Saad Alam

Saad is the CEO of Hone, the leading men's optimization company that helps men balance their hormones like testosterone so they can have more energy and get their spark back. Saad was inspired to build Hone after he went through the problem himself.

Hone is backed by an impressive roster of investors, including operator-angels like Packy McCormick, Steve Schlafman, Sahil Lavingia, and Sahil Bloom.

On his morning routine.

Every morning, I wake up at 6 and drink a liter of water.

From there, I’ll dive right into a Headspace meditation, followed by a gratitude journal for 5 minutes or so. After priming my mental state, I’ll work out about 5 days a week followed by an infrared sauna 2 to 3 days a week using Sunlighten.

The morning workout is a heavy, full-body lift followed by sprints about 3 times a week. Then I’ll do longer cardio, HIIT, or Peloton sessions for 45 minutes twice a week. I’ve been an athlete my entire life, so I still try to play basketball when I can.

On his nutrition regimen.

I’m currently on a keto diet, primarily because it gives me the most amount of mental capacity of any nutrition plan I’ve tried.

Put simply, keto is optimal for deep work over long stretches of time.

The diet allows for about 30 grams of carbs and up to 150 grams of protein per day, paired with a ton of Mediterranean fats like avocado, macadamia nuts, and olive oils. I’ve been working with Thomas DeLauer to put together a fitness and diet plan.

While I do up my carbs on training days to spike insulin after a workout, I go back into ketosis within a few hours. I also have a huge sweet tooth, so to avoid weight gain and inflammation stemming from sugar I’ll opt for keto Halo Top and sugar-free chocolate.

When it comes to supplements, I’m currently taking NMN, Micronized Resveratrol, Magnesium, and Vitamin D. I’ll microdose testosterone and peptides occasionally.

On self-mastery.

The most impactful tools in my toolkit are meditation and sleep.

I track sleep with 3 different devices: Oura, Whoop, and 8 Sleep. For meditation, I’ll use Headspace in the morning for focus and Calm at night to wind down.

Self-mastery is a never-ending quest. Over time, I’ve realized I’m just not that smart — so I love seeking out and learning from people that are smarter than I am.

I’m always fighting to gain new insights and to get better from every angle.

That fight is part of my personality, so I have to constantly remind myself to be grateful and take stock of how far I’ve come and all the progress I’ve made.

On work-life integration.

I’m insanely close to my family.

I probably talk to them 2-3x per day and see my parents every few weekends.

My younger brother works for Hone and runs retention, and my best friends work in customer service and pharma ops. Normally, I’d never recommended this to other founders, but they are some of our best-performing employees, full stop.

To work with friends and family, you need to have hard conversations upfront.

I believe in a near-complete work-life integration to achieve balance. I run a wellness company, wellness is my hobby, and I love personal development.

All of those aspects of my life are integrated into running Hone. For tactical guidance, I have 2 coaches: business and fitness. They keep me honest.

In terms of the weekly routine, I’m working from 7 AM to 10 PM every weekday except when I cut early on Fridays, then work half days on Saturday and a full day Sunday.

As I’ve gotten older, I’m starting to notice when my body tells me to stop and rest. So, I’ll stop everything and turn the world off until I’m recovered.

On designing his ideal day.

I live my ideal day nearly every day.

I’ve worked hard to intentionally structure it that way — experimenting with ways to tweak my routine and improve my overall happiness.

In terms of recent improvements, I’m working to spend more time in the gym in the morning since I’m pretty rushed most days. I’m also working to carve out more time to read every day — I used to read closer to a book a week.

I’d also love to travel more with my girlfriend and family, but life can get in the way.

In terms of structure and reflection, I review and set up my next day the night prior about 3 times a week. I’d like to get more consistent there, but it’s hard to forecast daily fires.

On building a tribe.

When it comes to building long-term relationships with people, I value honesty, loyalty, and integrity above all else. In addition, I seek out a willingness to work through problems, paired with high degrees of grit and determination.

I also optimize for potential, especially when building a team around me. I look for folks with untapped potential and a high growth trajectory.

At Hone specifically, we look for people that are collaborative and have zero egos. We take pride in our policy that everyone can challenge anyone in a respectful manner.

Lastly, I love people that are shockingly close to their families, because it shows to me how they manage relationships with those closest to them.

On his nightly routine.

My wind-down ritual is pretty formulaic.

Once I close my laptop, I’ll make sure to rehydrate, stretch, call my parents, and unwind with Rachel and watch a show. Then I’ll take a shower, wash my face, and run through a skincare routine. I’m also 40 now so I really need to take care of myself.

I’ll finish off with a meditation session that knocks me right out.