When I was a kid, my dad started a business. He was very good at it, and the business was very successful. He was constantly working though. He would bring work home, it would cover the kitchen table. When he wasn’t working, he was absolutely exhausted. If he wasn’t working, he was sleeping. He was not only working for the business, but also running the business.

The amount of time that I spent with my dad dwindled to very little. Not to mention my siblings. I wish he’d spent more time with me. (It’s worth noting that he had other issues that contributed to our relationship).

I would treat your startup in this context as another newborn, but one from a different partner. It will require a substantial amount of time, money, and attention like your current newborn needs, but is under a different roof. Your co-parent of your newborn can’t necessarily also parent your other “newborn”, so you need another partner to step in.

Stepping away from the analogy for a moment, I (respectfully) doubt that your startup will be as important as your family. And as most any parent will tell you, the time with your baby will fly by and you will not believe how fast it goes. Prioritize your family over your work.