
This article applies the time-investment framework to the entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and strategies necessary to build a thriving venture. It’s about making deliberate time investment choices, demonstrating commitment, and embracing the Marine Corps motto: Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. Entrepreneurship is the epitome of a "process, not perfection" mindset—a relentless pursuit of progress despite inevitable setbacks.
In "The Hidden Wealth of Time: Turning Challenges into Opportunity," we explored how a growth mindset transforms time from a finite resource into an investment tool. The framework proposed a simple yet profound concept: time, much like money, can be invested strategically to yield future rewards. Every individual, whether a CEO or a garbage picker, has 168 hours in a week. The key difference lies in how we allocate this time to create value.
About the Author: Jeff Hulett leads Personal Finance Reimagined (PFR), a decision-making and financial education platform dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses. PFR offers specialized services for entrepreneurs, including fractional CFO support and comprehensive business startup services, helping visionaries turn ideas into thriving ventures. Jeff also teaches personal finance at James Madison University and delivers impactful seminars on financial literacy. Check out his book—Making Choices, Making Money: Your Guide to Making Confident Financial Decisions.
Jeff is a career banker, data scientist, behavioral economist, and choice architect. He has held leadership roles at Wells Fargo, Citibank, KPMG, and IBM, bringing decades of experience to his mission of transforming financial decision-making.
The framework divides time into two categories: essential consumption (such as sleep, sustenance, and work) and investable currency (time spent on activities that improve long-term capacity and resilience). For entrepreneurs, this framework takes on an even greater significance. Launching a business requires not only strategic investments of time but also the discipline to balance risks and rewards. Success hinges on leveraging the 60-hour weekly "time war chest" while navigating the constraints of family, finances, and focus.
Starting with 60 Hours: The Entrepreneur’s Time War Chest

Entrepreneurs begin their journey with the same 60 investable hours available to anyone. These hours represent the time left after accounting for essentials like sleep and a traditional 40-hour workweek. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the goal is to allocate this "time war chest" toward launching their venture. But how?
Commitment to the Idea The first step is resolving to prioritize your entrepreneurial vision. This requires investing time in research, planning, and validation. Are you solving a real problem? Do you understand your target market? These early efforts build the foundation for your venture. It is ok if the idea is not perfect. It WILL change. The key is maintaining progress toward your goal.
Building Infrastructure Successful entrepreneurs use their 60 hours to create systems and processes that enable scalability. This includes setting up operational tools, crafting a business plan, and developing a minimum viable product (MVP). Time spent here ensures your idea has a structure to grow.
Generating Revenue Streams Entrepreneurs must dedicate time to building initial revenue streams. Whether through direct sales, partnerships, or pilot programs, demonstrating early traction validates your business model and attracts potential investors.
Attracting Investors Investors look for entrepreneurs who have "skin in the game." By committing 60 hours weekly to your venture, you demonstrate resolve and build credibility. Time spent refining your pitch, networking, and showing results lays the groundwork for securing funding.
Clarifying Note on the 60-Hour War Chest: The 60-hour war chest is an estimate and serves as a flexible framework rather than a rigid rule. Your available time is intensely personal and influenced by your life situation, commitments, and beliefs. It can vary from week to week based on life demands, such as family obligations or unexpected events. The purpose of the framework is to help you prioritize and allocate your TIME war chest effectively, ensuring it aligns with your goals and drives your entrepreneurial success.
As investors join the journey, they bring not only financial capital but also heightened expectations. The pronoun shifts from "my" to "our," introducing the responsibility of managing others’ resources. This added accountability underscores the importance of respecting time as an investable currency.
Transitioning from 60 to 100 Hours
The ultimate goal for many entrepreneurs is to transition from part-time to full-time, effectively unlocking an additional 40 hours weekly by leaving their traditional job. This leap often marks a pivotal moment, transforming entrepreneurship from a side hustle into a primary career.
Even sleep—an essential activity—becomes an intangible contributor to entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurs frequently report dreaming about solutions or waking up with fresh insights. This phenomenon underscores how deeply invested time manifests in both conscious and subconscious efforts. Sleep is often the entrepreneur's first R&D laboratory!
However, transitioning to full-time entrepreneurship comes with its challenges:
Opportunity Cost of the Day Job Limiting your day job to 40 hours may feel risky, especially if it’s a primary source of income. Drawing boundaries is critical but requires careful communication with employers and colleagues to manage expectations.
Family Commitments Entrepreneurship demands sacrifices, and family must be on board with how you allocate your time. Spouses, children, and loved ones may feel the impact of your reduced availability. Clear communication and shared understanding are vital to maintaining balance.
Risk-Taking Risk-taking is the primary role of the entrepreneur. While accepting investments shifts some of the financial risk to stakeholders, the entrepreneur will always bear the majority of the venture's risk—commensurate with the potential upside.
Personal Accountability If your response to the 60-hour war chest is: "60 hours!? There is no way that can be right. No one has that much time!" this means you need to inventory your own time. Check your smartphone—how many hours is it sucking away your attention? What about other time wasters? Taking personal responsibility for how you allocate your time is critical to unlocking the full potential of your entrepreneurial journey.
Challenges and Opportunities: A Balancing Act
Respecting time as an investable currency requires discipline and intentionality. The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with challenges, but each obstacle also represents an opportunity:
Limited Resources Entrepreneurs often start with constrained finances and support networks. The challenge lies in maximizing limited resources while seeking partnerships and mentorships that fill gaps in expertise or capital.
Uncertainty and Risk Every business venture involves unknowns. Entrepreneurs must embrace uncertainty as an ally, using it to identify opportunities and pivot when necessary. Risk-taking is not reckless; it’s calculated and deliberate.
Balancing Priorities Balancing work, family, and personal well-being is no small feat. Entrepreneurs must adopt a "process, not perfection" mindset, focusing on incremental progress rather than immediate results.
Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome: The Entrepreneur’s Motto
The Marine Corps motto captures the essence of entrepreneurship. Success requires adaptability, creative problem-solving, and the ability to overcome setbacks. Here’s how entrepreneurs can embody this mindset:
Improvise Entrepreneurs must find innovative solutions to challenges, often with limited resources. This could mean leveraging free tools, bartering services, or finding unconventional ways to reach customers.
Adapt The entrepreneurial landscape is dynamic. Market conditions, customer needs, and competitive pressures evolve rapidly. Entrepreneurs must stay agile, pivoting strategies when necessary to stay ahead.
Overcome Setbacks are inevitable, but resilience is key. Entrepreneurs who persevere through failures and learn from them often emerge stronger. Overcoming challenges builds the confidence and experience needed for long-term success.
Why Doesn’t Everyone Do This?
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline, sacrifice, and a willingness to take risks. The reasons why not everyone embraces this path include:
Fear of Failure: The risk of losing money, time, or reputation deters many would-be entrepreneurs.
Lack of Support: Without buy-in from family or mentors, the journey can feel isolating and overwhelming.
Complacency: A steady paycheck and predictable routine often outweigh the allure of uncertain rewards.
For those grappling with these challenges, partnering with experts in areas such as decision-making, financial strategy, and business development can provide invaluable support. These professionals offer tailored guidance, helping entrepreneurs manage risks, secure the right resources, and maintain focus on their goals. Engaging with such expertise can be a game-changer, transforming daunting obstacles into manageable steps toward success. However, for those willing to embrace the challenges, the rewards—both tangible and intangible—can be extraordinary.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship is the ultimate exercise in respecting time as an investable currency. By leveraging their 60-hour war chest, entrepreneurs lay the groundwork for success, gradually transitioning from part-time to full-time and unlocking the potential to build thriving ventures. Challenges like balancing priorities, managing risks, and maintaining family support are part of the journey but can be overcome with commitment and adaptability.
Through the lens of Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome, entrepreneurship becomes more than a pursuit of profit; it’s a testament to resilience, creativity, and the human spirit. For those ready to embrace the process, the rewards go far beyond financial success, shaping a legacy of impact and innovation. The question is not whether you have the time but how you choose to invest it.
Resources for the Curious
Next are resources to help you on your entrepreneurial journey.
"The Hidden Wealth of Time: Turning Challenges into Opportunity" by Jeff Hulett Explore the foundational framework for viewing time as an investable currency, perfect for entrepreneurs and professionals alike. (Personal Finance Reimagined)
"Making Choices, Making Money: Your Guide to Making Confident Financial Decisions" by Jeff Hulett A practical guide for personal and entrepreneurial financial decision-making, highlighting strategies for success. (Personal Finance Reimagined)
"Challenging Our Beliefs: How to Be Bayesian in Our Day-to-Day Life" by Jeff Hulett Learn how to use Bayesian inference to make better decisions in uncertain environments. (Personal Finance Reimagined)
"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck A must-read for understanding the power of a growth mindset and how it impacts achievement.
"The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses" by Eric Ries A guide to building a startup that thrives by iterating quickly and efficiently.
"Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek Discover the power of purpose and learn how to align your entrepreneurial vision with meaningful action.
"The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life" by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander An inspiring book that shifts perspectives and fosters creativity in business and life.
"The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail" by Clayton M. Christensen Understand how disruptive innovation shapes markets and how entrepreneurs can seize emerging opportunities.
"Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones" by James Clear A powerful guide to making small changes that lead to massive personal and professional transformation.
"Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs" by John Doerr Learn how to use Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to set goals and drive business success.
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