Alexis Ohanian built Reddit straight out of college and sold the company a year later for $10 million. In 2020, he launched his own start-up venture capital fund called 776 in 2020 to combat inequality worldwide through entrepreneurship. He also wrote a national bestselling book called Without Their Permission, for which he embarked on a five-month bus tour speaking about innovation at over 80 universities across the United States.
However, despite his success with Reddit, 776, and his book, the 41-year-old executive shared on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast that he might have been more successful had he mastered discipline in his younger years.
“When I had free time, when I had more youthful vigor, if I had more discipline, I would have been 10 times more productive,” Ohanian said on the podcast. “That’s one thing I would give advice to myself at 20 about.”
Unstructured Effort Can Lead to Burnout
As a young student and entrepreneur, Ohanian shared that he would stay up for hours trying to finish work, which would have taken him 20 minutes the following day if he had gone to bed at a reasonable time. This drive was primarily fueled by a desire for his mother to see him become a successful CEO as she battled stage four terminal brain cancer. Looking back, Ohanian recognizes that his lifestyle was not just unsustainable but unhealthy, which contributed to stress and burnout.
“When I was in my 20s, I was perpetually in ‘CEO Mode’ and could never find a healthy work/life balance,” he posted to LinkedIn in 2023. “Plus, I never thought about what I ate, drank, or [smoked] … how often I exercised, etc.”
As he became a father to his now 7-year-old daughter, he knew he needed to change his life and how he lived it to be around for as long as possible for her.
“When we had Olympia, I knew I needed to change everything so I could be around for as long as possible for her,” he stated. “I began a discipline of daily routines to help me move toward my goals, regardless of if I’m at home or on the road: cold plunges, working out, goal-setting, etc.”
Cultivating Discipline Alongside Mindfulness
Author and psychiatrist Phil Stutz shared on an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast that cultivating discipline by age 27 can be essential to success and a fulfilling life. The habit of creating and sticking to routines, such as what Ohanian does now, can lead to increased productivity, more organization, and better time management. Phil also explained on the Armchair Expert podcast that having structure in life is important to daily life.
Ohanian has shared that one needs to figure out what routine and discipline works for the individual, their life, and their professional goals. Being intentional about sticking to those standards is the key to success.
“Creating a discipline of daily routines can look different for each person across different stages of their life,” Ohanian shared on his LinkedIn. “What matters most is that you’re aware of what your body needs and are taking steps to address it.”
Ohanian also went on to add that one needs to be mindful of their stress levels and use strategies to manage them. Longer walks during the day, and hobbies such as card collecting and pancake art can help contribute to lessened stress levels.
“Creating a routine also creates the opportunity memorable “surprise and delight” opportunities that feel out of the ordinary and different,” Ohain said on LinkedIn. “This is the type of stuff we advise our founders to do and that I also do for my daughter and my wife.”
Ultimately, Ohain says that being disciplined in daily routines helps him move toward his goals, regardless of whether he’s at home or on the road.
