4 ms·
My comment is directed to the argument the author makes that working 60 hours a week is a horrible thing and, indeed, exploitative. I could not disagree more.
by jdileo 18y ago
My comment is directed to the argument the author makes that working 60 hours a week is a horrible thing and, indeed, exploitative. I could not disagree more.
I have been a business owner for nearly a decade and, at its most, was responsible for leading a company of 110 employees. I am 36 and have never worked a mere 40 hour week in my life, and it's certainly not something I see my peers doing either (the successful one's anyway). If you wish such minimum time invested I suggest getting a job at the post office or DMV.
Building a company is, in large part, about building culture. When done correctly management does not need to demand that employees work extended hours, the effort is a by-product of the buy-in to goal and the various incentive plans that are offered.
Frankly, I believe it is dangerous to suggest in an entrepreneur forum like HN that working any less than necessary to win is, or should ever be, an option.
- witten 18y agoIt's dangerous to suggest that working long hours is necessary to win. Knowledge workers become less productive and make costly mistakes after they work longer than a particular (surprisingly low) threshold per week. It's one thing if you're just on the phone all day making sales or sitting in meetings. It's something else entirely to try to produce working, debugged code when putting in 60, 70, or 80 hour weeks.
- jdileo 18y agoLast week PG listed his 5 most admired entrepreneurs, all of them are to your definition "knowledge workers"...I doubt any of them would agree with your thoughts. Winners do what it takes to win, period! Take JL's book Founders at Work for a spin and note how few place 40 hrs. working per week as the priority.
- witten 18y agoCorrelation does not imply causation. There's a culture in the U.S. of over-working, both within successful companies and in non-successful companies.
- msie 18y agoMy comment is directed to the argument the author makes that working 60 hours a week is a horrible thing and, indeed, exploitative. I could not disagree more. Speaking as an employee of several businesses (;D) I disagree. I've seen managers make unrealistic schedules all the time AND fail to deliver. This practice results in low morale, low work-quality and increased turnover.
- jdileo 18y agoRespectfully, your point is due to lack of proper execution, not the notion that very few amazing accomplishments are achieved by those who seek 8-5 work.
- pxlpshr 18y agoCouldn't have said it any better myself. I'm sick and tired of these millennials that want, want, want without the work, work, work. All this "lifestyle" BS I keep hearing about lately is just a cop out excuse for lazy people masquerading under the idea that they are just working smarter — BULLSHIT. REAL entrepreneurs don’t see it as work, it is a compulsion that drives them. If you don't want to be at the top, get out of the way cause you're slowing everyone else down... And damn sure don't apply to work in a startup. The absolute last thing a startup needs are self-righteous millennials wasting time and therefore money.