E22: How Do Founders Find Balance?
In this episode of the SAAS Operators Podcast, we talk about the different games founders decide to play, and different definitions of success. Why the pursuit of money is the most noble thing you can do, and what happens when the next million doesn't meaningfully improve your life. The boys talk about different incentives, like status and legacy and how art and fashion can be tools for leverage and access outside of politics. They talk about what it means to play the long game, how sacrifice, consistency, and clarity on priorities influence decision making. But it's not without tradeoffs, founders trade friendships, fitness, presence with their family, and sometimes their own wellbeing. Ultimately, time in exchange for an outcome. The idea that everyone has to decide when the next incremental dollar, or representation of value, stops being worth the next incremental hour. The episode closes on conviction, choosing your game, accepting its sacrifices, and playing it hard enough to see compounding rewards over time.
Success is a moving target. Ask ten people what it means and you’ll get ten answers. Jason Lemkin “made it” by most measures, yet he’s still shipping daily. Why? Because at some point the work stops being only about outcomes. It becomes a game you like playing.
We kept circling that idea. What game are you playing, and what happens when you win?
The Money Game
Most of us start with the bag. No shame in that. If you don’t have money, earning it is a noble pursuit. Resources give you optionality. If you believe you’re a net positive to the world, you should want resources in your hands.
But money is strange. The first millions change your life. The next ones change your spreadsheet. At some point you’re not filling the fridge. You’re filling a scoreboard.
That’s where people shift boards. Same competitive energy. New terrain.
The Status Game
One path is politics. Many of us would rather eat glass. The other routes that punch into high-status circles are art and fashion. Make things that move people and you get access without begging for attention. More fun. Fewer committees.
Also, you can be known without being famous. That’s a good trade.
The Love Game
“Is love a game?” Sounds gross at first. But if a game is a pursuit with rules and scoring, a 60-year marriage is the ultimate long game. It takes investment, not dopamine hits. It’s not about winning today. It’s about showing up for decades.
Every meaningful game has sacrifice baked in. Time with family, time with friends, time with yourself. You say yes to one board and no to another. Founders feel this most. That’s why many of our closest friends become other founders. Shared terrain. Shared weather.
Choosing Your Minimums
The trick isn’t balance. It’s minimums. How much time with family do you need each week to feel grounded? How much deep work time keeps the company moving? What do you need outside of those to stay human?
Hit those minimums and you can let the rest flex. Seasons will change the mix. Kids. Health. Sprints. Recoveries. The goal isn’t symmetry. The goal is sustainability.
Also, be honest about the real trade. What number would make you push everything else aside? If the answer is “no number,” act like it.
Attention, Capital, and Picking the Right Game
Attention is a currency. If you can capture it, you can convert it into almost anything. Not always software. Sometimes the highest use of a skill set is a different vehicle. The scoreboard still reads value created over time. Net dollar retention matters if you’re selling SaaS. It doesn’t if you should be selling outcomes.
Capital compounds advantages. A well-timed acquisition by a household name can 10x your future fundraising leverage. Sometimes the best “price” isn’t the multiple. It’s the brand on the cap table.
Health Isn’t Optional, But It Is Personal
High performers usually guard their inputs. Sleep. Movement. Food. It doesn’t have to look like a two-hour gym block. Walk-and-talks can be a superpower seasonally. Maintenance is easier than acquisition. That’s true for muscle and money.
Know what fuels you. Be ruthless about protecting it. Not because fitness makes you a better founder in a neat linear way. Because consistency makes you a better human, and better humans make better decisions.
Vices, Honesty, and Holes We Try To Fill
Everyone has a release valve. Specialty lattes. Pints of Ben & Jerry’s on a night walk. Staying up too late to steal back time. The point isn’t zero vices. It’s not lying to yourself about what they cost.
Also, be real about why you train or grind. Looking good can be a perfectly valid reason to lift. You don’t need to pretend it is only for productivity. Self-awareness beats performative virtue.
Rapid tactic from the lab: on sleep-deprived days, creatine loading can blunt the fog. Placebo or not, many swear it helps. Worst case you retain a little water. Best case you think clearly enough to not break things.
Play The Right Game For You
People fall away when your game changes. That’s OK. Characters enter and exit between chapters. What matters is conviction. If you picked your game thoughtfully, stick with it long enough to see the compounding.
Success isn’t one mountain. It’s a range. Money. Status. Love. Health. Craft. The order and slope are up to you.
Pick your board. Set your minimums. Accept the sacrifices with eyes open. Then play hard.
