Virtually zero founder-CEOs Brian Halligan coaches maintain a work-life balance
Brian Halligan · How to be a CEO when AI breaks all the old playbooks | Sequoia CEO Coach Brian Halligan · Feb 15, 2026 · at 49:49
Brian Halligan, executive coach to Sequoia founders and former HubSpot CEO, discusses founder obsession and the lack of work-life balance.
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“I don't know any of the founders I work with that have work-life balance. By the way, this is not something I recommend. I didn't have it. I don't think my co-founder Dharmesh had it. None of the CEO, the only CEO I know And he's unusual in this way is Kareem from clay. He's like, no, you need balance. Take the weekends. Like he's got a different mindset. I'm going to have him on my pod to talk about his mindset, but he's sort of the outlier. Everyone else is really, really obsessed and they really don't have much of a life.”
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