I started my first company, a web consultancy firm, seven years ago. I also have a daughter who is seven years old, Linn. I started out of my home office, which allowed me to spend time with my family while being at work. It was great but became stressful after 6-12 months because I felt I was at work all the time except when I left my home. I then moved into a proper office.
I started my second company five years ago. I also have a second daughter who is five years old, Julia. This company was a much more serious venture. I was appointed CEO, we were four founders and raised 1M€. We all worked long hours and had a great time from the start. Now we are ten employees and I'm still the CEO.
Here are the immediate effects I have seen from starting a new company simultaneously with getting a kid, twice:
- You focus on the business model and sales, sales, sales rather than just cool tech, which is beneficial for everybody involved. However, there is always room for cool tech as well.
- You have to push yourself to get to work, and do good stuff everyday. Because your family depends on it. You don't settle for mediocrity.
- You get a counter-balance that keeps you in check. Especially when you are successful with doing something fun it is very easy to burn out. Out of four founders, two of us have kids while the other two didn't at the time. I'm sorry to say that those two burned out and left the company, while me and my other child-bearing co-founder remained.
- You raise kids that get an entrepreneurial outlook on life. They think it is natural to have your own company, to be the boss of your own life.
- If you are blessed with healthy kids, having them is hardest work in the beginning. Everything gets easier and easier from day one. At least so far.
All in all, I don't regret for a second my choices the past years. Because what are the alternatives? Not having these awesome kids that now rock my world? Not having started these awesome companies that have defined a lot of who I am today? No way.
If you get the opportunity to start a family with someone you love and who supports you, don't hesitate for a second. If you get the opportunity to start a company with people you'd love to work with, don't hesitate for a second.
If those two happen to you at the same time? Wow, you are truly blessed with good fortune! Go kick some major ass!
We started our company just after the birth of my second child and then my daughter was born as we were in the early days. We are pretty much self funded (we've had some seed funding but not a lot) and it's been a long hard slog but all that work is now paying off.
I have to agree strongly with:
"You have to push yourself to get to work, and do good stuff everyday. Because your family depends on it. You don't settle for mediocrity.
- You get a counter-balance that keeps you in check. Especially when you are successful with doing something fun it is very easy to burn out. "
and
"You raise kids that get an entrepreneurial outlook on life. They think it is natural to have your own company, to be the boss of your own life"
made me smile. My daughter, now 5, was trying to sell me her drawings the other day.
My children are my counterbalance and my drive - there is nothing better than kicking back and talking nonsense with them or getting involved in their stuff. There is nothing more important than making sure they are fed and have a secure future (in which to make their own choices)
I noticed in a recent interview that when Tony Blair was the british PM his wife expected him to get up in the night to feed the baby still.
One of my girlfriends relatives says "if you want something doing ask a busy person." and I reckon that is spot on
I started my second company five years ago. I also have a second daughter who is five years old, Julia. This company was a much more serious venture. I was appointed CEO, we were four founders and raised 1M€. We all worked long hours and had a great time from the start. Now we are ten employees and I'm still the CEO.
Here are the immediate effects I have seen from starting a new company simultaneously with getting a kid, twice:
- You focus on the business model and sales, sales, sales rather than just cool tech, which is beneficial for everybody involved. However, there is always room for cool tech as well.
- You have to push yourself to get to work, and do good stuff everyday. Because your family depends on it. You don't settle for mediocrity.
- You get a counter-balance that keeps you in check. Especially when you are successful with doing something fun it is very easy to burn out. Out of four founders, two of us have kids while the other two didn't at the time. I'm sorry to say that those two burned out and left the company, while me and my other child-bearing co-founder remained.
- You raise kids that get an entrepreneurial outlook on life. They think it is natural to have your own company, to be the boss of your own life.
- If you are blessed with healthy kids, having them is hardest work in the beginning. Everything gets easier and easier from day one. At least so far.
All in all, I don't regret for a second my choices the past years. Because what are the alternatives? Not having these awesome kids that now rock my world? Not having started these awesome companies that have defined a lot of who I am today? No way.
If you get the opportunity to start a family with someone you love and who supports you, don't hesitate for a second. If you get the opportunity to start a company with people you'd love to work with, don't hesitate for a second.
If those two happen to you at the same time? Wow, you are truly blessed with good fortune! Go kick some major ass!