Rob Go

Rob is a Co-Founder and Partner at NextView. He tries to spend as much time as possible working with entrepreneurs to develop products that solve important problems for everyday people. NextView’s portfolio includes notable investments in Pattern, Whoop, Grove Collaborative, Monument, and Otis.

On his morning routine.

My morning routine, like many others, has been thrown off of late.

Typically, my day starts by driving my eldest daughter and her two cousins to school at 7 AM. Then I’ll tune into a religious mindfulness and meditation program before heading to work, whether that’s at the office or WFH.

They help me to center myself spiritually and mentally and allow me to kick off the workday with the right mindset.

On knowledge work.

In the past, elite knowledge workers have been smarter than the average person and possessed greater mental strength and stamina. 

But today, there is a multitude of systems that can directly help improve your lifestyle and increase productivity.

There’s a strong correlation between physical wellbeing and mental acuity. 

A great example is Whoop, one of our portfolio companies, which helps you understand how your body recovers. In turn, it tangibly improves mental activity and physical fitness.

On investing in Whoop.

Whoop was initially developed for high-end athletes, but it’s got a pretty broad consumer base at this point. The concept behind Whoop is that time spent outside training impacts your level of performance throughout the day. 

The key metric is heart-rate variability, a great metric for overall health. 

The balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system determines an individual’s mental acuity, especially when facing an unexpected stimulus. It also allows you to judge your ability to rest and recover. 

Whoop is perfect for an investor’s fast-paced life.

Investors are constantly on the move — no two days are the same — so it can really help keep your body and mind in check.

On fitness and hobbies.

I’m not a hardcore athlete, but COVID has actually helped me block off time for exercise. During the week, I’ll rotate among a range of workouts including Peloton, stretching, yoga, and some cross-fit training. 

I played golf as a kid but stopped when life got too busy.

I recently got back into golf because it constantly challenges me. It’s a sport that really depends on core strength and flexibility.

Having a hobby that requires practice has helped me stay in better shape.

On work-life balance.

My wife has an intense job, so our routines are based around a balancing act. 

We’re both equally responsible for the outcome of our kids’ lives, so we’re always doing our best to navigate this balancing act.

However, she does end up doing a little more than I do!

If I’m not traveling, I’ll leave for work early in the morning and get home before 7 PM. My wife is home in the mornings but returns later in the evenings.

Creating this balance has required a conscious, intentional effort.

Every year my wife and I do a strategic “offsite” of sorts. It’s quickly become one of the most important practices in our household.

It consists of reviewing the past year, figuring out how we want to shape the upcoming year, and having some fun at the same time. It gives us space to freely discuss issues and make decisions we’ve been putting off.

On his evening routine.

I pretty much work non-stop until I get home.

Even in the car ride home I’m taking calls or using Pocket, a text-to-speech app that translates long-form written content. Before I arrive home, I pull over to the side of a road to take a few moments to transition out of work mode.

When I spend the day scrambling to get home I end up agitated, so this time allows me to shift my mindset and be my best self for my family. 

If I’m not traveling, I try to read to both my kids before bed. This is really precious time for me because I don’t know when they’ll grow out of it.

Then, I finish some light work and either watch a bit of TV if I’m tired or dive into a book until 11 PM or so. I’ve never been a great sleeper, but I’m actively working to find solutions.