When Kakao Ventures helped its family companies with EIR, it did not do much to help successful startups. When things are going well, it's good to hit back and cheer to keep the momentum going. At times like that, you can't even hear what someone is saying next to you. If you ask for help, just help.

But when a startup is struggling and has little runway left, the form of help changes. There are times when you have to criticize your situational awareness, reexamine your strategy, and console yourself over an unwanted breakup. When I look at the CEO and team who have been running a startup that seemed destined to fail for months or even years, I feel dizzy as difficult moments from my past pass by like a flash of light.

In this case, there is a video recommended on YCombinator YouTube. This is Daniel Gross's How to Win (Startups), but it is different from typical startup videos. While the majority of startup-related videos discuss how to build a product, attract customers, receive investment, and make a profit, this video makes the following claim:

Entrepreneurs are like athletes. Starting a startup is like participating in the Olympics. Sleep is the best brain function enhancer. It only takes 8 hours. Eating junk food also ruins your judgment. Manage like an athlete.

I strongly agree that entrepreneurs are athletes. Startups fail not when they run out of money, but when the founder gives up. In a situation where nothing goes according to the investment plan, it is a game where you overcome various difficulties and difficulties and wait for an opportunity until you meet luck and rise. Therefore, what is more important than anything else is to implement and build up good decisions with a high spirit and high stamina without getting tired.

Working hard takes a toll on your body and mind. If you just work hard without any notable results, your body and mind will be exhausted. In my experience, about 2 years is the limit. To survive, there must be progress to move on to the next round within two years. However, even in series B~C, there are numerous co-founders suffering from burnout.

You have to recover and work. Recovery is not a big deal. Work hard. Work to death. However, make sure you get 8 hours of quality sleep, eat clean food instead of junk food, don't drink alcohol, and exercise during that time. You just need to keep these three things as a priority over work without compromise. Then, you can endure the grueling task of starting a business for a longer period of time and increase your chances of meeting luck.

Jeff Bezos said in interviews in the 2010s, "Most companies want to succeed within 1 to 3 years. But if they look at it for 7 years, their competitive advantage increases significantly. Amazon usually looks at 5 to 7 years." Silicon Valley investors consider product-market fit during IR, but they also place importance on founder-market fit. If an entrepreneur does not give up even if difficulties arise in the business and carries on with the business until it succeeds, it is not because the business seems like a good item now, but because it is important to know how sincerely it is positioned in the continuum of the life that the entrepreneur has built. I know very well that it is a game that takes a long time, and the moment the entrepreneur gives up, the investment money disappears.

Let's take a long look. Let's sleep well, eat well, and recover well even though we spend each day like a war. I've seen too many entrepreneurs who couldn't do this and got tired from just working. Once burnout occurs, you lose focus on making and executing good decisions and worry about giving up. In order to work better, sleep well, eat well, and exercise.

These days, using wearable devices such as Apple Watch or Oura Ring is very helpful in securing the quality and quantity of sleep. One indicator of recovery can be used as the lowest heart rate per minute during sleep or upon awakening. During your daily routine, you can measure the stress on your body and mind due to the activation of your sympathetic nervous system through HRV (Heart Rate Variability). Studies have shown that good HRV improves mental health, such as anxiety and depression, as well as decision-making and problem-solving skills in stressful situations.

Those who are comfortable with setting key indicators at a company and making data-informed decisions by looking at dashboards can apply this to their personal lives as well.

The way to continue 996 to achieve your desired dream is to secure sleep, nutrition, and exercise time as a top priority for 24 hours a day, and then give up many things. Nevertheless, I believe that it is worth it and support all entrepreneurs who choose to start a business.

p.s. This article is also addressed to my past self and my future self.