Hobbies

Is there anything that clears your mind?

Being obsessed with your first company is, I guess, natural. That was certainly my case. You've been thinking about your big ideas for possibly many years. You've chosen to sacrifice a certain lifestyle to bring this idea to life. If your idea is sensible, you will have assembled your founding team and brought early investors on board. You may even have made your first hires.

Every step in the initial phase of your journey brings more responsibilities, more decisions to make, and more doubts to address. Your entire life then revolves around this new baby of yours. If you can't find even a little time when your mind isn't focused on it, you'll burn out. The result? You won't be able to think clearly, you'll make more mistakes than usual, and you'll make your family's life even harder.

This is where having solid hobbies plays a crucial role in your well-being—and ultimately in the early successes of your venture. Make sure you protect time for these activities at all costs. These moments allow your mind to wander elsewhere. My personal advice is to choose activities that take you away from screens. Whether it's sports, arts, music or cooking or even learning a new language—through group conversations, the goal is to disconnect from your venture. Like any other muscle, your mind needs time to regenerate to perform efficiently.

If these hobbies involve family members, even better. They create precious moments to reconnect with loved ones, shifting your focus from the company to what truly matters. These moments are invaluable.

For those who know me, they're aware of my addiction to (free) skiing. Just like my focus on knowledge sharing and structured information at work, it borders on obsession. Skiing was one thing I refused to give up all those years. We did it on a budget—even venturing to the Czech Republic, which I never imagined visiting with skis but turned out to be surprisingly excellent for backcountry. Those weekends and weeks with the family were absolutely essential for my mental health because once on skis, all worries disappeared. The same would happen when mountain biking in summer.

Obviously, there aren't many mountains in Berlin or its surroundings. So here comes my other stress relief: running. At my most disciplined, I would run through the woods or along the Havel three or four times a week. Running doesn't take your mind off your company—at least it didn't for me. However, it does allow you to think quietly and calmly about it, sometimes leading to clearer decisions.

Living in Berlin means having access to abundant arts and music events. While I rarely went to concerts, I frequently explored galleries and museum exhibitions. These spaces were perfect for filling your mind with beauty instead of... emails to write and pitch decks to produce. My wife and I would often end such days at our favorite cocktail bar, sipping a negroni or old fashioned—though on the day of our successful seed raise, I traded my usual old fashioned for a cocktail called "millionaire".

Key Takeaway #33

While being obsessed with your first startup is natural, it's crucial to maintain a healthy work-life balance by protecting time for hobbies and activities away from screens. These moments, especially when shared with family, allow your mind to regenerate and ultimately contribute to both your well-being and your venture's success.