Hmm... that could be Minghao, Rick, Steven, and Charlie. Credit: Smh.com.au
Tencent’s founder, Pony Ma, once said that as an employee you love the weekends and holidays. But once you are an employer, you can’t wait for the holidays to be over because the payroll and overheads keep going regardless.
His words are true, speaking from personal experience. And with so much things at hand with our team right now, especially with Startup Asia, I confess I did fantasize scenes of putting Minghao, Rick, Steven, and Charlie in an endless job factory line with nasty pandas forcing them to work. They know I’m joking of course, otherwise this article wouldn’t be published here!
At my usual meeting/work place at the center of Singapore, it is common to see ladies giggling about what they have bought for their friends and men carrying bagfuls of presents for their children. I admit I do envy this part of their lives. It looks great — filled with laughter and happiness. But most likely that is just one small part of their lives, the tip of an iceberg that includes a lot of hard work as well.
This is the period when most people have fun while the entrepreneurs are still slogging their way through. There isn’t time to waste, and celebrations have to be kept to a minimal. I believe most entrepreneurs would think this way. You don’t have time for Christmas and holidays, and just want to keep working because seeing your startup grow gives you the adrenaline to keep pushing forward.
Of course on the other hand, you recognize that it’s good to keep the mind healthy. Taking some time off might be a good option to reflect and plan your the next move. And Christmas (which is just next week!) looks like a good period for all entrepreneurs to do that. I hope we all can strike the right balance, though personally I’m leaning towards work — with a Skype meeting for Startup Arena lined up next on the sched!