4 ms·

> “All of us who decide to start a company, we’re kind of broken as people,” because founders are often singularly-focused on the success of their venture, said

by chewz 7y ago

> “All of us who decide to start a company, we’re kind of broken as people,” because founders are often singularly-focused on the success of their venture, said Mr. Ohanian. Even with great mentors and investors supporting their vision, entrepreneurs tend to put a great deal of pressure on themselves to work harder than anyone else to achieve success and profitability. That psychological pressure is compounded by what he and others refer to as “hustle culture.” > “You have this culture of posturing, and this culture that glorifies the most absurd things and ignores things like self-care, and ignores things like therapy, and ignores things like actually taking care of yourself as a physical being for the sake of work at all costs. It’s a toxic problem,” said Mr. Ohanian.

turk73 7y ago
They admit it but don't do anything about it. The very definition of a psychopath. I have no issue with people who are driven, mind you. The issue is that it leads to quality of life suffering for everyone in the company as expectations continue to ramp. I just don't buy into it anymore. Management where I work attempts to pressurize people and I just laugh. Yes, the "hustle" culture is right--so your boss's boss's boss can make $20M last year while you have to cut coupons.
- ryan-allen 7y ago
  Which is, why I wonder, is a VC of (presumably?) tech companies trashing the hustle culture? If he lends some founders some money, does he want them to be home to spend time with their kids and their spouse, or is he seeking a return? I can't help but think this is just some PR for Alex. Maybe someone can prove me wrong?
  - unknownkadath 7y ago
    It also seems to imply a market opening; a VC that looks for and encourages 40 hour per week founders.
  - mbesto 7y ago
    This is basically his content marketing[0]. Whether he believes it or not, it doesn't matter, because this topic is on trend right now. He's likely taking what he believes is the most attractive option to early stage entrepreneurs right now. [0] - https://avc.com/2016/08/understanding-vcs/ https://avc.com/2016/08/understanding-vcs/
    - chrstphrhrt 7y ago
      Dunno, he seems pretty legit in the documentary about Serena and them having their kid. I don't get a "do as I say not as I do" vibe from watching that, but who knows.
  - rashomon 7y ago
    It might also be that maybe he can be selective with the type of companies he funds. Ones that may not be "moon shot" ideas or require an upheaval of an industry. 99/100 companies who think they will unicorn, will not. He's just choosing not to head for those avenues of founders.
  - PhasmaFelis 7y ago
    > Which is, why I wonder, is a VC of (presumably?) tech companies trashing the hustle culture? For one thing, it doesn't work. If you crunch for more than a couple of weeks in a row, you wind up being less productive per week than if you were sticking to 40 hours. There's loads of data demonstrating this. Maybe there's a tiny number of mutants who can work 80 hours a week for years on end and still be productive. But that's not something the average human being is physiologically capable of. For most people, trying to emulate those outliers is a cargo cult.
- cryoshon 7y ago
  >Management where I work attempts to pressurize people and I just laugh. Yes, the "hustle" culture is right--so your boss's boss's boss can make $20M last year while you have to cut coupons. yep, that's what happens when incentives are extremely mis-aligned. you know very well that you probably won't get paid more if you're more productive. and management knows that they'll always get paid more if you're more productive. but they still refuse to bridge the gap and make it so you get paid more if you are more productive because it would mean a smaller payout for themselves in the short term. of course, this severely limits their ability to earn in the long term due to the massive gap between potential productivity (with genuine incentivization by sharing of revenues earned by additional productivity) and the actual productivity of their employees, but i haven't met a single C-suite person who understands the concept.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
chasd00 7y ago
Some people refuse to take care of themselves, others do not. To lump all entrepreneurs/founders in to a single group is ridiculous, the people who start companies are the most individualistic members of society.
- balt_s 7y ago
  > the people who start companies are the most individualistic members of society. So they're all like each other in that they are all unique individuals, like the lads in Dead Poets Society!

by chewz 7y ago

turk73 7y ago

They admit it but don't do anything about it. The very definition of a psychopath. I have no issue with people who are driven, mind you. The issue is that it leads to quality of life suffering for everyone in the company as expectations continue to ramp. I just don't buy into it anymore. Management where I work attempts to pressurize people and I just laugh. Yes, the "hustle" culture is right--so your boss's boss's boss can make $20M last year while you have to cut coupons.

ryan-allen 7y ago
Which is, why I wonder, is a VC of (presumably?) tech companies trashing the hustle culture? If he lends some founders some money, does he want them to be home to spend time with their kids and their spouse, or is he seeking a return? I can't help but think this is just some PR for Alex. Maybe someone can prove me wrong?
- unknownkadath 7y ago
  It also seems to imply a market opening; a VC that looks for and encourages 40 hour per week founders.
- mbesto 7y ago
  This is basically his content marketing[0]. Whether he believes it or not, it doesn't matter, because this topic is on trend right now. He's likely taking what he believes is the most attractive option to early stage entrepreneurs right now. [0] - https://avc.com/2016/08/understanding-vcs/ https://avc.com/2016/08/understanding-vcs/
  - chrstphrhrt 7y ago
    Dunno, he seems pretty legit in the documentary about Serena and them having their kid. I don't get a "do as I say not as I do" vibe from watching that, but who knows.
- rashomon 7y ago
  It might also be that maybe he can be selective with the type of companies he funds. Ones that may not be "moon shot" ideas or require an upheaval of an industry. 99/100 companies who think they will unicorn, will not. He's just choosing not to head for those avenues of founders.
- PhasmaFelis 7y ago
  > Which is, why I wonder, is a VC of (presumably?) tech companies trashing the hustle culture? For one thing, it doesn't work. If you crunch for more than a couple of weeks in a row, you wind up being less productive per week than if you were sticking to 40 hours. There's loads of data demonstrating this. Maybe there's a tiny number of mutants who can work 80 hours a week for years on end and still be productive. But that's not something the average human being is physiologically capable of. For most people, trying to emulate those outliers is a cargo cult.
cryoshon 7y ago
>Management where I work attempts to pressurize people and I just laugh. Yes, the "hustle" culture is right--so your boss's boss's boss can make $20M last year while you have to cut coupons. yep, that's what happens when incentives are extremely mis-aligned. you know very well that you probably won't get paid more if you're more productive. and management knows that they'll always get paid more if you're more productive. but they still refuse to bridge the gap and make it so you get paid more if you are more productive because it would mean a smaller payout for themselves in the short term. of course, this severely limits their ability to earn in the long term due to the massive gap between potential productivity (with genuine incentivization by sharing of revenues earned by additional productivity) and the actual productivity of their employees, but i haven't met a single C-suite person who understands the concept.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]

chasd00 7y ago

Some people refuse to take care of themselves, others do not. To lump all entrepreneurs/founders in to a single group is ridiculous, the people who start companies are the most individualistic members of society.

balt_s 7y ago
> the people who start companies are the most individualistic members of society. So they're all like each other in that they are all unique individuals, like the lads in Dead Poets Society!