Building The Machine #17: What is burnout?
Lack of control. I delve into this topic in my blog. To balance this newsletter I also am sharing some amazing links and resources.
What I am Writing✍️
This week I published my thoughts on burnout in a post: Burnout vs. Burnin which delves into what it is, how I define it, and what the opposite is.
I have been thinking a lot about burnout lately and what is happening throughout many early stage teams and companies. This feeling is common for many, and its usually only after the fact that people realize they were “burnt out” and need a break.
Sometimes this break can come in the form of time off or a vacation, while other times it means leaving the role completely. In my capacity as a fractional COO and a coach I see this all the time. The good news is that you are not alone, and the bad news is that nobody should feel this way.
The best description I have ever heard of burnout is “lack of control”. This means that you can actually be experiencing burnout without working 80 to 100 hour work weeks, but from a whiplash that happens without having control. You can even experience burnout working 40 hours a week (or 20!). Its not about the time worked its about the control you have.
So what does it mean to have burnin? It is the exact opposite of burnout…
What I am Reading📖
10 links to satisfy the reader in you too. Some news. Some Tweets. Some long form gems. It is always satisfying to collect and share these out.
1️⃣ Axioms to remember; This is one of the better Twitter threads I have read (originally in a newsletter) but reading through these was incredible. There are a series of gems like this one:
🔗 https://twitter.com/george__mack/status/1649835224312971266
2️⃣ Thinking about where we are vs where we should be.
🔗 https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy/status/1367871165319049221
3️⃣ A handful of coders have a hand in Bitcoin but who are they?
A handful of developers with power to change the cryptocurrency’s software hold an unorthodox role, are elusive—and have been known to head off disaster for the coin. “It can be very scary.”
🔗 https://www.wsj.com/articles/bitcoin-core-maintainers-crypto-7b93804
4️⃣ Venture Funding Hits 9 Year Low
News to nobody but I think this is from a complete lack of conviction. Anyone with capital should be investing at the pace they set out to do when they raised capital 2-3 years ago or 4-5 years ago.
🔗https://www.wsj.com/articles/venture-fundraising-hits-nine-year-low-c2b4774?mod=djemalertNEWS
5️⃣ Liam Neeson’s regrets
Incredible long form piece on what he thinks about not being bond, his movie career, and his special set of skills.
6️⃣ Some gem templates to share with your outsourced EA from Jon Matzner
I recommended his newsletter to my readers and this is a good example of why.
7️⃣ There Is No Break Coming for Parents — Ever
Tough title and great article. Parent? Then read on and see why things are stacking up. Not a parent? I bet you know someone who is or work with someone who is, and this is some great insight to what some experience.
🔗https://www.thecut.com/2023/01/parenting-in-2023-isnt-getting-easier.html
8️⃣ Pelo-Star Robin Arzon
#longread about Robin Arzon the Peloton instructor - where she has been and where she is going. Great read.
9️⃣ A history of market panics
History doesn’t repeat itself but it sure does rhyme! This is a great roundup of the market panics of yester-year and more.
🔗https://investoramnesia.com/2023/02/26/a-history-of-market-panics/
🔟 141 slides on climate change? You have come to the right place.
Its not all bad and heres my favorite outlook:
Tools I use 🛠️
Builder.io - In case you missed it, we launched GoFractional.com last week and we are using Builder for the CMS. Its a VERY powerful tool that developers and marketers love to make things work. I can use it as the dummy content writer that I am, and developers can use it to inject custom code and make modules the marketing teams can use. Its versatile, powerful, and worth every penny.
On My Mind 🧠
We launched GoFractional.com! The boutique community of fractional engineers and operators who want to plug into companies who need expert help. We offer interim talent that is a fractional of the price but drives exponential impact.
I am spending so much of my time thinking about how to grow the business, get clients, and find great companies for fractional people to work in.
Do you have someone that could benefit from a fractional CMO? Fractional product lead? I would love to hear about it and theres recurring revenue for you!