Building a startup is the ultimate adulting challenge, but these founder superstars are here to show you how to do it without burning out.  Forget the all-nighters and ramen lunches, self-care is the new hustle.

Here’s the lowdown from founders who’ve been there, done that – and got the t-shirt. Check out this advice for founders:

Be chill with yourself.

Leaving your first company after forever is a major buzzkill. One founder dude, Doug Lessing, found his zen in a float tank (think bathtub on steroids). Now it’s his go-to for dealing with stress.

Work smarter, not longer.

Another founder boss, Janine Yancey, realized that blasting work emails at all hours wasn’t exactly winning over her team. Now she schedules “me time” like it’s a VIP meeting. #balance

Patience is your secret weapon.

Building a startup is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t get discouraged if things don’t explode overnight.  Think of it like a triathlon – gotta pace yourself to win the race.

Caring is your superpower.

Turns out, people actually like working for someone who, you know, cares about them. Doug says that showing you care about your team (and stuff like safety and well-being) is how you attract and keep the rockstar employees.

Let go to grow.

Delegating is hard, especially when you’re a super hands-on CEO. But Janine learned that letting go of some control (even if it means things aren’t done exactly your way) is how you and your company can reach new heights.

Embrace failure as growth.

Every setback is an opportunity to learn and grow. Successful founders like Sarah Johnson emphasize the importance of embracing failure as a natural part of the entrepreneurial journey. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, use them as stepping stones towards success.

We hope this advice for founders was helpful. This article was written primarily by Bard but based on this great article from Sonya Matejko.