Six productivity hacks that work for me as a Founder

At an early stage, the breadth of topics you need to cover and tasks you need to complete is intimidating. Marketing. Finance. Product. Hiring. People management. Fundraising. Vendors. Market research. Payroll, etc. It is unlike any other job in its complexity. Yet, your success is dictated by your ability to execute.

This elevates the importance of productivity. This is even more important if you have children (and want to spend time with them), which I do.

Here are my key productivity hacks:

Commit time to deep work.

This can be challenging when things are busy, but it pays off. I find it very helpful to create at least two blocks during the week where I do deep work. I turn off email, slack etc notifications, put my phone out of sight and get to work. This is often in the morning when my creative brainpower is at its highest. I am naturally productive from ~19h–21h, but I’ve found relying on night time deep work less effective. It is easy to get tired or get caught up in finishing the day’s to do list. Scheduling time in the morning forces this to be a priority.

If you’re struggling…. change it up!

My rule of thumb is ~ 5 minutes. If I can tell I’m not at 100%, then I change. I find that standing up and walking a couple of steps is really helpful for me. There’s a correlation to movement and my ability to concentrate. I also find that I can get a productivity burst from changing environment. This can be moving to a homemade standing desk or a different chair or another room. Lastly, if it feels like nothing is working, then I change the task. This helps me build momentum prior to going back to the previous task.

Schedule during your lulls.

For me this is from 2–4pm. I occasionally workout during this time- if I can do it, then this is really effective. However, I find it hard to hit the motivation vs tired balance at the right time. The most effective use of this time is meetings. I often find that the time flies, which is a nice benefit. I usually leave meetings feeling motivated and energised to finish the day.

Periodisation of the schedule.

As an entrepreneur you are often working before and/or after regular business hours. This is even more true if you have small kids. A few things I do:

a. Power sprints: 30–60 minute session of productivity. I often do these in the morning when I’m up early with the kids. They help me be productive and then enjoy the school pick up /drop off.

b. 3 on, 1 off. I usually work after the kids’ bedtime Monday-Wednesday. Thursday is usually a night off from late work. I will often start earlier on Thursday, but this built in break on Thursday night makes a big difference. I can catch up with my partner, friends, and/or family and helps me recharge my batteries.

c. Create on/off nights. This depends on your partner, but my partner and I find it helpful to do. We divide up the nights so that each of us takes the dinner/bedtime routine. It is a balancing act because we want to spend time together as a family, but I am way more productive if I can work straight through. It also helps me embrace my on nights so that I’m fully present with the kids. I try to do at least one night where I’m working straight through.

Have 2 conversations/week with people who will give you energy.

This is someone outside the organisation who you meet for the first time or catch up with. They can be mentors, peers, or other stakeholders. I always leave these conversations feeling energised. Usually this is because it makes me realise how happy I am to be on this path. It can be because they tell me about their job and I’m so happy to not be in their shoes. It is often the case that the person you’re meeting with communicates their “jealousy” that you are living the dream. Of course, this is a romanticised version, but it is also true. I find that no matter how frustrated I am with something in the business, these meetings force me to see the positives as I provide an update. I’ve found that finding the positives is a muscle that I’ve developed over time. This is vital to being a successful entrepreneur in my opinion.

Combine leisure activities.

My favourite is to exercise on the commute (running or cycling to/from work). Even during COVID I did this for the school run if possible. I also like to combine working out with watching an event or show. If Arsenal are playing, then I often try to schedule my workout at that time. This allows me to maximise my time at work and at home.

I’m pretty consistent with these tactics, but I find that allowing for flexibility is also important. I find using my mana as a guide very helpful in managing my productivity. The tactics are only as effective as your ability to implement them and be productive during the time.