

Avoiding Burnout in a Software Startup - amackera
http://www.tophatmonocle.com/blog/2010/12/20/avoiding-burnout-software-startup/

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whyleyc
"Instead, taking at least one day off every weekend, even during crunch times,
is key to us staying happy and effective."

"I've been working 12 hour days pretty consistently"

That's not an approach for avoiding burnout.

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omouse
Sounds like slave labour :D

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mtkd
It's important to embrace the fact you do not feel like working. Too many
coders, myself included, try to work through it but end up procrastinating.

If you don't feel like working - go and do something you feel like doing.
You'll be a lot more effective when you feel like working again.

~~~
amackera
I find that regulating my free time with something like the pomodoro technique
to be very helpful. When I'm in a pomodoro, I am in my own world of code, but
when the buzzer rings I make coffee, read a book, or take a walk.

Just having the span of 5 minutes to not think about work enables me to attack
the problem with renewed vigor. Ultimately I get more done, and I'm happier
for it!

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zkirill
Go for a run, hit the gym or do some yoga. Runner's high does miracles for
coming up with better approaches to tough problems. Even if it's midnight and
you feel like passing out, just say fuck it and go for a jog - you'd be
surprised how much energy you actually have.

~~~
tjarratt
This is good advice for starting a day, or ending a day. So many times when I
get home from a long day I think I'm too tired to get any work done, but after
a 30 min run or bike ride, my mind is ready to start hacking on a project
again.

It's also not a bad idea after lunch. It's 4pm here and I just got done doing
some pushups. Looking forward to doing some more before I leave.

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smokinn
I have only a little experience here (I realized I very nearly burned out once
but only after I narrowly avoided it mostly through luck) but personally I
find the best way to ward off burnout is realistic planning.

He absolutely nails it when he says: _The best way to stop burnout is to avoid
it entirely through balanced behavior and thinking._

It's definitely important for an employee to pace himself appropriately but
it's also equally important for milestones from on high (whether they be one
week or 2 months out (any non-vague deadline planned for longer than 2-3
months is bound to be ripe with failure)) to be both realistic and
challenging. Not 24 hour death march challenging, challenging that you have to
plan your time appropriately and, when working, you work efficiently.

In my experience the major driver of burnout is bad planning. I also think
this is a large part of why our type prefer startups. Because startups do very
little planning compared to BigCos, it's mostly up to the employees to manage
their time effectively. Of course, the pressure is there to do as much as you
can but it's tempered by not having completely arbitrary nonnegotiable
deadlines that you absolutely have to come through on. (The deadlines you do
have to come through on in startups are usually not arbitrary which makes a
world of difference when trying to meet them.) When planning is out of sync
with provided value it burns people out.

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edw519
_Work effective hours, not necessarily long hours..._

The best trick I have ever figured out for doing this is to separate all
activities into "in front on my computer" and "away from my computer". If you
are working ineffectively in either mode, switch modes. If you are still
working ineffectively, consider a break.

I often sit in front of my computer, writing code, refactoring, or testing and
realize that I'm getting nowhere. Then I conclude that the reason I'm not
making progress is because I'm not quite sure _what_ to do.

Determining what to do is an activity that I have found much more effective
away from the computer. So I log off, grab pencil and paper and go somewhere
else, anywhere else. As soon as I have something I'm sure I want to code, then
(and only then) do I return to the computer.

This works both ways. If I'm away from my computer, but feel I'm not creative
enough, then I just decide to write something, anything, and go write it.
Sometimes just getting the smallest things done opens the doors to getting
bigger things done.

~~~
pshapiro
Confirmed! I find one of the most useful things to do when i'm not making much
progress is to take a walk and think about the problem away from the computer.
Often times I find a much simpler solution than what I was trying before.

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probablycorey
Working 6 days a week for 12 hours a day is how this guy avoids burning out? I
think 72 hours a week qualifies as a death march.

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mmaunder
Agree re doing something completely different. I have an old diesel F350 that
I work on. The work is physical, tangible and dirty as hell. I find I'm
completely refreshed and ready for more 1's and 0's when I'm done.

Also, make sure you have a way to give yourself credit at the end of the day
for all the work you've done. Often it feels like you've achieved nothing, but
if you look at the list of checked off items on your TODO list, or your list
of code checkins it'll give you a healthy sense of accomplishment.

