How we built a startup culture that doesn’t burn people out

I’m a co-founder of Kinde, where we build infrastructure for SaaS businesses. Auth, billing, and feature flags, so teams can move fast without duct-taping half a dozen tools together.

Like a lot of startups, we care about speed.

But we don’t run on survival mode, performative hustle, or checking who's online at 9am.

We work in what we call “adult hours.”
It’s not just about flexibility, it’s about creating space to do our life’s best work, sustainably.

Here’s what a typical day looks like for me:

• Gym at 6am — first win of the day
• Morning meetings stacked early
• Midday reset — walk, lunch, sun
• Deep work in the afternoon
• After-school time with my kids
• Quiet night session, if I feel like building again

It’s not rigid—it’s intentional.
A rhythm built around energy, not hours.

I wrote more about how we structure work at Kinde, and why it’s helped us move faster without burning out:
👉 https://kinde.com/blog/startups/adult-hours

Curious if other founders or indie hackers are doing something similar, or struggling to find their rhythm. What’s working for you?