6:00 AM: The Hustler Awakens
Your alarm goes off. You could get up and seize the day, or you could post a motivational quote on LinkedIn about seizing the day. You go with the latter. “Rise and grind. If you’re not building, you’re dying.” The likes roll in as you sip a reheated oat milk latte – your cold brew stash is sacred and reserved for emergencies (like pitch meetings).
Next up, a quick jog to clear your mind. But really, you’re thinking about how to turn your app that gamifies laundry into the next unicorn. You dictate notes into your AirPods because true visionaries multitask.
9:00 AM: Team Sync (a.k.a. Controlled Chaos)
Your remote team logs into the daily stand-up, where buzzwords like “synergy” and “low-hanging fruit” get thrown around like a game of linguistic dodgeball. Your CTO casually mentions that the app’s backend is “a bit buggy”. You decide to interpret that as “working perfectly”.
Meanwhile, your Slack is on fire:
- Marketing Lead: “We need $10K for a TikTok influencer campaign.”
- Finance: “We have $1,000 left. Total.”
- You: “Let’s pivot to organic growth!”
Problem solved. Visionaries don’t need accountants – they need vibes.
12:00 PM: Lunch, or Lack Thereof
Lunch is a misnomer. It’s more like a protein bar you grabbed while pacing around your co-working space, pitching your concept to a fellow founder who just wanted to charge their laptop. You sell them on a collaboration idea that even you know won’t happen. But hey, networking!
On your way back, you overhear someone mentioning Series B funding, and you feel a pang of envy. Don’t worry, you’re still pre-seed, which is fancy speak for funding this with credit cards and optimism.
3:00 PM: The Investor Gauntlet
The highlight (or horror) of your day: pitching to venture capitalists. You’ve rehearsed your pitch deck 37 times, but the moment the call starts, it’s all improvisation and charm.
“Sure, our app doesn’t have revenue yet, but we’re capturing mindshare in an emerging market!” Translation: nobody’s downloading it. You sprinkle in some metrics (“user engagement is up 300%!”) but conveniently omit that this means three people stayed logged in longer than a minute.
The VCs nod. They’ve heard worse. Probably.
6:00 PM: The Grind Never Stops
Your calendar is clear, but you’re not done. Founders don’t clock out; they strategise. You work on your next blog post: “10 Things I Learned from Failing at My First Two Start-ups.” Spoiler: you’ll be able to recycle this post in six months.
In the background, your roommate (who has a steady job) asks if you’ve made money yet. You laugh nervously and pretend to be deep in thought.
11:00 PM: Sleep? What’s That?
After just one more brainstorming session and three cups of cold brew, you finally consider sleeping. You set your alarm for 6 AM because the hustle waits for no one.
As you drift off, you imagine your app in the hands of millions, revolutionising how people do laundry… Doesn’t matter. Success is just around the corner.
The Bottom Line
Being a start-up founder isn’t just a career – it’s a personality. It’s the art of juggling optimism, borderline delusion, and caffeine dependency while convincing the world (and yourself) that you’re building the next big thing.
So here’s to the founders: may your cold brew stay strong, and your burn rate stay low.
