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Why Every Founder Needs a Shutdown Day
- Steve Walsh
- Dec 31, 2025
- 2 min read
Founders... Once a year, I take a shutdown day.
No meetings.
No emails.
No calls.
No “quick check-ins.”
Just a full day to step back, close the year honestly, and think clearly about what actually matters.
It’s one of the most valuable days I spend all year.
What a Shutdown Day Is (and Isn’t)
This isn’t a vacation day. It’s not a reward. And it’s definitely not a “catch-up” day.
It’s a strategic pause.
A deliberate moment to stop reacting and start reflecting.
The Questions I Force Myself to Answer
On my shutdown day, I look at the business with zero spin and ask:
How did the company actually do on revenue?
Was it profitable?
How many founders did we genuinely help this year?
Where did we deploy capital — and why?
What worked?
What didn’t?
No narratives.
No excuses.
Just the truth.
Because clarity only comes when you’re willing to look at reality head-on.
Then I Flip the Page
The second half of the day is forward-looking.
I ask myself:
What do I want to build next year?
What professional goals actually matter?
What personal goals have I been putting off?
Where do I want to go — and how am I going to get there?
What needs to change for that to happen?
Most founders are ambitious. Most founders are hardworking.
But very few give themselves the space to think strategically.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We live in a world that rewards constant motion:
Slack pings.
Calendars packed back-to-back.
Endless noise.
But motion isn’t the same as progress.
Some of the biggest inflection points in my career didn’t come from working harder — they came from thinking more clearly.
That only happens in quiet.
My Challenge to You
Before the year ends, block one day.
Just one.
Turn everything off.
Ask the hard questions.
Be honest with yourself.
Then set your direction intentionally.
You don’t need more hustle.
You need clarity.
And a single shutdown day can give you enough of it to change the entire year ahead.
Until next time—keep building.
Cheers,
Steve Walsh
Hands On Angel
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