As a co-founder and ops manager, I used to think...

that being constantly in firefighting mode, answering Slack at 10pm, and duct-taping broken processes was just part of the job. It felt like if I took even a minute to step back, the whole machine would grind to a halt — like the only thing keeping it running was me not stopping.

But here’s what I learned: Being busy doesn’t mean you’re being effective. And being a founder shouldn’t feel like you’re holding the company together with caffeine and sheer willpower.

While others stayed stuck in reactive mode, I built systems that got my team on the same page, made projects run like clockwork, and reclaimed 20 hours a month to work on my "Important/Not-Urgent" tasks.

More traction, fewer fires, and actual breathing room? 100% possible.