For Entrepreneurs, Line Between Work And Life Often Blurred

The line between where life ends and work begins is blurred because startups are often all-consuming, entrepreneurs said during a panel at the RiseUp summit on Sunday.

"It takes all of your time and your energy. In a lot of cases, you try to make the best of it," said Karim ElSahy, of Konnecti. "We have to travel a lot, so we bring our spouse with us for a couple of days. There are a couple of hacks, but at the end of the day you have to take the punches."

"You have to multi-task," said Yousef Elsarnaa of Taqalid, adding that his tailor met him at the summit to work on a shirt. Since there's often no line between work and life, the trick is to schedule time for family and friends, Elsarnaa noted. If you leave hobbies for when you're free, you never will be so it's better to plan and fit them into your calendar.

"You have to enjoy what you're doing and have people around you who understand what it's like to be an entrepreneur," advised Nesma Elfar of Taqalid. Having a dynamic team also makes a difference, said Dina El-Mofty of Injaz Egypt, because then you don't feel like you're carrying the whole load.