The 8+1 Framework: A Founder's Guide to Balancing Work, Life, and Everything in Between
8+1 Framework
Below is an expanded write-up of my 8+1 Framework—how I organize my life around eight critical categories (plus a weekly review) to stay purposeful, productive, and balanced. I’ve included more details, examples, and suggestions for how you might apply it in your own life.
Why I Use the 8+1 Framework
I’m involved in multiple ventures: I co-founded BARK and Audos, I run the venture studio prehype, I teach entrepreneurship, and I invest in early-stage startups. I’m also a husband and a father to two boys and I try to stay healthy. With so many commitments, I needed a system that helped me stay on top of everything without feeling overwhelmed.
The 8+1 Framework forces me to look at every important dimension of my life—both professional and personal—and then make conscious decisions about where my time goes. It also serves as a safeguard against neglecting one area in the pursuit of another. The real trick is in the “+1”—the regular review that makes the entire system work.
Overview of the 8 Boxes
Transact – Direct income-generating work
Invest – Activities that compound in value over time
Assist – Helping others (mentoring, advising, giving back)
Learn – Systematically acquiring new skills and knowledge
Health – Physical and mental well-being
Family – Nurturing relationships with spouse, children, immediate family
Relationships – Maintaining strong friendships and professional networks
Ego / Self-Kindness – Doing things that bring joy, gratitude, and personal satisfaction
The “+1”: Weekly Review
A dedicated, structured check-in where I assess the status of each box, generate new experiments or ideas, and plan how to keep them “filled.”
Box 1: Transact
Definition: Anything that directly creates the financial resources you need to support your life.
Why It Matters: Many of us want to chase long-term visions—like launching our dream startup or building a personal brand—but we also need a direct source of income. Getting that right ensures security and peace of mind.
Examples:
Your full-time job
Paid consulting or advisory roles
Freelance gigs
How to Apply
Identify your primary income channel: Is it your day job, an advisory role, or something else?
Evaluate: Is it sufficient for your needs right now? If not, you might need to renegotiate your compensation, add new income streams, or look for a better fit.
Optimize: Make sure it’s as rewarding and efficient as possible. Consider time vs. money trade-offs.
Box 2: Invest
Definition: Activities—both financial and non-financial—that have compounding returns.
Why It Matters: This box is about planting seeds today that grow into something more valuable tomorrow.
Examples:
Early-stage or angel investments
Building a reputation or expertise (e.g., writing articles, being active in an industry community)
Contributing sweat equity to an early project you believe in
How to Apply
Choose Your Vehicle: Decide if this is equity in startups, real estate, a 401(k), or building intellectual property.
Reputation as an Asset: If you’re an expert in a field, invest in creating content (blog posts, podcast appearances, speaking engagements). Over time, it will pay dividends in new opportunities.
Transition to Transact: Eventually, the compounding returns (knowledge, equity, brand recognition) can move into the Transact bucket—where they generate income.
Box 3: Assist
Definition: A purposeful focus on helping other people.
Why It Matters: Giving back not only feels good but can also lead to unexpected opportunities and relationships. You become known as a valuable resource, which often circles back around in positive ways.
Examples:
Mentoring younger entrepreneurs
Volunteering with a local nonprofit
Offering free advice or feedback sessions to early-stage founders
How to Apply
Set Boundaries: Decide how many hours or sessions you can comfortably devote each month.
Document: Keep track of whom you’ve helped (and how) to follow up and maintain those relationships.
Discover Joy: Don’t force yourself into forms of service that don’t resonate. Choose the causes and people you truly care about.
Box 4: Learn
Definition: Continually expanding your knowledge and skill set.
Why It Matters: We live in a rapidly changing world—especially in tech and startups. If you stop learning, you’re going backward.
Examples:
Taking a course or hiring a tutor (e.g., learning AI, coding, design thinking)
Reading a certain number of books each month
Attending workshops or conferences
How to Apply
Identify Gaps: Ask yourself, “Where am I falling short in my professional or personal goals?”
Create a Syllabus: Design your own learning path. For instance, if AI is relevant to your business, break it down into digestible parts—math fundamentals, popular AI frameworks, small coding projects, etc.
Apply Immediately: Whenever possible, turn your learning into action. That helps solidify knowledge quickly.
Box 5: Health
Definition: Optimizing both physical and mental well-being.
Why It Matters: Your body is hardware, and your mind is software. Without healthy hardware and software, everything else breaks down.
Examples:
A consistent exercise plan—strength training, cardio, yoga, etc.
Meditation, journaling, therapy
Sleep tracking (e.g., Oura ring)
Nutritional experiments (intermittent fasting, glucose monitoring)
How to Apply
Baseline Habits: At a minimum, aim for regular exercise and consistent sleep routines.
Experiment: Try new protocols. If you notice improved energy, mood, or performance, keep it. If not, discard it.
Track & Adjust: Apps and wearables can offer data-driven insights into what’s working. Pay attention to small tweaks (e.g., going to bed 30 minutes earlier) that can yield significant benefits.
Box 6: Family
Definition: Time and attention devoted to your spouse, children, or close relatives.
Why It Matters: Strong family bonds give life meaning and can serve as emotional anchors during stressful times.
Examples:
Regular date nights
Weekend activities with kids
Extended family visits or reunions
How to Apply
Schedule It: Put important family time on the calendar. Non-negotiable Friday night date? Lock it in.
Inject Variety: Use a Trello board or note-taking app to list fresh ideas for family activities so it doesn’t become the “same old thing.”
Mini-Experiments: If something feels stale, try a new activity. For example, a ping-pong net on the dining table can turn bored evenings into lively fun.
Box 7: Relationships
Definition: Friendships, professional networks, and other connections outside your immediate family.
Why It Matters: We learn and grow through people. Your network often determines your luck surface area for opportunities.
Examples:
Reaching out to old friends with a quick message or call
Regular lunches with interesting peers or mentors
Networking events or industry meetups
How to Apply
Segment Your Contacts: Create a list or label (e.g., “Interesting People”) so you can be intentional about staying in touch.
Plan “Man-Dates” (or Friend-Dates): It’s perfectly fine to email or text someone you admire just to say, “I like you, let’s hang out.”
Leverage Tools: Tools like Contacts+ or even a spreadsheet can help you regularly “ping” people you want to stay close to.
Box 8: Ego or Self-Kindness
Definition: Taking care of yourself in ways that boost happiness, gratitude, and peace of mind.
Why It Matters: We can’t operate at our best if our internal well is empty. A dose of self-directed kindness fuels everything else.
Examples:
Recognizing and savoring small “micro-moments” of joy
Gratitude practices (e.g., listing three things you’re grateful for each day)
Hobbies that put you into flow state (e.g., painting, walking, playing music)
How to Apply
Notice Micro-Moments: Train yourself to spot times when you laugh or feel fully present. Then replicate those circumstances.
Daily Gratitude: Just two minutes a day to think or write about things you appreciate can shift your overall mood.
Protect Your Time: Give yourself permission to do something you purely enjoy—even if it seems “unproductive” on paper.
The “+1” Weekly Review
Definition: A regularly scheduled session (mine is weekly) where you step back, assess each box, and brainstorm new experiments.
Why It Matters: This is the scaffolding that holds the system together. Without a review, it’s easy to forget certain boxes or never implement improvements.
Process:
Set Aside Time: Block out a consistent hour (or whatever you need) each week.
Assess Each Box: Quickly rate how you feel about that area—Is it neglected? Thriving? In crisis?
Brainstorm Experiments: Note what’s working and what’s not. For anything suboptimal, generate a small experiment to fix it.
Plan Next Steps: Transfer action items into your to-do system (e.g., Trello, Notion, or a paper planner).
Example
Family Box Issue: Not fully engaged with my child’s playtime.
Solution/Experiment: Introduce a new shared activity (ping pong, painting, building Legos) that sparks both of our imaginations.
Learn Box Issue: Falling behind on emerging tech trends.
Solution/Experiment: Sign up for a specialized newsletter or commit to a short online tutorial each week.
Tools & Tactics for Implementation
Paper Notebook
Jot quick thoughts for each major area of your life (Bark, prehype, personal).
Every week or two, create a new notebook entry, transferring only the best ideas from the old one (forces a “natural selection” of ideas).
Digital System (Trello, Notion, Asana, etc.)
Capturing Ideas: Use a simple method (e.g., the “NoteToSelf Mail” app or voice commands via a smart speaker) to funnel tasks, ideas, or random thoughts into a single Trello board.
Sorting: Organize them into columns: To Do, Doing, Done, or by project name.
Regularly Archive and Refine
At each weekly review, declutter your digital workspace by archiving completed tasks.
Transfer any larger or ongoing tasks into relevant boards or lists.
A Word on Experimentation
The 8+1 Framework isn’t meant to be static. It’s designed for continuous iteration:
Try new habits, diets, or scheduling methods for a set period (e.g., 30 days).
Collect data (subjectively or with tools) on how you feel, how much time it takes, and the results.
Keep what works, discard what doesn’t.
Over time, you’ll “stack” small wins—maybe a 1% improvement in health, a 1% improvement in family life, etc. Added together, that can transform your entire life experience.
A Purpose-Driven Approach to Everything
Remember, these boxes are just mental containers that help ensure you’re paying attention to the areas you value. You might decide you have different or fewer boxes; that’s fine. The true power lies in regularly and deliberately checking each category to see if it’s getting the time and attention it deserves.
Applying This Framework in Your Own Life
Define Your Boxes: Take a notepad or open a document. Brainstorm the 6–10 categories of your life that most matter to you. (You can use mine, or tweak them to fit your world.)
List Current Commitments: For each box, list activities, responsibilities, and goals.
Schedule a Weekly “+1”: Even 30 minutes a week is enough if you’re consistent.
Experiment and Iterate: Commit to a small change in one box each week. Evaluate at the next check-in.
Consistency is everything. Even if you only improve each area by a tiny fraction on a monthly basis, over the course of a year, those incremental gains add up dramatically.
Final Thoughts
The 8+1 Framework helps me be deliberate in balancing my professional and personal life. I’m not interested in excelling in just one area; I want to do well across all aspects that matter most to me. By systematically reviewing each “box” on a regular basis—and generating little experiments to improve them—I can expand my capacity, reduce stress, and create a more meaningful and joyful life.
I hope this framework offers you a starting point for organizing and optimizing your own life. Some might want to adapt or add boxes. E.g. I have a friend who is a person of faith who pointed out the “spirituality” should be its own box. So make it your own, adapt it to your needs, and keep refining.