Happy 2023 and a happy new year of the rabbit. 

Today we bring you another episode on the Starting Y Podcast, where we talk about the WHY of Entrepreneurship.

This new year, Michelle and Jörn are getting together to discuss their plans for the future. Both entrepreneurs are passionate about chasing their dreams and helping others do the same. The topic of their discussion: what to change, since the new year is already here.

At the forefront of this conversation is how Michelle and Jörn can get more productive, healthier, and stay focused throughout the year. 

Jörn started intermediate fasting from one day to another, he does not need a year to go by to promise to get better the next one.

Michelle is currently experimenting with having two work days in one, meaning she plans mornings and afternoons as separate workdays with dedicated schedules and goals. Also, she treats quarters as years and squeezes as much in 3 months, as she used to into a whole year. 

Jörn is having one hour each week on Mondays the “hour of the skunk” together with a friend where they hold each other accountable for doing their least favorite thing e.g. accounting, cold calls, and so on.

The Host:

• Michelle, a radio, and podcast host based in Silicon Valley. She is a lawyer by training and has worked in and with many startups, especially fintech and blockchain. Currently, she is working for several non-profit organizations and startups. Michelle is the host of the Stanford Radio Show “Laptop Radio (Wednesdays 2–4 PM)”, which is also available as a podcast (https://linktr.ee/laptopradio). You can learn more about Michelle here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laptopradio/
• Jörn is a podcaster, startup scout, and entrepreneur based in Frankfurt, Germany. He has more than 12 years of management consulting background, with a focus on financial services and capital markets, as well as working as a startup scout. He hosts an English startup podcast, covering the German startup scene (https://linktr.ee/startupradio) You can learn more about Jörn “Joe” here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joernmenninger/

You can suggest questions here, use #startingy. Follow our hosts on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StartingY1

[0:00] Music.

[0:12] Here we ask entrepreneurs actors investors Innovative and artists on The why.

Why they are doing what they are doing what motivates and drives them and why can't they stop.

[0:35] New Year Chilean how a there is the Chinese New Year coming up pretty soon so I can say Shin Yuan Hao what can you say.

Her son in fire log y Le is in Mandarin happy is it the same is the same.

[0:53] Awesome I think your Chinese is better than mine.

[1:01] I don't need double on even one curse word in Chinese so yours is better than mine.

I'm really excited to be here and speaking with you about.

[1:17] The new year and also this year.

What inspires you for the beginning of the new year did you make any New Year's resolution yes and no I don't necessarily stick to the New Year Juice.

To start something new for example people watching me on YouTube may have realized that I'm losing weight don't worry I'm not sick I started intermediate fasting because.

Always a little bit overweight and that is something I just started from one day to another tack just decide I'll try it out so I don't need one year to end,

just to start something you are try to

always do it not to keep it too dull how about you I don't have any resolution usually I have an intention for the entire year but I don't have anything that you know like losing weight or,

gained 10 pounds or exercise more at,

I'm am doing those things anyways I started on it and I think every day is a new year for me

so like I wake up and it's a new day so it was New Year and I think what is what is new this year for me

or that started last year is.

I've been redefining my days and my hours it has changed my life a little bit but I don't know this is still an experiment I don't know whether it's good and bad for example.

[2:44] I really find my day so I have two days in one day.

So like have some morning day in the evening day for the day.

[2:55] And so after the first day in that day I will basically have a break and I would evaluate that day and then I would then begin my second day in that day

and then I also have a child figure I think you guys might have heard about that on YouTube and whatnot

but one quarter is my one year and usually people do it one or the other I am really efficient already but.

You know I think I'm kind of killing myself by doing that but it's been really interesting so you know like 1/4 is one year for me.

[3:34] So I wouldn't have goals you know but not New Year resolution.

Yeah things I wanted to accomplish for that 1/4 and then for that 1/4 which is one year.

And then so I would have four years in one year.

And my one year is definitely two years since I have two days 20 years it's been a lot of fun,

it's very productive and I don't recommend it because I think people might burn out I'm just playing with it.

[4:05] A one question here how many hours do you work each day to really have two days.

In one working day is at like in 16 hours a day no no it just kind of depends I saw before my two days in one day.

You know I usually worked or play for the entire day,

but you know you know that from a psychological perspective you're not productive.

And we our so I usually get into the flow so my,

you know my hours are completely different from from people anyways but so you know like so it depends you know like sometimes you can expand and restrict time.

Sometimes I would you know be on the computer for for one day or one you know or you know the one day and that day.

You know I would like to two hours but I'm in the flow so I got everything done you know then I would take a break you know take a nap or whatnot or go out.

You know then I will start the second you know day and the second day could be you know five hours 10 hours it could be 1 hour,

so as long as I'm in the flow I get things done and you know my day has no light our limitation you know because because member you know time doesn't exist and so you can expand time.

[5:26] I could be you know like be on a computer for two hours and get you know like normally eight hours of things done.

But unproductive and and another thing that I've done and even before I redefine the days is that you know sometimes I just need to do three things in one one normal day 20 you know 24 hours a day.

And that's my day right.

[5:49] So I think I think if you you know focus on the main task that you wanted to do or time block stuff then.

You know you can have your first day focusing on you know some of the three things and then your second day.

Focusing on you know like some of the other things like executing certain things.

You know I like it's been super productive I've gotten you know probably things done for the entire year already you know but but I think but I call it an experiment because.

You know I've liked actually is a little bit different because I've actually worked when I was managing you know a team and like a Dev team and also like.

I think I did a lot of Art and animation at 3 a.m. the morning before and it burns me out right so.

[6:41] When I redefine my day really doesn't mean that you're on the computer basically all the time I think when we think about the day we think about morning and night.

And then you know the the meat of what you're doing so you know I think if I'm going to the mall and get something to eat you know that could be another day.

[7:00] But you have you know that kind of personal time and free time away from the computer while you can relax personally I also found.

That a definition of a day is pretty flexible for me,

what is very important for area is two things first I think I told you this you end the listeners before a one thing I do is I got together with a friend of mine who is also a freelancer,

and one hour each Monday we have something we call the our of this Gunk that is the time when we hold each other accountable to do two things we least like to do one hour you transom yeah that that,

kept me quite recent on accounting.

[7:45] And plus also I think like bookkeeping and accounting oh my gosh I've been doing that and,

all right it's not like the most fun you know like I love Quicken.

You know about doing it night and day is it's just a different story right

exactly the other thing I found is most productive if I have like a really paper-based to-do list just next to me and I can cross out things,

and I start thinking what should I do in the most inconvenient most important thing goes on top of the list and answer first thing I'll tackle,

that really really worked out for me even though I'm not the most productive guy like in the early morning when I dropped off my oldest son in the kindergarten but nonetheless I could power through and would have also realized is.

It gives me a lot of energy and it actually helps me to be a little bit more productive when a take in the afternoon after lunch,

my little boy in my baby stroller and take a little walk like 30 minutes together with him he gets a good rest he usually falls asleep and I have time to like really cool down my brain.

[8:59] Think of something new or listen to other podcasters yeah that's something I do a little bit more stuck in the old like one year one year cycle I like the idea of thinking about

Waters as years I have to admit I have also already planned

likely weeks when I'll take time off because I realized.

There's like you said there's nobody else watching out for you if you get a burn out or not

make sure you don't work more than like 12 hours a day that is something else I did really really badly in my first year as a hunter,

and that's why I did the same thing yeah I

I try to hold myself accountable not only for reaching my Master's for rooting for fulfilling my to use but also.

To really take time off and admittedly it's even a little bit more than it would have been granted by my Employers in Consulting but,

I also tend to work even more so I think that's okay plus with it also did is I have.

when there are some important startup events that I'm at least considering to 10 so I have a big paper based calendar here on the wall and there is like one color all the potential vacations,

and one color I'm all the events I'm going to attend awesome yeah I think I think at any events,

those are really good good brakes I think when I first became an entrepreneur I didn't realize,

because I was I wasn't attending a lot of events I was mainly.

Just on the computer working and I would sometimes walk until 3 4 a.m. 5 a.m. in the morning like I would have meetings she would fall down and I would still be having meetings and working

and then until then one day I just couldn't get out of bed anymore like literally

and I was animating and doing all right in the middle of the night because I would have to manage people on the daytime have people in the office,

so it was it was just very interesting.

You know and so and that doesn't work and I think is healthy balance between going savants.

until then one day when a one-year my intentional has been known and you know and then and then I was just making YouTube videos because I was just like oh I don't care about being known so this year I'm going to work on being known.

As an intention but not as you know not as a New Year's resolution because those are usually short lists I think it when you have an intention there's not such a stressed or if you don't need it.

But that's really what you wanted to tell the universe that you want it to do so you actually have the power of the universe to help you.

Where's this one you have a New Year resolution you just you know basically will I go at 5:00 I'm going to go see Jim.

You know and sometimes you know after February or so that's it you know really laughs.

Yeah I went through the same actually did and you've already talked about March and because what I usually do is I sit down towards the end of June and think about what I want to do and how far I've gotten

because there's nothing.

Worse than having goals for half a year 3/4 of year that you already know you cannot achieve.

Yeah therefore I tend to do a lot of this work during the summer,

and also doing a lot of preparation work because I don't know if the same for you but in July and August it is less busy so you have.

Maybe two or three completely in uninterrupted days of week.

We can really get stuff done and that's something I really rely on that is some that is something I try to keep that why I'm former main podcast I'm not sticking to the schedule once a week.

I have been toying with complete summer break at least for the month of August.

But it turns out a lot of choose a lot of apps basically kick you out when you don't do.

just in order to stay afloat because then you really see it in September in October November to completely go through the roof

but then there is a quite time shortly before the holidays everybody is busy and then it goes up again yeah that's at least my experience

I agree with you even with a fifth person 12-year week year I think it was recommended that you take a break between the weeks as well maybe you can look it up I think it's a popular thing I don't know whether it's healthy or not but,

it allows you to reach concrete goals

in a very short amount of time which I think you know we all want but is something to experiment you with you know as this experiment a lot because you know like it may not work with you

like when I was in college I didn't really study that much but I still do do all.

And you know that's what I realized to be like when you are having fun you tend to be more motivated I used to.

When I used to go out I used to subconsciously think about my projects and when I actually sit down and write an essay you know I just did it on the spot you know because.

you know does something with your mind you're basically in you know really higher vibrations email because you're going out you're having fun and you're meeting people and so.

You know and you're learning as you go and experiment the other world versus being in front of the computer all day being in the same environment.

And see what works for you would actually also that is something I learned is usually you say when you go to an event for most people it's just a waste of time.

Don't get me wrong you don't have to attend like one event week I actually would not recommend that,

but at least one look for one big event each quarter that is something,

I'm doing right now and it kind of keeps the balance because as you said you're having fun you connected to other people you meet potential Partners new clients

whatever you find somebody who tells you about this library of this and that and you can use it any coding.

Or something like this yeah like completely agree yeah because if you were talking a lot about time yeah today and I think it's great because.

goals one of the biggest goals of this year is basically to reduce complexity and get rid of extra work

I'm trying to squeeze in two additional hours each week of sports

and I try to squeeze in like one hour with my little son each.

Each week just just just taking walk with him in the in the in the baby buggy in the baby stroller that

that is a sometime I have check from the world because I'm a family father I cannot always stay up that late because in the morning I have to get up get my kid ready for kindergarten and so.

the gaps in between as best as I can and I realize if I'm not 100% before the laptop all the time before my computer screens it is much more productive for me

yeah I completely agree I do believe I can also squeeze out like two or three hours of,

basically the time that I need out of my work just getting complexity to the absolute minimum and throw out extra work for example for my main podcast I used to write

new sweaters in LinkedIn and sub stack in MailChimp and in WordPress which basically filled a Friday morning now I got it.

Reduced I write it in Lincoln,

I copy pasted make a few adjustments in WordPress make a few adjustments in sub stack and data it goes out through thousands of people and that's it awesome.

And as you can tell Michelle is recording from her home and one of the family members just bumped it again so we'll go here patiently.

Thank you you welcome my brother just bombed this.

you know it's always hard.

I'm spending time with my with my dad and you know and my family,

it's pretty awesome I actually like California went to call out on a few places you know.

how do you like the rain right now as I'm president it's just it's just never had rain like this before we had to like a level 5 rain in California and it was

it's been helling like raining liberal Health bumps.

Like in the morning so it's been lucky too because I think it was stormy on Monday but it happened in the current mostly in the evening and not in the daytime,

it always reminds me of a very old song with Louis Armstrong would you like to take a walk,

he says it never rains in California that always is it back of my mind when I hear in the morning when I'm taking a shower through my smart speaker,

I hear a lot of different news outlets including CNN and they,

just recently always had coverage of the rains in California like 25 counties under the flood warning and stuff like this,

I hear it yeah yeah Dennis I do believe her survival question how do you plan to survive the next recession the potential recession,

yeah I think like for me since I've like you know do different things I think I met you know be fine I think.

You know since I'm you know are not employed anywhere I think my lifestyle and everything is the same,

so I think I'll be able to survive and I haven't really spent a lot of money so you know I think that's always pretty good,

so that means you know a near you don't have a real job generally what do you think when you know when there's a recession I just feel like.

You know as an entrepreneur you're used to not spending a lot of money not you know just.

My life as an entrepreneur is like the complete opposite of what you see on YouTube like the entrepreneurs with a flashy watches the big cars and the Arts.

The complete different other page I'm yeah I'm I'm in my study which is something like 12 square meters it's really tiny and basically.

Square meat-eaters to eat.

It's a it's not even 130 square feet my study and then basically spending most of the time in here like day and night and sometimes I realize on left onok the sun is already gone again so.

So I think as an entrepreneur I think you kind of learn because I think one of the question before I even,

you know kind of quit my job is you know how much do you need to survive you know because I used to live in a bubble you know where.

You don't really know how much people what's going on in the world what people need you know because you can.

Yes exactly if you could do anything you kind of you kind of want you can buy anything you want.

So I think it was just an easier transition because then I was trying to be a minimalist as well so I don't really drive like fancy cars and whatnot.

So I think my lifestyle is still the same and so you know to answer the question whenever there's a recession when you don't really need a lot of money,

for your lifestyle you do you know it's a little bit the same I think exactly and you know what you don't drive a fancy car I don't own a car right now nice,

guys I don't I don't have a car and you know what's also funny yeah I I don't own a car

and the bicycle I own is something an uncle of my wife gave me so it's like 30 years old I had some stuff redone like lights in the brakes and stuff like this but you can still tell it's it's a

20 30 year old bicycle

awesome I love I love antique so I mean sometimes like you know like I took me a couple of years so I mean upgrade my phone I know it sounds really bad but I had like.

And you know like what I miss the most though is my like iPhone cover you know even though it was like so old it's just like oh I just want to give it up but you kind of have to because I don't no longer fits and it's just so old,

you have to like dump it but I just have some so like as a lot has a lot of memory because this with you all the time wherever you go right this is kind of holds your phone but.

Yeah I think clay.

Spending a lot of money I guess you know and see what is essential to you and it doesn't mean that you're not going to spend money like it.

For example right I think if you wanted to buy like a little bit of time you know and they break as a shoes you know.

And if that's important to you do that you know but what could you do otherwise.

You know it like like but you know I think if you do like 10 20 things you know that are the same priorities Youth and then is like super different right I think.

Recession is a time for you for fire still prioritize you know what we really want or need.

And then kind of addict oily and then you know or find a ways to start things,

you know so that you can meet your own needs I think if you want to buy like 20 Louboutin a month,

you know and that's really your priority but you know you think of ways I actually make money during the recession you know and provide value to people that could be done as well.

Yeah yeah I know I have a yeah mine was so old so my God I guess it's just the only reason I upgrade is because.

There are certain things I can do with a phone technology because it's so old and I do I work on a lot of AI stuff in 3D,

and I just couldn't do certain things for my phone so I have to you know like like that Michelle question did it still did it still have something to wind it up,

no I basically probably does I.

you know and and it's it's part of some reason I still miss my old phone just because I feel like I'm more familiar with its eyes you know and everything but even though.

It's a new phone and I still feel like it's still a stranger to me I know it sounds really weird,

I see I see see see my most intimate thing is Polly our phone ray especially in this day and age that is true that is true so save your money,

have a lot of cash because I just realized I went through a little dry spell and,

basically I had to make sure that I have money in the bank for a few month if you are not fair,

you have to have that it's there's no there's no way around the safety net to safety caution and if it's just you were only your own personal savings you just have to do that.

You know like everywhere from Facebook to Twitter everyone all everyone talks about AI,

you know what I what are your thoughts about that Ma I was already hot a few years ago with his right now even in the mainstream news here in Germany is Chad TBT.

Who was in the cloud every startup was born in the cloud,

then every startup also had a nap one way or another and now every startup is using AI I do believe that's a technical development

you cannot only should not stop because AI is

useful in some areas but I do believe if you really want to replace employees with it and you may need to wait a few more years maybe decades to do that.

I think an eye is easy to draw off an artist but AI doesn't really get eyes yet and I think you know for for coding I think I see different room minor areas I think there is still.

Miss information in Ai and I think that's something that we should be kind of conscious of you know the bias as well as some of this information.

Yes and I do believe like most most companies that claim to use a I am they'll have some tiny function like 1% over the code,

is using some AI tool or library from third-party and that's it.

Yeah I mean I think the data is I mean and it makes sense because it uses data from.

From Consciousness right that is global and and social constructs.

but it's still a question is

does the AI Creator have a responsibility to society when they know or should have known right that their technology is used to enhance,

the bad and it also for other countries that create weapons of mass destruction.

in terms of information but at the same time it could create.

You know weapons and bad things you know that could destroy us as well and I think is really something that we got to be.

Careful for and you know and it's just kind of interesting and you know if we want aicp ethical,

Should humans be also ethical that actually reminded me when you talked about,

using AI for nefarious purposes that really reminded me because I did an apprenticeship in a bank like a vocational training and at this time the

the color copy machines got so good that they made fake money with it,

and so the for the producer of the photocopier ducks are rocks of the world and the others had to react and basically eliminate this option energy belief won't go down a similar path with a I even though that

could potentially be much more dangerous but I do believe that.

is trying to to figure out what what else you can do with it yeah,

yeah I completely agree as I learned something in my not too long knife will always have stupid ideas.

I think I think that could be it for for today Joel what do you think do you want to add any

it was a pleasure talking to you we are actually going to publish this for the Chinese New Year so it shouldn't house Union Hall

happy New Year and as we said you don't need one year to end or New Year to start to make a significant change in your life,

you can always start with the numerous Revolution by the way when question I would have is how do you discover the tools to changes the things you want to do in your life because for me.

because I find a lot of interviews with interesting author's ideas from stoic philosophers or wrap-ups of good books there in in a few minutes and so it has become one of the engines try having my self-improvement I have to admit

yeah I think like for me I've been always I read a lot of books right I probably have over 500 books inaudible and then like I think one of my room

this library and you know I think like I always pursue my passion and you know things I like to do,

that kind of helps me start what I start right you know I there's just no way I will by a.

Ice hockey arena you know because that's the I don't skate you know what I mean so I but if you really love,

ice hockey you know that's something that you might think about right you know I began making Duty jury and so I'm into physical injury as a result of that and I think.

You know I think like.

Activity that you enjoy some type of life purpose is different but I think sometimes you will discover your life purpose and start on it in your journey I think it's not something that.

I could tell you what it is I think it's something that you would want to discover for yourself.

Also books are my friend and I just realized I have just a few books shy of 600 audio books I've listened to on my favorite app,

yeah a lot of stuff totally nothing to do with self-improvement like expeditionary Force science fiction Harry Potter,

for the Germans Thomas Monday button procs Talking Tom Clancy Tom clancys I started liking him even more and stuff like this so that is

that is as we said you

don't always have to be productive but from some really interesting books you always get good ideas yeah I I split my literature with my business books am I audible is all business,

because you don't want it to I don't want to relive the chur I don't want to hear literature.

I want to read literature I want to hear like if something that you wanted to teach me I want to hear about it that way because it's not literature.

for reading and then audibles fire for.

You know and I think like another thing I wanted to do is you know like this year is to play with some of the.

The you know I I want to see yes and I you know like love like hey Disney you know we just a light white label from Alexa,

and you know like then I was just like I know you know I think some of the startup radios episodes are as an Alexa,

and you know for me I would love to create some Alexa skills that would be that would be fun you know and it's not something that I mean

you know I'm just going to do it for fun you know and also spending time my family you know getting into coding more.

You know that would be something that I kind of inspired.

This year I've been doing it for the last couple years because of hibernation but you know I think I wanted to kind of I kind of loved those things and I kind of missed it so.

sponsored by Amazon gnawed by Google or YouTube it's not I mean I we wish that they would sponsor us right away but they're not fun for us and so we're just being authentic.

And happy New Year and looking forward to have another discussion

two words the end of this quarter but guys we have one question for you because when we've been sitting together here digitally and think about this episode would you rather have us to wing it like we did,

I'll prepare the card Castle in bit more that's a question you can always reply at the starting why Twitter account or send us an email we link the email address down here,

awesome thank you sending follows happy home bye-bye bye-bye