According to EU-Startups, TestGorilla’s CEO took a radical 9-day digital detox in the Pyrenees immediately after launching a new pricing model. He completely switched off his phone and laptop, using his wife as the sole gatekeeper for truly urgent matters. The experiment revealed that his team handled everything effectively in his absence, with some issues resolving themselves and others being properly documented and decided. He discovered that being “always on” wasn’t leadership but insecurity, and that boundaries actually create fairer workplaces. The experience led to clearer strategic thinking, including breakthrough insights about their pricing strategy during a phone-free mountain run.
The hidden tax of digital clutter
Here’s the thing we rarely admit: our devices are making us dumber. The CEO references research showing that just having a smartphone nearby—even if you’re not using it—reduces cognitive capacity. And that’s before we even get to the constant task-switching and notifications that create what researchers call ‘attention residue’. Basically, your brain keeps fragments of previous tasks hanging around, dragging down your performance on whatever you’re doing next.
The late-night scroll is particularly disastrous. Evening screen exposure delays your circadian clock and messes with next-morning alertness. So we’re literally sabotaging our best judgment hours before we need it. How many bad decisions do you think get made by sleep-deprived leaders?
The immediate payoff of disconnecting
Instead of the anxiety he expected, the CEO felt an instant reconnection with his kids. His default answer shifted from “in a second” to “yes.” That small change was huge. And the sleep improvement? Without screens pulling him past midnight, he woke up less brittle and more clear-headed.
By day three, the real magic happened. Silence stopped being uncomfortable and started being useful. He realized how much of what he’d called “thinking” was really just reacting. Real strategy only emerged when he sat with the discomfort long enough for it to turn into clarity. That mountain run where he had his pricing breakthrough? That came from actually letting a thought develop instead of just documenting it and moving on.
The leadership myth we need to bust
This is where it gets uncomfortable for most founders. The CEO admitted that being always available wasn’t leadership—it was insecurity. His company didn’t collapse without him. In fact, people stepped up. What he’d thought was indispensable was often just a need to feel needed.
And here’s the kicker: boundaries aren’t selfish, they’re fair. An always-on culture rewards people without caregiving responsibilities or those in the “right” time zones. That’s not a level playing field. If we’re serious about democratizing opportunity, we have to measure impact by work quality, not reply speed.
Making it work in the real world
This wasn’t some monastic retreat. It was a practical reset for a real company. The CEO didn’t go hunting for breakthroughs—he went to be present with his family. The strategic clarity was a bonus. And investors are starting to get it too—one of theirs even sponsors mental-health retreats through programs like WellFounded.
Nature played a crucial role too. Research suggests there’s a real threshold—about 120 minutes per week—where time outdoors correlates with better health. He overshot that in the Pyrenees and felt the cognitive reset. The experience proved that detachment from work isn’t dereliction—psychological detachment actually enhances performance.
So here’s your nudge: pick your week, publish escalation rules, hand your phone to someone you trust, and let your brain—and your company—breathe. Availability isn’t the same as impact. Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is walk away.
