5 reasons why running a startup from the beach beats running one in the city

I’m Jon Yongfook and for the last 18 months I’ve been living the digital nomad life, running my bootstrapped, profitable and proud SaaS startup from beaches all over Asia. Things have grown enough now that I’m bringing on interns to join me, so if you like the sound of doing online marketing while lazing on a beach, why not apply for… The Greatest Startup Internship Ever!

I fully admit however, this lifestyle is not for everyone. I’ve read on fine publications such as Tech in Asia that some folks find it difficult to focus when living the nomadic life, or find that constant wifi interruptions due to dodgy beachside hardware eats into their productivity time. Granted there are some downsides to life as a digital nomad, and some of it depends on the kind of person you are.

For me though, the positives far outweigh the negatives – and I should know, this is how I’ve lived and grown my startup for the last year and a half! Here’s my top five reasons why beach startup life rocks:

1. No more late nights

Sometimes when I’m staying somewhere more remote like Koh Pha Ngan in Thailand or Amed in the north of Bali, there’s very little artificial light. That means when the sun goes down, it becomes pitch black.

What this does is reset your circadian rhythm and helps you to sleep better at night. No more staying up until 1am, kept awake by harsh office lighting or ambient streetlighting outside your window. When you’re at a remote beach location I guarantee after a few days you’ll be sleeping at 9pm soon after the sun sets and waking up at 5am when the sun comes up. For me, I find waking up early so much better for productivity than staying up late, so I love the natural day / night sleeping cycle that working far away from the city lights enables.

2. It’s cheap

Here’s an obvious one. Living by the beach in Thailand, Bali or other beachy locations in Southeast Asia can be an order of magnitude cheaper than living in an expensive city – and if you’re running a startup, burn rate (i.e. how fast or slow you spend your money) is a crucial survival factor.

However I say can be cheaper since it all depends on what level of comfort you want. You can go really basic and rent a beach hut for hundreds of dollars per month, or you can book yourself into a 3-star resort for around S$50 (US$38) a night. Both of these options are cheaper than renting an apartment or office in say, Singapore. But if you find yourself renting villas or splashing out on 5-star resort food frequently (hey everyone needs a treat now and then!) you might find your expenses quickly rise to match that of city levels… albeit with the added benefit of being by the beach.

3. It removes trivial daily chores and choices from your life

Hmm… shall I wear blue or red swimming shorts today? There’s a reason Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day – and lots of other CEOs of big organizations do the same, such as Mark Zuckerberg or President Obama. This is related to a real psychological condition called “Decision Fatigue” – the brain has a max capacity for decision making. So the theory here is that the less daily decisions a person has to make allows more “brain space” for the big important stuff, resulting in CEOs making better choices and not burning out.

When you’re staying at a beach resort – even a cheap one – you find that a lot of daily decisions get taken care of for you. Your towels get changed every day. And toilet paper. And your bed gets made. Your daily wardrobe is swimwear. When I’m working by the beach literally all I have to think about is writing code and eating food. It’s a highly productive state.

4. Less outlets for productivity-unfriendly vices

Here’s a reason that’s maybe quite specific to me – but when I’m away from city life I drink a lot less alcohol. I love wine and when I’m in a big city, I’ll drink almost every day, sometimes to the point of giving myself a hangover the next day (which at 34 years old, pretty much makes me useless for an entire day) which eats into my productivity. Alcohol is everywhere in the big cities, especially one like Singapore where we looove our alcohol. There’s always a new bar opening, a party, a happy-hour promotion, or simply after-work drinks with friends.

When I’m by the beach though, it’s a lot harder to find a nice glass of red wine. There’s beer everywhere but I’m not a big beer drinker. And in general I’m just not pulled constantly in the direction of the bar and live a lot healthier (even in terms of food), which I think has been fantastic for my mental health and productivity!

5. More motivation

Here’s the big one. You’re AT THE BEACH! Why spend the whole time working? When I’m at the beach I wake up earlier and work more intensely, because I want to get all my work done before lunch – after which I go out and enjoy the sun and sea. I believe in a strong work-life balance. I don’t think I do good work when I’m cooped up in an office all day. So in general I’ll wake up early, have a nice hotel breakfast and work solidly until around noon. After which I go surfing, diving, snorkeling, suntanning, or just plain old exploring. It’s not a bad life at all.

Jon Yongfook is founder of marketing software applications Inflowio (for inbound marketing) and Beatrix (for social media marketing).

See more: I’m a walking encyclopedia of growth hacking tactics, ask me anything (AMA)

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5 reasons why running a startup from the beach beats running one in the city