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Key Takeaways Daniel Lubetzky built Kind Snacks into a multibillion-dollar company, then sold it for $5 billion in 2020.
The Shark Tank star’s routine often meant getting only four or five hours of sleep a night.
Lubetzky said the relentless schedule affected his health and appearance.
Daniel Lubetzky knows firsthand how quickly ambition can become all-consuming and destructive. Before selling Kind Snacks for $5 billion in 2020, he built the snack company into a multibillion-dollar business while regularly getting just four or five hours of sleep a night.
The Shark Tank investor recently told Business Insider that his pace of work left him looking like a “phantom raccoon.” He spent little time sleeping, seeing sunlight or working out as he focused on growing the company. Lubetzky said the experience showed him why setting limits matters.
“You have to work hard, but you need to find the balance between working hard and also reminding yourself that it’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint,” Lubetzky told the outlet.
That challenge may be even more pronounced in the AI era. AI gives founders more capacity to juggle projects and handle work they once would have handed off to others. However, AI tools are always available. They make it easier to stay plugged in constantly and split attention across too many priorities.
Lubetzky’s tips for founders to avoid burnout
Lubetzky said that startup founders will likely face stretches of time when work demands their full attention, particularly during a company’s earliest stages. Still, his experience leading Kind taught him that nonstop intensity eventually takes a toll unless founders create room to reset.
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