Founders pay a high price for overworking. We glorify the grind. Even brag about it.

But here’s the truth: If you’re still working 50-hour weeks after 5 years in business, you’re in danger.

It means your business:

– depends on you
– isn’t systematized
– isn’t ready to scale

Working harder means going faster in the wrong direction. The destination? Burn out.

It looks like this:

– You snap at people
– You make bad decisions
– You try to escape the stress

Working harder just creates a bigger trap. It’s time to rethink your strategy. Exhaustion, stress and frustration are signals that your business can’t run without you.

Overworking won’t get you where you want to go.

It just makes you tired.

Keep this in mind: The more hours you work, the less valuable your business becomes because no one wants to buy a business that is killing the founder and you don’t want to own one either.

Instead, start thinking of yourself as an investor and turn your business into an asset. Systematize your business so it can run without you.

Because then you have options: Keep it and scale, hire someone else to run it for you, or exit when you’re ready.

That’s the ultimate freedom.