.

For the last two months, I basically abandoned all my hobbies and barely socialized. In San Francisco, some may view this as cause for praise. Things people have said to me in this time period: “You’re in Founder Mode!” “We were talking the other day about how you’re locked in!”

This might seem like a good thing but it’s actually a glaring red flag.

Hobbies or anything outside of building your startup appear to reduce your time spent moving toward the goal. (In SF, people are also discussing the virtues of staying single until their Series B funding rounds. The idea is by then the company is stable enough that it’s ok to spend time on your personal life. Please reconsider your judgement if you are not rolling your eyes at that.)