Why I took my first holiday in 5 years

Two weeks ago, something unusual happened (at least for me, anyway). I stopped thinking about Wi-Fi signal, pitch decks, and unanswered emails, and started noticing the sand between my toes instead.

For the first time since I started MAGIC AI five years ago, I actually took a proper holiday. It felt great, but boy, did it feel a little strange.

Technically, I’m on paternity leave, and while it’s six months late, I grabbed the bull by the horns. That meant no emails from the sun lounger, and certainly no “just checking in real quick” messages. It was genuine, unplugged time off.

It was my son’s first holiday too, and I got to see his first sandy-toes moment. My daughter, meanwhile, fully embraced being in Big Sister Mode.

Watching her take to this like a duck to water beat any funding round I’ve ever closed. Knowing that they’re only just starting to forge their own relationship as siblings, and I get to see that, brings me indescribable joy.

It cost a lot to get there, however (and I don’t mean the plane tickets). Building MAGIC AI has taken five years of graft that doesn’t necessarily photograph well. 2am product calls and jumping between fundraisers often swallow weekends whole.

None of it was wasted, though. The hunger to be around for these important, early-stage moments has been a key to MAGIC AI’s success.

But being this hungry without some semblance of balance (or as I prefer to call it, alignment) isn’t the mark of a hyper-ambitious founder. Rather, it’s a telltale sign you’re likely to run out of steam at some point, and that you’re simply building until something breaks.

So here’s the bit I’d tell you, founder to founder. Stay hungry. No one gets to skip that. But schedule the rest as ruthlessly as you schedule the raise. There are important, early-stage moments on both sides of the table, and trust me, you won’t want to miss any of them.

You’ll likely never achieve perfect work-life balance as a founder (I certainly haven’t). Some form of quasi-harmonious alignment, on the other hand, is something I believe is possible.

I think once you accept that even the most efficient scheduling regime won’t let you fit absolutely everything in, things get much easier to prioritise.

This realisation is why I’ve stopped asking myself “How do I fit this all in?” and started asking myself “What actually matters to you most?” It’s questions like that that lead me to decisions like booking this holiday, where I get to spend time and make memories with the people who matter to me most.

I wish I’d done it sooner, of course, but when you’re building something from nothing, knowing when to pause is one of the last lessons you learn.

For founders out there who feel like they can’t take this kind of step away from work, my advice is simple: do it. If your company can’t survive without you for a couple of weeks – or even a couple of days – that’s a problem to fix, and not a reason to stay chained to it.

Building MAGIC AI has been nothing short of relentless. But I strongly believe that to stay in the game for the long run – and with some semblance of sanity to show for it – feeling the sand under your feet is just as important as the business plan in your hands.

This content is contributed by a guest author. Startups.co.uk / MVF does not endorse or take responsibility for any views, advice, analysis or claims made within this post.