𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝘀𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Rohan* grew up in a household where his father was a school principal and his mother was a recruiter. During dinner conversations, he often heard discussions about their hiring challenges, particularly the complex task of matching talent with positions for long-term fit.

With a love for coding since middle school, Rohan studied software engineering in school. He landed his first job as an entry-level developer at a major HRIS (human resources information system) software corporation. While learning about corporate operations proved valuable, he kept pondering better ways to match job applicants with positions from those many dinners.

After one more corporate role, and despite his parent's preference for a steady career, Rohan leaped into entrepreneurship. His vision was to merge the structured approach of HRIS software with flexible matching algorithms for pairing candidates and positions. He saved enough money to give himself a one-year runway to tackle this challenge full-time.

Success arrived sooner than expected. Just four months after quitting his job, two large corporations (connections from his previous work) expressed interest in his platform. While Rohan had planned for a longer development timeline, he now faced mounting pressure to deliver quickly. Despite his enthusiasm, he found himself nearly exhausted and struggling to maintain the creative focus his project demanded.

Taking a step back, Rohan analyzed his energy patterns. He realized that his introverted nature demanded more solitary time to recharge and implemented a schedule that honored his energy levels, setting aside dedicated periods for deep work and solitude. He also grouped collaborative tasks—like customer updates and development sprint calls—to conserve energy and protect his focused work time.

To boost his mental clarity and resilience, Rohan began practicing yoga. He joined a virtual class with his parents, and though they didn't speak during sessions, this shared experience helped ease their concerns about his career choice. The connection also provided valuable support during challenging negotiations.

Rohan worked with both customers to push the start date and work with a version that had minimum features. He positioned the compromise as a way to give them something to try and incorporate their feedback into the future roadmap. Both companies agreed, and one would offer later to invest in his business.

Our Most Precious Resource

While all founders must manage their energy to drive their startups forward, introverted founders must be especially mindful of preserving theirs.

The demands of frequent networking, meetings, and public speaking can drain introverts more quickly than extroverts. In the fast-paced startup world, finding quiet time to recharge proves challenging. Introverts may also feel more affected by the intense pressure and stress common in startup environments.

Personal energy is your most precious finite resource. It's the driving force that transforms vision into reality, keeping everything in motion. You need this energy to lead effectively, create new products, reach new markets, drive performance, and navigate crises.

Maintaining the high energy levels required for innovation, execution, and growth is essential for success. We'll explore strategies for productivity, physical health, and mental well-being, all aimed at sustaining your energy while balancing business achievement with personal fulfillment. This post ends with a caution to build a better you, not the best "someone else."

Productivity Tips

If you're not actively pursuing your vision and well-being, you're likely following someone else's priorities. As an introvert often swimming in a vast ocean seemingly filled with extroverts, you may feel the undercurrent pulling you away from where you want to be headed. These are some ideas to best design your life around what truly matters.

Calendar Your To-Do List. Your priorities should be an extension of your vision. Block time for what matters most first. Everything else on your calendar should be secondary.

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule,

but to schedule your priorities."

– Stephen Covey

Start by identifying your top 2-3 learning objectives and scheduling them in your calendar. This blocking ensures you dedicate time to what truly matters. Remember to also block time for self-care to maintain resilience and enjoyment, as discussed in other chapters.

As new commitments arise, evaluate them against your priorities. Your time spent on meetings, projects, and tasks should align with these priorities. If your most important goal is getting the least attention, it's time to readjust your schedule.

Minimize Distractions. As an introvert, you're likely sensitive to distractions—yet as a founder, you'll face constant demands for your attention.

Set aside dedicated time for deep work and focus on completing one meaningful task that will significantly improve your life every day.

“Being busy is most often used as a guise

for avoiding critically important but uncomfortable

actions. Focus on being productive instead of busy.”

– Tim Ferriss

To achieve deep work, silence your phone, eliminate distractions, and let others know you're unavailable. Schedule specific times to check email and social media to maintain your focus.

Optimize Workspace. Creating an ideal physical work environment can enhance your well-being, spark creativity, and boost productivity—all vital elements for startup success.

Focus on the key elements of your workspace: lighting, temperature, and noise levels. Research shows that most people perform best with bright lighting, cool temperatures, minimal background noise, and an ergonomic setup with an upright chair and clean desk. However, your ideal conditions may differ. Consider adding a few carefully chosen inspiring elements, such as meaningful photos or quotes, to maintain motivation.

I thrive in a bright, cool, and quiet office. When focusing on complex tasks, I use instrumental music, switching to tracks with stronger rhythms when I need an energy boost. I prefer a clutter-free desk and minimal wall decorations, as I find too many visual elements distracting. In noisy environments like airports, over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones are essential.

Schedule Based on Energy. Identify your peak energy hours and schedule demanding tasks during these times. Save lighter work for when your energy naturally dips.

Tackle your most challenging or least appealing task when your energy peaks. While extroverts may find deep work draining, you might thrive during focused sessions. Consider scheduling these sessions outside regular business hours, saving your peak energy times for meetings and events that demand high engagement.

“Energy is our most precious resource, for it is

the means by which we transform our

creative potential into meaningful action.”

– Tarthang Tulku

Use your low-energy periods for tasks requiring less mental focus. These times are ideal for certain activities. For example, when I experience a post-lunch dip, I stay productive by taking a walk and making phone calls.

Own Your Meetings. As a startup founder, you know that meetings are essential for productivity, communication, and creativity. As an introvert, you may dread them.

I often feel anxious in meetings without clear objectives since they cause wasted time and missed opportunities. The cost isn't just in lost hours but in the frustration of stalled progress. I ensure every meeting I attend has a clear purpose and expected value.

When running a meeting, I ensure these elements are in place:

• Before: A clear agenda and designated facilitator and notetaker

• During: Focus on a single objective—what we aim to achieve, a collaborative note-taking system, and closure with assigned next steps and clear ownership

• After: Within 24 hours, distribution of the next steps with updated timelines and assigned roles for the following meeting

Yes, this process takes work. But this effort is minimal compared to the cost of unproductive meetings, lost ideas, and wasted time—especially considering that salaries are typically a company's biggest expense.

"Time is the scarcest resource and unless

it is managed nothing else can be managed."

– Peter Drucker

Follow Those You Love. Staying informed about news and industry insights helps generate the best ideas for your startup. However, too much information can become distracting, like a 16-page menu at the diner offering too many choices.

Here's my framework for gathering information effectively:

• Create a repository for items of interest

• Set aside one or two specific times daily to review media

• Unsubscribe from any newsletter that doesn't excite me

• Annually, trim 10-20% of my newsletters, podcasts, and video feeds

This framework helps me stay informed while maintaining both focus and enthusiasm for the content I consume. While you might develop your own approach, the core principle is having a system to curate new ideas—balancing innovation with effective time management.

Physical Health

Just as you would protect and support an essential co-founder, critical product, important client, major investor, or crucial employee, you must do the same for yourself.

Since you are vital to your startup's success, taking care of yourself isn't optional—it's necessary for the long haul.

Follow these steps to take care of yourself.

Sleep More. Quality sleep leads to higher energy and mental clarity during the day. Getting less than seven hours of sleep each night likely limits performance and ultimately wastes more time (due to distractedness and lack of focus) than working while well-rested. In other words, working extra hours today is counterproductive tomorrow when your productivity suffers from fatigue.

Here are ways to improve your sleep:

• Limit caffeine and alcohol, especially later in the day.

• Get sunlight during the day.

• Darken your bedroom.

• Avoid social media and videos near bedtime.

• Keep your bedroom cool.

• Skip sleep medications and supplements as they often reduce sleep quality.

When I travel, I use melatonin to adjust to new time zones. While it's commonly sold in 5 mg doses, I prefer the 1 mg tablets. They allow better control over dosage and help avoid drowsiness the next day.

For trouble falling back asleep, I rely on tips inspired by sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker.

I fall asleep listening to dry podcasts like Marketplace or Amateur Traveler. If I wake up during the night, I just restart the episode. In the morning, when I'm groggy, I pick up from the last part I remember. While these shows can be engaging for me, knowing I can revisit them the next morning takes away any pressure to stay awake and the subject is interesting but not captivating. And both hosts have calm voices.

When I can't fall back asleep within 10 minutes—often due to late caffeine—I follow Matthew Walker's advice: get out of bed. I’ll read or play a simple phone game until drowsy, then return to bed. This switch helps reinforce that the bed is mainly for sleeping.

On stressful nights, some people find it helpful to "empty their mind" by writing down their thoughts. If a thought repeats, you can tell yourself a version of “Nope, already covered!” and move to the next point.

Here's another technique that works: counting backward from 10,000. It's just challenging enough to require focus, yet mundane enough to quiet thoughts.

Exercise Better. Regular exercise—breaking a sweat three to five times per week—boosts productivity, mental clarity, and mood. Try to exercise outdoors most days to benefit from natural daylight, which provides vitamin D and helps regulate sleep patterns.

I combine my walks with productive activities like listening to podcasts or catching up with clients and friends. On challenging days or before important meetings, I prefer listening to music while walking, taking in my surroundings to clear my mind.

Some people opt for high-intensity interval training or quick, vigorous workouts. Others prefer team sports as a way to socialize outside work while having fun. For some introverts, moving around while interacting with people can feel less stressful. The key is finding physical activity that both gets you moving and helps manage stress.

Mental Health

Being a founder is a marathon, not a sprint, so you want to keep a limber mind.

Practice Mindfulness. Mindfulness practices help manage stress, maintain focus, and build resilience. Mindfulness is also a perfect transition from physical to mental health since these mindfulness practices combine physical techniques with cognitive benefits, helping to improve our overall state of mind.

Breathing exercises can significantly enhance performance. Nose breathing offers proven benefits, including lower blood pressure and better cardiovascular health. Many people use breathing techniques to regulate stress and increase self-awareness.

Practicing meditation for 10–20 minutes every morning helps prepare for the day and cope with stressful periods. While we can't control every stressor, we can control our reactions. Though I find meditation challenging, I notice myself becoming more distracted and discouraged when I skip my practice.

Yoga combines physical movement with mindfulness to keep you grounded and centered. It's particularly helpful for introverts needing solitary time to recharge (even in a group setting, you are mostly on your own).

Meditation may be a gift to introverts. Its benefits range from a clear sense of presence to a renewed sense of purpose. Evidence shows a real increase in the brain’s gray matter, improved emotional stability, and better focus in people who regularly meditate.

French philosopher Blaise Pascal seemed to know its benefits way back in the 1600s:

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s

inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

I’ve been practicing meditation for years now. While I have a tough time embracing the moment, letting go, and being free, I do know that on days when I skip meditation, I feel disorganized for much of the day.

Here are additional techniques to strengthen your mind and minimize distractions.

Journaling. Writing for 10–20 minutes daily offers powerful benefits. You may find journaling similar to conversing with a close friend—and perhaps even more effective since writing allows for freer expression of deep thoughts and can be done at any time. You may also discover enhanced creativity, better stress management, and improved goal achievement through this practice.

If this is new to you, try starting at five minutes every morning to write freely. Free-form writing means not reviewing or judging your work but simply letting the words flow. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover and the sense of release it brings.

News Fasts. Most media outlets rely on negative, polarizing stories to generate advertising revenue. To break free from this cycle's influence, I either avoid news entirely or limit it to once daily. If something truly important happens, I'll hear about it and learn more if I want.

During challenging times, it's especially important to avoid news consumption. There's no need to compound your stress and sadness unnecessarily.

Connection and Fun. Though you might be surrounded by people all day, maintaining genuine connections is vital. Spending time with unconditionally supportive people who let you speak honestly without judgment helps process challenges and reinforces self-worth.

Make time for at least one enjoyable activity each week. You may do these with someone close or alone.

I schedule fun as a recurring calendar appointment, ensuring I plan something enjoyable every week. While it's easy to sideline enjoyment when we have pressing responsibilities, neglecting fun eventually leads to burnout and decreased performance.

What Works for You

With all of these tips and techniques, heed the advice of Nat Eliason:

"Self-improvement isn't about becoming someone else.

It's about becoming a better version of yourself."

There’s a ton of self-improvement advice out there from people who have their own unique journeys or questionable motives. Rather than forcing yourself into someone else's routine, focus on creating a personalized approach that amplifies your strengths and accommodates your limitations.

Adopt a system for productivity and well-being aligned with your natural tendencies.

Also, you should realize meaningful progress happens slowly. With building new habits, direction is exponentially more important than speed. Any major new habit will take time to build and need to be constantly reinforced.

With change, focus on adding just one habit at a time—this is the key to lasting change. Be patient with yourself and give each new habit at least 6-8 weeks to take root.

Key Takeaway: Value your time as your most precious resource. Guard it carefully, aligning your schedule with long-term priorities and the need for focused, deep work. Build strong, consistent, and personalized habits to boost your resilience and success.

How Can I Keep Learning? These techniques offer many possibilities. Pick one that captures your interest. If you're not ready to apply it yet, learn more about it in the next two weeks. Alternatively, reach out to 3-5 other founders to learn their best stress management strategies.

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* Rohan's story is a fictional account inspired by various people and situations I've encountered over the years. It was created to provide another perspective on this topic.

For a longer list of Productivity Tips and Techniques: https://bit.ly/3VBeHMA

90% of startups fail. Build Scale Grow solves problems for fast-growing startups, specializing in Social Impact, EdTech, and Health Tech and focusing on Introverted Founders.

I wrote this post with AI editing. This is a paid stock image.

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