Super short dispatch.
I recently took my first proper vacation in two years. Typically I’ll do a three/four day weekend to rest up when I need it. But this time I hit a real wall.
Luca had gone on vacation, and was encouraging me to take one. The day after, Kate called me to encourage me to take a vacation. Then during the board meeting, everyone encouraged me to take one… not just say “yeah, I’m planning to take one soon.”
Founders live and die with their identity wrapped around their companies. There’s a lot that goes into that, and people will say it isn’t healthy. I don’t really care for those people. That’s what creation is like. We aren’t betting the farm not to have this be core to the very fabric of who we are.
It never feels like a good time to take vacation. But part of your role as a founder is setting up structures that can maintain without you for a period of time. Trust the structures you’ve built.
Burn out is real. You don’t want to cross that line. It’s not doing you any favors.
Your team can see it. Your investors will see it. The product will feel it. And then everything you wanted to hit just right, will fall flat.
Two bars from people close to me that are coming to mind while writing this.
There is no prize for not taking a vacation - Jonny
You have to go see visions to have visions - Kate
This dispatch is really for one reason only. If you’re a founder and you’ve been debating taking that vacation, it sounds like you need it. Take it. Everyone will be better off because of it.
You have my permission. Write me when you do.
Special thank you to Bryce for hooking up Utah for me <3
I don’t do edits really, so excuse typos and things that don’t make sense.
Thanks so much for giving me your attention. I hope it was worth it, if not… unsubscribing will not hurt my feelings, and will give you back time you literally cannot have back.
Much love.
Live in the light