Leading Myself: Month One

It’s been exactly one month since I left my job to pursue building my AI startup full-time. The transition from employee to founder has been both exhilarating and challenging in ways I didn’t expect. Here are some of the key leadership lessons I’ve learned so far.

Setting My Own North Star

As an employee, I always had external sources of validation and direction—managers, OKRs, performance reviews. Now, I’m responsible for defining what success looks like on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

I’ve established a simple framework to keep myself focused:

1. Weekly OKRs: Every Sunday, I set 2-3 key objectives for the week
2. Daily Priority Stack: Each morning, I list the 3 most important tasks in order
3. Monthly Retrospective: At month’s end, I reflect on progress, challenges, and learning

This structure has been crucial for maintaining momentum and avoiding the trap of busy work that doesn’t move the needle.

The Decision Fatigue is Real

Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the mental load of making countless decisions every day without a sounding board. From technical architecture to business model to simple things like “what should my email signature be?”—everything requires a decision.

I’m learning to categorize decisions into three buckets:

• Type 1: Irreversible, high-impact decisions that deserve significant deliberation
• Type 2: Reversible decisions where “good enough” now is better than “perfect” later
• Type 3: Decisions that can be eliminated or automated entirely

Most importantly, I’m getting comfortable with making Type 2 decisions quickly and moving on. Perfect is truly the enemy of done.

Building in Public

I made the decision early on to “build in public”—sharing my journey, challenges, and learnings along the way. This has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Some unexpected benefits:

• Accountability: Knowing I’ll be sharing progress publicly keeps me focused
• Feedback Loop: Getting early input from potential users and other founders
• Network Growth: Connecting with other founders on similar journeys
• Mental Health: Combating the inherent isolation of solo founding

Finding Work-Life Balance as a Founder

The lines between work and personal life blur significantly when you’re building a company. I’ve had to be intentional about creating boundaries to prevent burnout:

• Physical Space: Designated office area in my home
• Time Boundaries: Clear start and end times to my workday
• Digital Detox: Tech-free evenings at least twice a week
• Exercise: Non-negotiable daily physical activity

I’ve realized that taking care of my mental and physical health isn’t a luxury—it’s a core business requirement. My startup’s success depends on my ability to show up with energy and clarity every day.

What’s Next

In month two, I’ll be focusing on:

1. Getting my MVP in front of early users
2. Establishing more formal feedback loops
3. Beginning conversations with potential advisors

What leadership lessons have you learned as a founder? I’d love to hear your experiences and exchange notes.