Growing Carrots 🥕: Avoiding Burn-Out as a Solopreneur

The saying goes, "With power comes great responsibility." As a solo founder of Singing Carrots, I've learned a variation: "With freedom comes great responsibility."

The Double-Edged Sword of Solo Founding: Freedom and Responsibility

Being a solo founder is a journey filled with freedom and choices. You get to decide when to work, what to focus on, and how to allocate your time. This freedom, however, comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities.

The Reality of Being Always On-Call

The moment you have live customers, the dynamics change. You become the tech support, the on-call person, and the face of your business. Whether it's a weekday or weekend, holiday or regular day, the pressure is constant. I recall a recent experience where I was on a train, returning from a holiday. I faced one outage on my way there and had to address two urgent customer requests during my break. In total, I spent about two hours on work during my week-long holiday. The truth is, as a solo founder, you can never fully disconnect.

Avoiding Burnout: Tactics for the Solo Founder

These are the things that have been helping me, and I've seen working for others:

1. Be Proactive: Recognize that burnout is a looming threat. Address it head-on before the pressure piles up. 🧠
2. Timebox Your Work: Set clear expectations for your customers. If you don't offer support on weekends, communicate that and stick to your boundaries. ⏲️
3. Outsource: Even if it's not a full-time role, consider getting help. A family member, a friend, or a freelancer can be invaluable. 🤝
4. Document Processes: Even if you're the sole operator, having critical procedures written down can be a lifesaver. 📋
5. Automate: Consider solutions like allowing users to self-refund if support isn't available. This reduces the load on you. 🤖
6. Measure and Prioritize: If you have a support form, include a questionnaire to gauge urgency. Focus on addressing critical failures first. 📊
7. Love Your Niche and Customers: Having a mission and passion for your niche will serve as an anchor during tough times. ❤️
8. Plan an Exit from the Support Role: No one can be on-call 24/7 indefinitely. Have a plan to transition out of this demanding position. 🚪

This post was kindly prepared by ChatGPT fuelled with PromptTree. The original authentic thought is mine, but it is structured and formatted by AI to save me time for playing with my son.

If you prefer bite-sized messages, you can follow my founder journey on Twitter.

I’m also happy to connect on LinkedIn.