So let’s say your name is Bob Fundergrass, you’re a founder, and your startup’s domain is toejamsoup.com.  If I can’t email you at bob@toejamsoup.com, you’re an idiot and you are doing it wrong.  I don’t care if you really use bfundergrass@toejamsoup.com, or some other variation, but your first name, what people actually call you, better work.  If it doesn’t, you’re an idiot.

Please don’t make this mistake.  You’re a founder, claim that first name and own it.  Sure, maybe down the road you’ll have 30,000 employees and need a really stodgy, strict format, but right now, you need to make it as easy as possible for everyone and anyone to email you.  Your first name @ your domain is the easiest way to do this.

You have enough things stacked against you already, please don’t add bounced or black-holed emails to the list.

PS: An easy way to do this if you use Google Docs is to set up a Group and name it and set the Group email address as your “easy” address.  Then just set your main account as the owner and select “Also allow anyone on the Internet to post messages.”  Bingo.  You’ll capture those emails and be able to reply from your preferred address.

So who do I ask for a sick day?  I’m my boss.  Everything that doesn’t get done by me today, pushes my life, our company,  our future one day into the future.  Who knows what that one day will cost us.  I hope nothing, but the fear of failure in me says it could be everything, so work, work, work.  Thankfully today wasn’t a total loss.  I was able to squeeze in some time, and more importantly make some progress one the meds did their thing.  Usually I’d lounge away the rest of the day, for fear of a relapse, but I didn’t today. My jerky boss made me work.