Work or Life?
DHH wrote an insightful post recently that highlights the importance of a work/life balance. I feel exactly the same way as David. I spent many years burning the midnight oil constantly and tirelessly working on “being 90% done for 90% of the time.” For me, it’s work to get out of that mode, but when I do, I do seem to accomplish more.
Why I love working with family people - (37signals)
From the experience I’ve had working with family people, I’ve found an amazing ability to get stuff done when the objectives are reasonably clear, the work appears to have meaning, and if it can be done within the scope of what should constitute a work week. When there are real constraints on your time, like you have to pickup the kids or make them dinner or put them to bed, it appears to bring a serenity of focus to the specific hours dedicated to work.
This is what companies need, startups or not. They need constraints and especially constraints on how often you can play the hero card to Get This Very Important Project Done. Most projects are just not that important and most things just shouldn’t be done anyway, despite how good of an idea you feel it is in the heat of the moment.