"I decided to start my company while I was on paternity leave. It's very woven together: starting a family and starting a startup happened along a similar timeline. I definitely have a lot of people who think that's a little insane. It is. I have wistful moments thinking about, "Man, what if I could do all this when I was 25 and single?" Then I quickly remind myself that I was an idiot when I was 25."
"It's very weird mentally. In a normal job, you have really intense days, and you come home and you tell your family, "I've got to take a breather." The problem is, every day at my job right now is intense. Our startup is in that crazy growth stage where everything is growing and breaking at the same time. If I come home and say, "Ugh, this is so intense," then I'm not going to be as present as a dad. I don't have that option."
Aaron Cannon founded Outset during paternity leave while living in San Francisco with his wife and three-year-old son. Outset is backed by Y Combinator and raised $30 million in Series B funding. Founding a company and starting a family occurred on similar timelines, producing intense, overlapping responsibilities that required ruthless prioritization. Extended periods on leave provided limited intellectual stimulation, prompting career daydreaming that led to company creation. The startup's rapid growth created nonstop operational intensity, leaving little emotional bandwidth to decompress and demanding constant presence with family despite work pressures.
Read at Business Insider
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