I'm not technically a "founder", however I am the first employee of a startup having joined from the start and I've bled through stressful times nearly as much

I'm not technically a "founder", however I am the first employee of a startup having joined from the start and I've bled through stressful times nearly as much as the 2 founders did, pulling 14-hours work days, answering to production alerts at 1 am, freaking out when we couldn't generate revenue, working my ass off to get something working, etc... I am also the dad of a 3-year old. My son is almost the same age as the startup I'm working on. At times it is tough, luckily I have an understanding wife. And my son is one of the biggest reasons I get up in the morning. Being a parent is like a roller-coaster (much like working on a startup). You're sad and stressed when your child gets sick. And a child also gives you some of the greatest joys in life you can have - there's nothing like coming home after a hard day, only to find your child smiling at your return, giving you a big hug or a kiss, never missing a day to express how much he/she loves you. There is a difference between being a parent and working on a startup. Both have highs and lows, however while working on a startup, in stressful times one tends to adopt a fuck-it attitude. Like, if it doesn't work out, that's OK, you learn from experience and then you move on, so there's no tragedy if your startup fails. Not so with a child ... you only have one shot to raise him right, to provide a good education, to make him happy and balanced and that child becomes your biggest reason d’etre, regardless of how passionate you are about other things, like software development or your startup. So that's why my son is probably the biggest reason for why I get up in the morning. Burn-outs for example are a non-issue for me. I've been burned-out before and it's hard to explain for why this can no longer happen - but the gist is my son is like a mirror of me, so his well-being functions like a benchmark. When I'm sad, then he's sad too and I can't fake happiness in front of him (children have a sixth sense about that), so whenever that happens, it's time to evaluate whatever I'm doing wrong and cut out on the stress. You see, I simply can't afford to burn-out, as my son depends on me. Same issue I have with catching colds for example - I used to catch colds quite frequently, but ever since my son was born, my immune system seems to have strengthened quite a bit. I'm not joking, it's as if my body knows that I need to be stronger and acts accordingly. So yes, it's possible. If you feel the need to be a parent and you have a spouse that agrees with you, then postponing it is going to be the singly most stupid thing you'll ever do. That's because (1) children are worth it and (2) when it comes to having children, you only have a limited window of opportunity and before you know it, you'll be too old and even with all medical advances in this field, it's better to have them while you're young.