Matt Shobe is a startup founder and entrepreneur. He was previously a co-founder of what Might AI, Feedburner, and Spyonit. He is an alum of Purdue University and is currently residing in Seattle, Washington.
Matt is an entrepreneur who successfully co-founded and sold a number of companies and throughout all of that time, he was a dad, raising children while also making waves in business.
For the whole work-life balance to work you really just need to set your own barriers. Be 100% available to work when it is work time, and then be fully present and focused on the family when it is family time. Be the most present parent you can be and the most accountable and responsible co-worker.
Most certainly it is possible to start a company while also being a parent. When Matt Shobe, Dick Costolo, Eric Lunt and
Steve Olechowski started their first company called SpyOnit, they had all already had kids, which allowed them to have similar mindsets and to be on the same page about working hard but also going home to their family. Co-founders all had empathy for each other and were willing and able to help each other when needed.
SpyOnit was a software started by Matt Shobe, Dick Costolo, Eric Lunt and
Steve Olechowski. It was the first alerts platforms that could tell me when something I care about changes on the internet and in real life.
People who do not have kids have no idea how much physical and emotional exhausting kids cause.
There is no manual for having a child, but you will figure it out with trial and error.
The child does not come with an instruction manual. You don't know what you will do next, but somehow you figure it out along the way.
The team was consulting to pay the bills while working on their startup. Meanwhile, startup bubble was growing. Napster just hit its prime, Webvan was going full speed, T1 internet line were the bomb.
You can't get anywhere without working hard, but you can work smart and have overlapping skillsets. Care about each other's work, but focus on your own and do that well. Let each other do their part. CTO should be technical, CEO should be raising money, CPO can build a product and talk to users...etc.
You can't get anywhere without you know. There's nowhere to hide and you either contributing and adding value or you hitting the bricks. But by being smarter about how you do work as a co-founding team can make a huge difference.
According to Matt Shobe, having a predictable schedule can really help to separate work time and time with family, making it easier for all involved. The working parent would know when to stop and switch gears, and the family would know when to expect time with dad.