I agree with your post. I also disagree with PG's stance on needing to have a partner, someone to help you get through the tough times of a start-up. I have par

I agree with your post. I also disagree with PG's stance on needing to have a partner, someone to help you get through the tough times of a start-up. I have partners - a wife and four kids. They keep me going during tough times because I could not bear to let them down. They also keep me sane, because as you stated there is nothing quite like a shitty day at the office followed up by a young child that acts like your return from work is Christmas morning. Somehow when they exclaim "Daddy!" when I open the door, it makes most of the work problems instantly forgotten. This has a positive effect on my ability to deal with workplace stress. I have also found it useful for framing priorities in my head, and even negotiating deals with suppliers. Having kids keeps my priorities straight. When I think about spending time or money, I think about the impact on my kids. I have told suppliers (I have a manufacturing company) "Every dollar I save, is another dollar I can put in my kids college fund". It has become a useful framework for negotiation. Every business trip is compared to time I won't be able to spend with the kids. My wife got tenure and published her first book while working on a strict 40 hour schedule when we had our first kid. Now that we have four kids (9,6,3, and 2 months) she is working a strict 35 hour week and working on her second book. I find it an inspiration of what get done if you focus and have four little constraints running around.