Sara Du
Sara is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alloy Automation (YC W20). She previously worked at Snap & Wish, after dropping out of her undergrad at Harvard. Outside of work, she likes streetwear, history books, and museums.
On her morning routine.
Most days, my body naturally wakes me up between 6:30 and 7 am.
The first thing I do when I wake up is hit a quick home workout, then take some Athletic Greens and chase it with cold brew. From there, I’ll do my morning skincare routine, put on some SPF, and get the workday started.
On daily workflows.
Our team has a stand-up every morning at 8 am PT.
When I was in the Bay Area, I would have an hour before any calls. I liked to use that time to enjoy the quiet of the morning while scrolling through Reddit and Highsnobiety.
I tend to organize my calls into chunks, even if it means playing calendar jigsaw.
I also set aside a decent amount of time for internal meetings and pulse checks, since alignment is so important at this stage of the company. I then have uninterrupted periods of the afternoon to think and execute on what comes up in calls.
On working weekends.
On most weekends, I like to co-work with friends at a coffee shop. I like being able to catch up with people over an extended amount of time while also getting work done.
After working a bit, I’ll usually unplug and go to a museum or walk around the city before dinner. When I’m not working, I like to engage in more creative activities.
On serendipity vs obligation.
I’ve been focusing on spending my time more thoughtfully.
There’s so much going on in NYC, and after moving here, I’ve felt obligated to meet up with everyone, even if we may not have much to catch up about.
I enjoy serendipity, but I also want to go into a meeting with some ideas for interesting topics to chat about. One thing that’s been filling me with energy is discovering different corners of New York.
I love dropping into random galleries and cafes — wandering around and admiring beautiful work is something that allows me to relax, reflect, and recharge.
On cultivating inspiration.
I like keeping in touch with people who work in very different fields. I particularly love spending time with artists — filmmakers, streetwear designers, and musicians.
I get so inspired when I see others charting their own path, and I enjoy getting their thoughts on my work since they come at it with such a fresh perspective.
On constantly improving.
One thing I’m working on is proactive communication and being the one who’s checking in on people rather than vice versa. This applies to both personal and professional life.
I’ve never worked a real job before or managed people, so being more in tune with the people I get to work with is something I’m always trying to improve.
Additionally, I’m slowly getting better at redistributing 70% of my free time to the top 5% of my friends — these are just estimates, but I’m effectively following the power law.
I used to think that I needed to evenly distribute my time between making new friends and hanging out with my close friends, but I realized that it makes me happy when I spend more time with those who mean the most to me.
On dealing with stress.
A lot of the time, I don’t recognize stress consciously.
Usually, my body will react, whether through intense fatigue, insomnia, or more recently, hives.
This doesn’t happen often, maybe once a quarter, and that’s when I know I need to take it slow. For me, giving myself a “break” means I’m more lenient on my body and mind.
I’ll take it easy with workouts and nighttime work.
On her evening routine.
I’ll usually have dinner or drinks with friends in the evening, and make it back home around 10 pm.
My favorite time to dive into my deep work is the period from 10 pm to 12 am.
That’s usually when I spend some time sketching, reflecting on the day, and catching up on work that was delayed by calls.