#40 - The Break is the Work
I’m writing this on the last day of the Vancouver WebSummit, one of the biggest tech conferences in the world. I’ve always wanted to go. But somehow, I missed the first three days—on purpose.
I got to Vancouver a week ago, ready to go all-in on my startup, Wednesday Waffles, with my co-founders.
The first thing I did was set up my new work desk. The second thing I did was glue my ass to it.
I had one big goal for my first week here: finish a highly-requested feature for my Shopify app, QuickGift. Once done, my girlfriend could grow that revenue stream for us while I focus fully on Wednesday Waffles for the summer.
I thought it would only take a day. I was wrong. I didn’t plan for half the tasks I needed to do, and the ones I did plan for took twice as long. Classic.
I ended up skipping the first three days of WebSummit. I told myself working on my startup felt more "founder-like" than walking around a conference listening to people talk about their startups.
Gift Receipt Email Customization in QuickGift — it’s live now!
This morning, I finally went to WebSummit. Mostly because I didn’t want to waste the ticket.
Now I’m sitting here, right after hearing JaVale McGee and Metta World Peace talk about their new careers in venture capital. And I’m asking myself: did I make the right call this week?
In just three hours, I’ve learned a bunch, had some fresh ideas, and feel more excited to get back to work. Skipping a few hours of desk time was totally worth it.
I’m not mad at myself, but I’ve made a note for next time: a little change in routine can go a long way.
Routine helps you get work done. But breaks—planned ones—make the work better. A week of pure output feels productive, but creativity needs input. Talking to someone outside your usual circle, walking without your headphones, going to a conference like this—those things shake your brain awake.
Sometimes, the break is the work.
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See you next week — Rayhan