Am I Even a Founder If I’m Not That Busy?

There’s a certain corner of Twitter where startup founders live —Or at least, where they perform being alive.

“Up at 4 AM for founder flow time.”

“Quick sprint: launched three new features before school drop-off.”

“Back-to-back investor calls, team syncs, then built the pitch deck on my Peloton.”

It’s like a startup Olympics of who can outwork, outwake, or outburnout everyone else.

And then there’s… me.

I’m a founder. I’m building. But I’m not that busy. And to be honest? I’m also kind of figuring it out as I go.

Some days, I’m in flow. Other days, I’m in fetal position. I’ll have one brilliant idea, followed by 72 tabs open and no idea which one actually matters. There are moments when I feel laser-focused and visionary.

And others when I’m like, “Wait… what is a CAC again?”

I work. A lot. But I also nap when the baby naps — sometimes (because yes, that advice works at 8 weeks and 38 years). I answer emails in my head and forget to actually send them. I read founder threads like they’re gospel, then immediately forget what they said.

And I’ve asked myself more than once:

Am I doing this wrong? Should I be grinding harder? Talking louder? Launching faster? What do they know that I don’t?

But here’s what I’ve figured out:

“Busy” doesn’t equal “effective.” And “chaotic” doesn’t mean “important.” Most of us are just making it up as we go — some are louder about it than others. There’s this invisible pressure — especially in tech/startup land — to look busy. To sound like you have it all figured out. But building something real doesn’t always look impressive.

Sometimes, it’s quiet.

Sometimes it’s slow.

Sometimes it’s just a very determined person Googling “how to set up OAuth” with tears in her eyes and oat milk on her shirt.

Maybe I’m not busy because I’m not trying to prove anything. Maybe I’m building something thoughtful. Something lasting. Something that doesn’t require a megaphone or a meltdown to matter.

So no, I’m not that busy. And no, I don’t always know what I’m doing.

But I’m doing it anyway.

And if you’re in that same boat — Quietly figuring it out, doubting yourself a little, wondering if you’re behind…

You’re not.

You’re right on time.

Let the internet brag.

We’ll be over here actually building.

-a