Thank you for stating this as clearly as you did. I'll probably get downvoted for comment, but my reaction to reading this essay was to be angry with Tracy. She repeatedly put herself in situations where she had to choose between family and company (or at least thought she did), and for what? Regardless of gender, if you want to have a successful family and you want to have a successful high-growth startup, you're going to have a bad time.
This idea that rockstar CEOs can magically have everything needs to die - if you pick that path it comes with sacrifices that you need to recognize up front. Either you're going to be a bad parent/spouse (applies to most of the male CEOs I know) or you're going to be a leader who doesn't inspire confidence in employees (let alone co-founders, from personal experience). If you want a well-balanced life, consider other options like a lifestyle business or the corporate ladder.
This idea that rockstar CEOs can magically have everything needs to die - if you pick that path it comes with sacrifices that you need to recognize up front. Either you're going to be a bad parent/spouse (applies to most of the male CEOs I know) or you're going to be a leader who doesn't inspire confidence in employees (let alone co-founders, from personal experience). If you want a well-balanced life, consider other options like a lifestyle business or the corporate ladder.