time bankruptcy: the hidden cost of saying yes

Fellow founders, I have an important announcement:

More specifically, time bankruptcy.

The reason is a simple 5-word phrase common with a lot of entrepreneurs:

"How hard could it be?"

These five words have probably caused more entrepreneurial suffering than any others in history.

We've all been there. Your calendar is packed to the brim, and someone approaches you with an "exciting opportunity." Without thinking, you say those fateful words: "How hard could it be?"

Spoiler: it's hard. Extremely hard, actually.

Time Bankruptcy

Eventually we all reach a point I call "time bankruptcy" - the condition where your commitments far exceed your capacity. My entrepreneurial brain loves to chase new projects, in a disillusioned state ignoring the fundamental laws of time and energy. Each "yes" compounds your debt, until you're drowning in interest payments (weekly time commitments) while actually getting nothing done.

Here's the thing: time bankruptcy extends beyond your office walls into your personal life.

The Volunteer Vortex

A few years ago, despite running a struggling startup and working 80-hour weeks, I convinced myself that 4-day a week volunteer coaching job was manageable. "It will be a nice break from work," I told myself. "It's only a few hours a week," I reasoned.

Reality check: I found myself driving through the streets of Victoria like I was in a Need for Speed movie to make practice on time. I was checking emails during water breaks, and constantly feeling like I was failing at both commitments. I wasn't fully present anywhere – just physically occupying space while my mind was scattered elsewhere.

Why do we do this to ourselves? Because saying "no" feels like admitting weakness. There's misplaced pride in being "the person who can do it all" – as if burning out is some badge of honour in our hustle-obsessed culture.

I escaped the vortex this year with a single word.

My Word of the Year: Intention

For years, I've selected a "word of the year" to guide my decisions. This year, I chose "Intention."

Why? Because I realized my tendency to say yes to every opportunity was hurting me because I wasn't considering the true cost. When you say yes to everything, you dilute your impact everywhere. Overcommitting or investing in the wrong priorities creates significant diminishing returns.

For example, while building my previous company DealBuilder, I received offers for several high-level positions with compensation packages that would have significantly increased my earnings. But as co-founder and CEO of a company, I couldn’t leave the company I was running (even if it was struggling at the time) because I had commitments to my investors and employees. That's opportunity cost in action.

The Leaky Bucket Problem

Here's the harsh truth about time bankruptcy: when you over-optimize certain areas of your life, the others inevitably suffer. The first casualty? Often your health, closely followed by your relationships with friends, family, and loved ones.

I've watched countless founders (myself included) sacrifice sleep, exercise, and meaningful connections on the altar of productivity. We tell ourselves it's temporary, that we'll prioritize these things "once things settle down." But things rarely settle down on their own – we have to intentionally create that space.

Founder Fitness: Escaping Time Bankruptcy

True founder fitness means becoming intentional with your time, optimizing output within boundaries YOU set – not letting external pressures dictate your commitments.

Here's a challenge for you this week: audit your time. Create a list of your recurring weekly commitments, mark how much time they consume in your schedule (everything from grocery shopping to work meetings to fitness classes) and then rank them on a happiness scale of 1-10. For all activities under a 7, think of ways to eliminate them from your schedule or drop those commitments entirely—your future self will thank you.

idea of the week 💡

Credit: MT original idea here (i.e. half-baked)

• problem: Users waste precious time capturing screenshots, saving them, then manually uploading them to AI tools to ask questions - I find this very annoying as I do this all day.

• idea: A seamless screenshot tool that instantly captures and processes actual screen data (instead of AI just scanning your screenshot JPEG). In the UI you can create saved prompts, chat directly with your screenshots without leaving your current page, and eliminate that frustrating copy-paste dance we've all been doing with ChatGPT.

• how it makes money: Freemium model with basic functionality free. Pro tier for unlimited screenshots and template creation. Enterprise tier for larger teams with advanced analytics and custom integration options.

• why it might succeed: this needs to be priced as a low-cost tool where the time saved by avoiding manual screenshot processing > the subscription cost.

• why it might fail: this idea will NOT last for a long-time. As it would be super easy for ChatGPT or any of the other AI tools to create this feature and kill your business. Plz don’t raise money for this.

workout of the week

at-home intentional workout:

Complete 4 rounds, focusing on quality over quantity:

• 10 slow-tempo push-ups (3 seconds down, 1 second hold, 1 second up)

• 15 mindful bodyweight squats

• 30-second side plank each side

• 10 deliberate glute bridges (hold at top for 2 seconds)

Rest 60-90 seconds between rounds

gym workout:

• 3x8 barbell or dumbbell bench press

• 3x10 Romanian deadlifts

• 3x12 cable rows or pull-ups

• Finisher: 5-minute AMRAP of 5 burpees + 10 kettlebell swings + 15 mountain climbers

outdoor workout:

Complete 3 rounds, focusing on presence and mindfulness:

• Run 400m at conversation pace

• 20 alternating lunges (10 each leg)

• 10 decline push-ups (feet elevated on bench)

• 45-second plank with intentional breathing

Between rounds: 60 seconds of deep breathing, reflecting on one commitment you could eliminate

tweet of the week

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