I did the first time I read it, and it still seems a thin explanation for those remarks. The bulk of the article is a serious personal reflection on the topic

I did the first time I read it, and it still seems a thin explanation for those remarks. The bulk of the article is a serious personal reflection on the topic and the only indication that he's joking is the over the top content of his hyperbole with no setup to the "joke" or obvious indication afterward before he transitions back into serious form. If there's hyperbole in that paragraph it is better lit in the remark about six hour meetings, though I imagine for the bulk of HN'ers six hour meetings are a very real horror not to be joked about.