4 ms·

I don't know. The thing is, it is hard to define "work." All that is clear is that you spend 168 hrs/week engaged in something. Some of that is sleep. Some is e

I don't know. The thing is, it is hard to define "work." All that is clear is that you spend 168 hrs/week engaged in something. Some of that is sleep. Some is eating. Some is writing code, or making plans, or talking with people. For the last 9 months, I've spend 60-80 of those hours each week putting conscious attention to items directly related to founding my company. Let's call that "work." But you can also call it "creation." Most of this time I am outside my self. What is being drained or used? What is different in the time I am not "creating"? My mind is still doing things. What is the difference between "writing the marketing section of the business plan" and "reading a novel"? Does one use less mental energy than the other? I've read so many novels in my life, I'm tired of them. I don't like the way they lock my mind into their train of thought. Reading the novel becomes draining. TV is pure hell. Better to create, to engage in the intricate dance of love and passion with my Muse. I do take a nice nap in the middle of most days. And it is nice to watch the birds flying in the valley, to lift big heavy things, and to eat good steak.

anon4 11y ago
This article is specifically about work performed for others in order to secure capital so you can pay rent and buy food. If you work for yourself, it's not really work. It's your life. Most people have to sell part of their life in order to have the rest of it. Your experience is one shared by only a privileged few and I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of this discussion. The life you've had has left you utterly incapable of comprehending the issue.
- AndrewKemendo 11y ago
  This article is specifically about work performed for others in order to secure capital so you can pay rent and buy food How do you figure? Dustin was a FB Founder and is saying he would have been more effective with less hours. He, and the examples he cites in the article, are literally the best examples of "privileged few."
- mellavora 11y ago
  Dear friend, I certain understand the pain and frustration you feel. In my 20s I spent some 6 months homeless. I've begged for money for food. It was a long and very painful road up from there. Many bullshit jobs. I would not have made it without some help. When you live at the margins of society, you learn some things about societal constructs such as "work." The distinction between the "part you sell" and the part you do not sell is not so distinct.
AndrewKemendo 11y ago
For the last 9 months, I've spend 60-80 of those hours each week putting conscious attention to items directly related to founding my company. Let's call that "work." This is it exactly. Someone told me recently: "To make it huge in business, it needs to also be your hobby." That rung really true for me as a founder. My "work" now used to be the thing I did when I got off of work at the end of the day. Now I get to do it all the time and it's great, why would I want to do anything else? Now, the question is, for non-founders or employees, should we expect them to be as engaged etc... to the same degree as the founder. I think the answer is "it depends." I mentioned this elsewhere but I firmly think that Bezos/Jobs etc... all want to hire people who are as passionate about their work as a founder is. So that's who they structure the company around.
- saiya-jin 11y ago
  ... and if you look around, those 2 names ring many bells from people who felt treated horribly working for those guys, vastly more compared to... any other big name. there is no one-template-fits-all, we are all vastly different beings inside. you can try to aim same type of people like yourself for hiring, but after few headcounts this gets really hard. you either provide extra cash motivation, or promise (and delivery) to work on something amazing.
- ryandrake 11y ago
  That only works when high-engagement employees' compensation matches the sacrifice they are making. Why would anyone bring founder-level engagement to a job with only employee-level compensation? In other words, if you want me to work the same hours as the crazy founder, offer me founder equity.
  - AndrewKemendo 11y ago
    I think that depends on the person. What you describe is the mercenary style approach - "Well, I've been fucked over before so pay me!" - and I think that is totally valid mindset, if cynical. The reality is though that for some problem sets or types of work, the work transcends the tangible benefits. I have to fall back on my time in the military for this one because I have innumerable examples of people who have absolutely dedicated their lives to their military job and what they have to show for it from that perspective is a broken body and a relative pittance; but you couldn't pay them enough to leave because they love it so much. So it's not always just about hard compensation.
normloman 11y ago
The difference between reading a novel and writing a business plan is that you have to write the business plan. That makes a huge difference.

anon4 11y ago

This article is specifically about work performed for others in order to secure capital so you can pay rent and buy food. If you work for yourself, it's not really work. It's your life. Most people have to sell part of their life in order to have the rest of it. Your experience is one shared by only a privileged few and I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of this discussion. The life you've had has left you utterly incapable of comprehending the issue.

AndrewKemendo 11y ago
This article is specifically about work performed for others in order to secure capital so you can pay rent and buy food How do you figure? Dustin was a FB Founder and is saying he would have been more effective with less hours. He, and the examples he cites in the article, are literally the best examples of "privileged few."
mellavora 11y ago
Dear friend, I certain understand the pain and frustration you feel. In my 20s I spent some 6 months homeless. I've begged for money for food. It was a long and very painful road up from there. Many bullshit jobs. I would not have made it without some help. When you live at the margins of society, you learn some things about societal constructs such as "work." The distinction between the "part you sell" and the part you do not sell is not so distinct.

AndrewKemendo 11y ago

For the last 9 months, I've spend 60-80 of those hours each week putting conscious attention to items directly related to founding my company. Let's call that "work." This is it exactly. Someone told me recently: "To make it huge in business, it needs to also be your hobby." That rung really true for me as a founder. My "work" now used to be the thing I did when I got off of work at the end of the day. Now I get to do it all the time and it's great, why would I want to do anything else? Now, the question is, for non-founders or employees, should we expect them to be as engaged etc... to the same degree as the founder. I think the answer is "it depends." I mentioned this elsewhere but I firmly think that Bezos/Jobs etc... all want to hire people who are as passionate about their work as a founder is. So that's who they structure the company around.

saiya-jin 11y ago
... and if you look around, those 2 names ring many bells from people who felt treated horribly working for those guys, vastly more compared to... any other big name. there is no one-template-fits-all, we are all vastly different beings inside. you can try to aim same type of people like yourself for hiring, but after few headcounts this gets really hard. you either provide extra cash motivation, or promise (and delivery) to work on something amazing.
ryandrake 11y ago
That only works when high-engagement employees' compensation matches the sacrifice they are making. Why would anyone bring founder-level engagement to a job with only employee-level compensation? In other words, if you want me to work the same hours as the crazy founder, offer me founder equity.
- AndrewKemendo 11y ago
  I think that depends on the person. What you describe is the mercenary style approach - "Well, I've been fucked over before so pay me!" - and I think that is totally valid mindset, if cynical. The reality is though that for some problem sets or types of work, the work transcends the tangible benefits. I have to fall back on my time in the military for this one because I have innumerable examples of people who have absolutely dedicated their lives to their military job and what they have to show for it from that perspective is a broken body and a relative pittance; but you couldn't pay them enough to leave because they love it so much. So it's not always just about hard compensation.

normloman 11y ago

The difference between reading a novel and writing a business plan is that you have to write the business plan. That makes a huge difference.