Poll: Bay area startup founders/C*Os/early employees: how much do you work?
I'm sitting here having a debate with my wife about the effect that moving to the valley would have on our life and our marriage. I have a question for Hacker News: if you're the founder or early employee of a funded startup in the bay area: how much do you work?

I am located in Atlanta. I am a serial, degenerate entrepreneur. Its in my blood, I can't help it. I am bootstrapping a startup: Cloud Stenography. At present, according to Rescuetime, I'm averaging 14 hour workdays, six days a week. Thats... 84 hour work weeks. The reason I work so much is because I consult for 40-50 hours a week, so I have to work double time just to get anything done. This is not a sustainable amount of work for a family and a marriage, because when combined with my lengthy commute into the city several days a week, the work week is more like 90+ hours. That leaves little time for much else: family, exercise, etc.

Its an important question for me particularly, because earlier this year I woke up at 4AM to drive to an early startup breakfast group in the city, had a really long day doing what I had to do, and what I wanted to do (met with a bunch of friends to talk about their startups), then made the long commute home. I was tired. I was in a car accident that I wouldn't have been if I had been more awake. I got a concussion, some mild but persistant brain damage, was really dumb for several months, and I still have daily headaches for which I pop pills like candy just to live a normal life. I have the very real sense that my lifestyle is not sustainable, and so we're probably moving: either back into downtown Atlanta, or to the valley.

My wife accompanied me on a trip to the valley recently, and ever since we've talked about the possibility of moving there. My contention is that if I either worked at a startup as an early employee, or was able to get financing for my own company there (something I feel would be much more likely than in Atlanta, if only because I would learn more about how build a company in that environment), that I would be able to work more like 60 hour work weeks, 10 hours a day six days a week, instead of 90+ hour work weeks. This would give me more time for my wife, for children we want to have, etc. The other issue here is that we are relatively isolated, and so its a lot harder to 'get things done' here than there is in that density.

She tells me I'm kidding myself, that even though I would get more done there... that the environment would consume me, that I would work just as much, be more successful, and our life would be the same. She is supportive, and so she is ok with that. I'm not. If we're going to move there, I want it to be because its a more sustainable life. One thing I noticed during the week we were there: I was able to get a whole lot done during the working day, and after that... I did not want to talk about or think about work. I paid attention to her. Here, I finish a day of consulting and my second workday starts. Its only a few hours long. As a result when I spend time with her I am distant, thinking about technology and frustrated.

When I envision our life out west, I see myself healthy and happy because I can surf often. I see myself having one job, instead of two, so I'll have more time for my wife and our eventual children.

We haven't really decided, but my thinking is that if I worked in the mid-peninsula, we could live at or near Half Moon Bay, and if I worked in SF proper we could live at or near Pacifica. I could then surf daily, or at least several times a week. Last year I moved to Florida for 8 months and learned to surf a longboard. In the process I got in the best shape of my life and lost about 50 pounds - which I promptly gained back when we moved to Atlanta. I'm never, ever as at peace as I am sitting on a board on a glassy smooth day at the lineup, with a set coming on the horizon. Ironically, in Florida I ended up pairing with the one other technology entrepreneur in our rural Florida town, who taught me to surf - and yet another startup was born. I can't help myself, wherever I go there will be startup. We moved back to Atlanta because I needed to be in a technology center, but I miss the surfing. It is very important to me. Silicon valley is a place where I can surf, and be immersed in startup culture.

The main issue many people bring up is cost. When we compare costs, we come up with this: because we overpay for rent now, our housing cost would be the same, but we would have to cook at home more. We view that as a good thing.

It pains me to talk about leaving my native state of Georgia, because I love it here. But I am coming to realize that maybe the most important thing is to move somewhere that my lifestyle is most sustainable. That the valley would be that for me is based on an assumption about the workload involved. If I'm wrong, if the typical work week is 80+ hours... then maybe I have the wrong idea about moving there.

We're sitting here discussing it... and like a dork, I said we need more data. And so I put it to hacker news: If you're in the bay area, and you are a startup founder, C*O, or early employee (say < 10) at a startup... how many hours a week do you work? It really matters to me.

Although I am interested in input from all of you, please only vote if you are in the bay area. Thanks!

Please choose one :)