14 Comments
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Cat Mikkelsen's avatar

I remember your baby announcement! Still the best one ever. Please say hello to your awesome wife and the beautiful California coast. -cat

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Javad's avatar

Thank you Steve. This was really helpful. I'm struggling with work-life balance, and it made me realize I haven't been very conscious about how I divide my time. your article helped me see that I need to be much more intentional about how I allocate my time.

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Terri Lonier, PhD's avatar

Yeah, Steve, I think you passed. 🙂 Congrats on being part of the duo raising two lovely daughters, while also making important contributions to entrepreneurship education.

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Alfred Lua's avatar

Thank you for writing this and re-sharing it, Steve! I first read this two years ago when our kid came into our lives, and I was 1+ year into my startup journey. I was struggling to balance it all, and your recommendations helped!

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Burak Buyukdemir's avatar

Thank you, Steve Video recording is probably the toughest and most love-filled task :) We watched it again and again

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Norman Winarsky's avatar

Great post! I tried to follow many of your rules as a father. Perhaps one more might be a saying my wife told me long ago: "remember that under a big tree, nothing grows." Best, Norman

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Effective Engineering Manager's avatar

Steve, why do you think entrepreneurs prioritize work and deprioritize family? Is it just now knowing how make both work?

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Michael Frank Martin's avatar

Thank you for this public service.

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Michael Frank Martin's avatar

I should add, I read the earlier version of this post when it came out and I was trying to start a startup and my wife was pregnant with our first daughter. She is now 16 and driving. I mostly followed the advice in this post very consistently. It's a little early to declare the results, and like Steve their Mom deserves way more of the credit for how they have turned out. But my oldest recently wrote this: https://eithelornandapen.replit.app/article/11 and a few other essay, and I am in wonder of how it all went by so fast.

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Mark Walker's avatar

accountability is key as you seem to demonstrate day after day

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Dionissis Spiliopoulos's avatar

Great post Steve.

I am exited and I feel for first time Silicon Valey so close to Athens Greece😚😚😚

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James Francis's avatar

You're truly smart! Kudos for trying to keep the balance. Im sure it touched more than your children, who wouldn't want a boss who sets that kind of example?

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Cynthia Wylie's avatar

Your post is touching and relatable for any entrepreneur. The part about teaching them to leave is brilliant. I was also somewhat fixated on this. I always told them that when they left home they would know how to: take a shower, write a check (not so important anymore, but back then...), make a beef brisket, go grocery shopping, drive a car, do their laundry properly, put a basic piece of furniture together, and for my daughters in particular, keep themselves safe while walking down a street. Things like that.

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Tom Gordon's avatar

Wish I'd have re-read this sooner --the first read ten years ago, I missed the part about teaching them to how leave...

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