What if the secret to a successful crowdfunding campaign was to move to a beach house?

Have you ever seen someone in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign? Their eyes are red, their hair is grey, and their skin is Twilight-white. There’s no denying it: doing a crowdfunding campaign right is one of the most exhausting things a startup can go through.

Now, what if there was a solution to make this painful, but exciting period easier, and more productive?

Some startups have been trying a new technique: they’re moving to a secluded house to focus on their campaign, in the hope that they won’t be distracted by big city life and that working 24/7 will be easier to deal with in a better environment.

Ten days before starting their pre-sell campaign, Valencia, Spain-based startup Glassy Pro, a smartwatch for surfers, moved to a house in French surf town Hossegor with the objective of getting everything ready for the big unveiling: communication, tools, PR strategy, etc.

“There, we were just focused on the pre-order campaign.”

“It was a really productive time,” explains Ana Gloria Rebolledo, Glassy’s COO. “If you go to the office, and go back home, you have your mind on different issues. There, we were just focused on the pre-order campaign.”

Of course, working all day simply isn’t sustainable, as it is probably the easiest way to a burnout, loosing your mind, and sabotaging your work! And that’s why so many startups are choosing to moving to a house surrounded

by nature when they have intense weeks of work ahead. Being in contact with nature is a great way to disconnect and recharge your battery!

“[Surfing] released our mind and we were ready to go back to our work”

One of the most effective solutions to reset your brain is probably to go somewhere where you can do sport- surfing is a good one. Glassy’s team of surf aficionados worked a house in front of a great surfing spot. “We got to surf for one or two hours everyday; and it felt so good. It released our mind and we were ready to go back to our work,” Rebolledo said, pointing out how surfing releases dopamine, endorphins and serotonin — the “happy hormones” — and increasing blood flow and oxygen circulation through our bodies (more on that here). It can also be an additional motivation; the faster they worked, the sooner they could go in the water.

So, can my startup do it?

Yes. Definitively. You have different options: rent a house or join a place that have been designed for startups looking to work in a better environment.

If you decide to rent a house in the countryside, or by the beach, ask your team beforehand what sport they like in order to make sure they will be able to play sports there.

If you really don’t want to worry about a thing, joining a house for startups can be great idea. Since you’ll be working with other startups, you’ll always find someone to answer your questions, to share your sorrow, stress, or joy with, and to socialize with. The good thing is they will understand what you’re going through and will know you need to get back to work asap.

Such places can be found close to major cities — an hour and half from Paris is La Mutinerie Village, for example — or further away — The Blue House, a program we’re launching in February, is based in Taghazout, a surf town in Morocco. Only 3 hours away by plane, for an air fare of just €80 from Europe, the north African country is intensively refreshing and cheaper than England or Denmark.

Going to such places can help you focus even more since some of them, such as The Blue House, offer food, cleaning and hotel services. It’s more time to work on your startup, and less to worry about, explains Rebolledo.

In any cases, plan at least seven whole days off. “To get to that routine, you need some more days,” believes Rebolledo. If your campaign lasts a month, why not try making it a month?