On Wednesday, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, with some advice about work-life balance, especially for those who are parents and find themselves in executive positions.
Ohanian said the one thing that the “most successful” CEOs have always told him, is they wished they had spent more time with their children. The soon-to-be father of two shares Olympia, 5, with his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams.
Do you know the ONE thing I keep hearing from the most successful CEOs?
“I wish I’d spent more time with my kids.”
You can have the most successful career in the world and, turns out, that still won’t make up for missing time with your kids.
— Alexis Ohanian ? (@alexisohanian) August 9, 2023
“It’s like a whole new era of fatherhood is emerging — we are trying to do our best work, but show up in ways our Dad didn’t (or couldn’t),” he wrote.
Ohanian can often be found making (incredibly artistic) pancakes for his daughter and sharing their adventures on social media.
“You don’t know what kind of dad you’re gonna be until the big day comes, but then it hits you the moment you hold your legacy for the first time,” he wrote. “No matter what career accolades I achieve, fatherhood will be the best thing I ever do.”
Ohanian said fathers can find a rhythm of “harmony, not a balance” and know that they can still be considered hard workers without feeling like they need to give up being a present and father at the same time.
The thing to remember is that it’s a harmony, not a balance.
I’m finding that harmony now and it brings me comfort that there’s a whole generation of CEOs/founders/Dads finding it with me.
— Alexis Ohanian ? (@alexisohanian) August 9, 2023
Ohanian resigned from Reddit’s Board of Directors in 2020, urging the company to replace his seat with a Black candidate and made a $1 million donation to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.
Ohanian’s net worth as of Thursday afternoon was an estimated $150 million.
Related: Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian Challenges Work-Life Balance