Ori Guttin is the Co-Founder of ViewBug, the world’s largest photo contest platform, he launched in 2007 with his co-founder Jaime Lozowsky.

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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I started thinking about the Viewbug concept with my best friend and co-founder Jaime Lozowsky a few years after we graduated from college.

We are both enthusiast photographers and were looking for a solution to participate in contests while keeping the rights of our images. Fast forward to today, never raised a VC round and we are still hands-on and in the day to day operations of the product.

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

The workday is pretty much divided into two: working on the product and growth.
I like focusing on the product in the mornings, which means working with the team on the roadmap and features.

I like checking emails an hour before lunch and then have another “email-only” hour after lunch. The afternoons are dedicated to growth planning, marketing and business development. Of course, this is the ideal scenario, but most days have unscheduled surprises that need to be attended.

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

Yes, as a co-founder I have the flexibility to organize my own schedule which translates in balancing work with family life and personal time. I believe that It is very important to have a balanced routine to stay efficient and creative at work.

For me, this means personal time in the mornings and surfing before starting the workday followed by lunch with my family when possible. Remote working has become more common because of the current situation and the team has adapted very well.

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

As mentioned in the last question, I try to balance work-life as much as possible with a well-set routine. I like starting the day with some personal time to meditate in the mornings followed by a fun surf session and a good coffee which gets me ready to grind at the office.

I like spending at least an hour at the office without Skype, Slack, or any other distraction. This helps me tackle my tasks with focus and efficiency.

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5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

I have not started or stopped any routines or habits but I made an extra effort to maintain my current habits with the current pandemic and while we were on lockdown. Working from home (with 2 young daughters) can be distracting and keeping a routine was crucial.

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

I do not have too much time right now to listen to podcasts or read books, I like spending the evenings with my wife and daughters but these are a few podcasts that really enjoy listening to:
The Kevin Rose Show, Making Sense with Sam Harris and The Drive with Peter Attia.

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?

Gmail and Skype are my two to-go must-have apps for work.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

Elon Musk

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

Make an effort to dedicate time to yourself (meditating, drawing, playing an instrument), exercise on a daily basis, and spend time with your family without work distractions.

You do not need to be answering your emails at 8 pm while playing with your kids, those emails can wait a few hours. Doing all of these comes with a great side effect: you become more creative and efficient at work.

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