I asked Chat GPT: "How should my average weekday look like if I want to be a successful B2B SaaS founder?" - I got some surprising answers

I'm the CEO & Founder of a B2B SaaS startup, also working as a growth advisor for B2B SaaS startups.

Since I started reading on an intensive and consistent basis in 2021, one of the things I was always trying to improve is how I structure my work days.

My belief is that success is largely dependent on your actions and habits each day and the consistency you can achieve in executing them. This belief of mine is based on:

• The book The Compound Effect, by DARREN HARDY
• The book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
• Benjamin Hardy, PhD's morning routine and posts
• Ian Koniak's recently shared morning routine

What I came up with when I was working full-time as a B2B SaaS founder was a workdays structured roughly like this:

1. Breakfast and morning routine (7:00am - 8:00am)
2. Learning time (8:00am - 9:00am)
3. Deep work block (9:00am - 11:00am)
4. Checking emails, messages, responding to requests (11:00am - 12:00am)
5. Lunch (12:00am - 1:00pm)
6. Afternoon work block (1:00pm - 6:00pm)

This morning I was thinking about this and I was thinking that I'm not sure the above was the most effective way to structure my day, so I was about to set out on a Google search session... when I remembered Chat GPT.

I asked the following in Chat GPT ("how should my average weekday look like if i want to be a successful b2b saas founder" - GPT-4)

I got the response below (my comments are in brackets and in italic):

Crafting an ideal weekday as a B2B SaaS founder depends on the stage of your startup, your personal strengths, and your team’s capabilities. However, a successful B2B SaaS founder typically embodies a mix of strategic planning, hands-on execution, team leadership, and customer engagement.

Here’s a general blueprint for an average weekday:

1. Morning Routine (6:00am - 7:00am):

Wake up and engage in a personal routine: exercise, meditation, reading, or any other activity that prepares you mentally for the day.

Review your day’s agenda and prioritize tasks.

2. Deep Work Block (7:00am - 9:30am):

Tackle the most important or challenging task of the day. This could be product strategy, funding preparation, or addressing a crucial business problem.

Avoid checking emails or any form of communication during this time. Focus is key. (Super important in my experience!!!)

3. Team Check-in (9:30am - 10:00am):

Brief daily stand-up meeting with your team to discuss progress, blockers, and set the direction for the day.

4. Customer & Sales Focus (10:00am - 12:00pm): (it was interesting to read about specific blocks focused on 1) Customer & Sales 2) Operational Tasks 3) Product focus!)

Engage in sales calls, product demos, or customer feedback sessions.

If you have a sales team, this could be a time to coach them, role play, or strategize for high-value accounts.

5. Lunch Break (12:00pm - 1:00pm):

Eat a healthy meal. If possible, take a brief walk or engage in an activity that disconnects you momentarily from work. (This! was really reassuring to read. I've always felt that I NEED an hour's worth of lunch break, but I had a hard time justifying it to myself)

6. Operational Tasks (1:00pm - 3:00pm):

Address emails, administrative tasks, or operational challenges.

Engage in hiring, partnerships, or vendor discussions.

7. Product Focus (3:00pm - 5:00pm):

Collaborate with your product and engineering teams. Discuss roadmap, review progress, or delve into product design and brainstorming.

Prioritize based on customer feedback and market needs.

8. Wrap-up & Plan for Tomorrow (5:00pm - 6:00pm):

Review the day’s accomplishments.

Set tasks and goals for the next day.

Check-in with any team members if necessary.

9. Evening Routine (6:00pm onwards):

Dedicate time to personal development. This could be learning new skills, reading, or networking events. (This was an out of the ordinary answer, as what I generally read is that the most effective time to learn is in the morning, at the peak mental state, when my mind is not filled with 100 other topics)

Spend time with family or engage in recreational activities.

Prepare for a good night’s sleep.

10. Continual Learning (Flexible):

Dedicate some time in the week for upskilling, be it about the latest in SaaS, technology trends, leadership, or anything relevant to your business.

Remember:

Flexibility: This schedule is a guideline. Real-life as a founder will often be more chaotic. Flexibility is key.

Delegate: As your company grows, delegate tasks that aren’t the best use of your time. (Also super-important in my experience, at one point I experienced that the amount of tasks are too much for me to take, and learned to delegate everything that could be done with at least 80% efficiency compared to what I could do it myself with)

Self-care: Burnout is real. Ensure you’re taking care of your mental and physical well-being.

Feedback Loop: Always keep a feedback loop with your customers. Their insights are invaluable.

The path to becoming a successful B2B SaaS founder is unique for everyone, but maintaining discipline, a clear focus, and a commitment to continuous learning can make a significant difference.

Wow! I thought Chat GPT did a pretty good job!

To double check if the sources are valid, I asked the following: "what are the main sources for the above?"

The answer:

The proposed weekday blueprint for a B2B SaaS founder is derived from a combination of common best practices in startup management, time management techniques, and knowledge about the SaaS industry, based on the following overarching concepts:

1. Deep Work by Cal Newport: This concept emphasizes blocks of uninterrupted, focused work which lead to significant progress on important tasks. Cal Newport's work on this topic has become influential in many professional circles.

2. Agile and Scrum methodologies: The daily stand-up meetings come from Scrum, a popular agile software development framework. These methodologies emphasize frequent check-ins, iterative work, and rapid response to feedback.

3. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: The idea of maintaining a feedback loop with customers and pivoting based on real-world data is a cornerstone of this methodology.

4. Time Management and Productivity principles: Ideas like starting the day with the most important task, or the "Eat the Frog" approach from Brian Tracy, recommend tackling significant challenges first thing.

5. Founder interviews and literature: There's a vast amount of literature, podcasts, and interviews with successful startup founders where they share their daily routines, challenges, and focus areas. Examples include resources like "How to Start a Startup" by Y Combinator or Tim Ferriss's interviews on "The Tim Ferriss Show."

6. General startup and SaaS knowledge: Over the years, the patterns of successful startup operation, sales focus, and product development have been well-documented in various case studies, books, and courses, all of which contribute to the knowledge base around the ideal functioning of a SaaS startup.

While the specific weekday blueprint provided is not directly pulled from one source but rather an amalgamation of these principles and practices, it represents a distilled version of recommendations tailored for a B2B SaaS founder. Always adapt such suggestions to fit your unique situation and personal strengths.

Pretty legit sources!

As I currently need to attend to our 1 year old in the mornings and after 5, I then asked: "is it possible to be successful if I can only do a 9-5 schedule due to family commitments?"

The answer:

Absolutely. It's entirely possible to be successful while maintaining a 9-5 schedule, even in the demanding world of startups. In fact, setting clear boundaries and ensuring a work-life balance can lead to higher productivity, fewer burnouts, and a healthier mental state. Here are a few things to consider and strategies to employ if you're maintaining a 9-5 schedule:

1. Efficiency Over Hours: Success isn't solely defined by the number of hours you work, but by the quality and efficiency of those hours. Use techniques like the Pomodoro method, time blocking, and focused deep work sessions to make the most of your working hours.

2. Set Clear Boundaries: Ensure your team and stakeholders understand your working hours. By setting clear expectations, you can minimize distractions and ad hoc requests that fall outside of your set times.

3. Prioritize Tasks: Given the limited hours, it's essential to prioritize tasks. Understand what's urgent and crucial and tackle those tasks first. The Eisenhower Matrix or the 2x2 matrix can be handy in this.

4. Delegate: As your startup grows, recognize that you can't do everything. Hire competent team members or use outsourced services for tasks that aren't within your core competencies.

5. Automate: Utilize tools and software that can automate repetitive tasks. For a SaaS business, this might include automated marketing campaigns, customer service bots, or analytics reports.

6. Lean on Asynchronous Communication: Tools like Slack, Trello, or Asana allow for asynchronous communication, meaning you can communicate tasks and updates without needing real-time back-and-forth.

7. Batch Tasks: Group similar tasks together to reduce the mental load of switching between different types of work. This could be as simple as checking emails at set intervals rather than throughout the day.

8. Schedule Regular Breaks: Short, regular breaks can help maintain high levels of focus and keep you refreshed, ensuring that your work hours are productive.

9. Quality Over Quantity: Instead of trying to do everything, focus on doing a few things exceptionally well. This can apply to features in your SaaS product, marketing channels, or any other aspect of your business.

10. Work-Life Integration: If there are moments within your personal life where you feel inspired or have a bit of downtime (like waiting during a child's practice), consider using mobile tools to jot down ideas or review tasks. However, be cautious to not let work dominate personal time.

11. Mindset: A strong belief in your ability to succeed, even within constraints, can be a significant driver. Counteract any internalized stigma about working "only" 9-5. Success stories abound about founders who made it work on a strict schedule or even part-time.

Finally, always remember that longevity and persistence often outpace bursts of unsustainable effort. Consistently applying yourself within your set hours over a longer period can yield as much, if not more, than erratic and prolonged hours that lead to burnout. Success is a marathon, not a sprint.

Omg, it was really reassuring to hear that you can have a normal family life and be successful as a B2B SaaS founder.

To make sure the answer was valid, I asked for some specific B2B SaaS examples:

Certainly! The B2B SaaS space has its share of founders who've emphasized work-life balance or have taken non-traditional routes to success. While the most well-publicized stories often highlight founders who seemingly work around the clock, there are successful B2B SaaS founders who've maintained more balanced schedules or started their ventures later in their careers:

1. David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) & Jason Fried: While Basecamp is a tool used by many, it's worth emphasizing again in the context of B2B SaaS. DHH and Jason Fried have been vocal about their 40-hour workweek (or even less during the summer months). Their book "It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work" sheds light on this approach. They stress the importance of calm, focused work over the frantic pace seen at many startups.

2. Natalie Nagele & Chris Nagele: Co-founders of Wildbit, the company behind products like Postmark, Beanstalk, and Conveyor. They've been outspoken about a balanced approach to work, with a clear focus on a 40-hour workweek and team well-being.

3. Giacomo (Peldi) Guilizzoni: Founder of Balsamiq, a wireframing and mockup tool. Peldi has often shared about his company's emphasis on work-life balance. Balsamiq maintains a sustainable pace, avoiding the usual startup burnout culture.

4. Wade Foster: The CEO of Zapier, a tool that connects various apps for improved workflow automation. While Zapier is a notable success in the SaaS world, Foster has spoken about the importance of downtime and work-life balance.

5. Rand Fishkin: While he's more associated with the SEO world, Rand's journey with Moz (and later SparkToro) is relevant. Moz started as a B2B SaaS tool for SEO. Rand has been transparent about the ups and downs of his journey, emphasizing mental health, work-life balance, and the dangers of overwork.

6. Brian Halligan: The CEO of HubSpot, a prominent marketing, sales, and service software. While HubSpot has had its growth phases, Halligan has discussed the significance of taking time off, recharging, and the company has implemented flexible working arrangements.

These examples provide evidence that success in the B2B SaaS space doesn't mandate relentless work hours. Many founders have emphasized a balance that takes into account personal well-being, family commitments, and other aspects of life outside of work. Balancing personal life with the demands of a startup is challenging, but as these stories show, it's both possible and rewarding.

I then asked: "Based on the above, can you suggest an average working day that fits between 9-5?"

The answer:

Certainly! Here's a sample 9-5 schedule that incorporates principles of efficiency and productivity:

1. Morning Preparation (8:45am - 9:00am)

Prepare your workspace, ensuring everything you need is at hand.

A quick glance at your to-do list to mentally prepare for the day.

2. Focused Deep Work Session (9:00am - 10:30am)

Dive into the most crucial task or project. This takes advantage of the morning's peak cognitive abilities.

Avoid checking emails or engaging in any form of communication during this time.

3. Short Break (10:30am - 10:45am)

Stretch, hydrate, or take a quick walk. This helps to reset and maintain productivity.

4. Communication & Collaboration (10:45am - 12:00pm)

Check and respond to emails.

Engage in any scheduled calls or team meetings.

Collaborate with team members on projects.

5. Lunch Break (12:00pm - 1:00pm)

Ensure you step away from your workspace. A change in environment or a short walk can be revitalizing.

This is a great time to mentally disconnect and recharge.

6. Operational Tasks & Admin (1:00pm - 2:30pm)

Handle administrative tasks, financials, or any operational chores.

Address any team concerns, hiring needs, or other managerial duties.

7. Short Break (2:30pm - 2:45pm)

Another quick reset to maintain energy for the rest of the day.

8. Product & Strategy Focus (2:45pm - 4:00pm)

Engage with your product or service, address feedback, strategize for improvements, or review metrics and analytics.

If relevant, collaborate with product or tech teams.

9. Wrap-up & Forward Planning (4:00pm - 4:45pm)

Review the day's accomplishments and any outstanding tasks.

Plan for the next day. Organizing your to-do list now ensures a smooth start tomorrow.

10. Learning & Growth (4:45pm - 5:00pm) (I'd move this to the morning and increase the time spent on it to between 30-60 mins, based on thoughts about learning from Warren Buffet, among others)

Spend the last few minutes of your workday on personal or business growth. It could be a quick read, watching a relevant video, or jotting down new ideas.

It's worth noting that everyone's peak productivity times might differ. Some people are more productive in the morning, while others might find their stride in the afternoon. Adjust this schedule based on when you're most energetic and focused. The key lies in recognizing your patterns and tailoring your day to leverage them effectively.

I thought the above structure was pretty good, with the one comment about the learning time block above.

If you are a B2B SaaS founder: what do you think of the suggested daily plans above? What are you doing differently?

Would love to hear your take in the comments.

About me: I'm the CEO & Founder of the B2B SaaS startup Event Intelligence and I also advise B2B SaaS startups on growth.

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