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> Empirically Citation needed. There are studies out there showing that productivity is proportional to days spent on the problem, not hours. It's likely that
by neilk 14y ago
> Empirically
Citation needed.
There are studies out there showing that productivity is proportional to days spent on the problem, not hours. It's likely that for a knowledge worker, sustained schedules with long workdays actually reduce average productivity.
http://www.jamesshore.com/Articles/Business/Software%20Profitability%20Newsletter/Crunch%20Mode.html http://www.jamesshore.com/Articles/Business/Software%20Profi...
There may be some exceptional people who can defy this rule, and it's possible they are concentrated in startups, but I'm dubious.
- shadowmatter 14y agoIt's been awhile since I've read it, but I remember reading something along those lines in "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" (http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805 http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates...). The thesis is that our motivation to do things is along a spectrum of intrinsic (for the love of the work) vs extrinsic (e.g. money). Generally the former yields better results. Some studies even showed that paying people to do things they love can be detrimental, because you're now adding an extrinsic motivator to something that they are intrinsically motivated to do, thereby making what they love feel like "work."
- webwright 14y ago"There may be some exceptional people who can defy this rule, and it's possible they are concentrated in startups, but I'm dubious." Right. They are concentrated at the top. Here's one study (doesn't include work time at home or weekends): http://www.people.hbs.edu/rsadun/CEOs/presentation.pdf http://www.people.hbs.edu/rsadun/CEOs/presentation.pdf It makes logical sense-- combine the ability to work long hours (rare) with talent and you will blow the normal fatigue-able people out of the water in terms of output and (in a sorta-meritocracy) rise to the top.
- zeidrich 14y agoIt looks like that study shows that the median CEO works 50 hours per week, with 10 of that spent in travel or eating. To me that sounds like a very typical work week without spectacular overtime, crunch, hustle, whatever. It says that some CEOs work more hours, but doesn't correlate that with higher productivity. It says that few work less than 40 hours per week discounting meals and travel. 50 hours per week is 10 hours per day. Maybe like 8 to 6. Anyone complaining about expectations for crunch time would relish hours like that.
- PAULHANNA84 14y agoCEO...sure, but how about a founder? Entrepreneur? CEO who is the original founder? I could guarantee the figures are far different.
- thedragon4453 14y agoI know an entrepreneur that bought a well known franchise. He told me he worked without a day off for the first year before finally taking a Sunday off. My gut was to call bullshit. Employees around from that time confirm. He's very successful today. That's gotta fuck up the average.
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- timr 14y ago"Citation needed." That's what "empirical" means: a statement based on observation or experience. C'mon folks...it's not clever or insightful to "refute" personal opinions by pointing out that they're opinions.
- mertd 14y agoThat would be anecdotal. "Empirical evidence" implies some structured observation happened and somebody documented it.
- elviejo 14y agoI had that same confusion. In spanish: Empirico means based on experience / anecdote. In english: Empirical means based on scientific studies. Maybe the previous author had the same confusion.
- jaimebuelta 14y agoIn spanish, "empirico" means exactly the same thing. Based on well tested observations, not your just "personal experience". Sure it is a little overused some times, but it still means some degree of confidence greater that "in my experience"
- elviejo 14y agoAccording to Real Academia Española... "It is relative to experience" http://lema.rae.es/drae/srv/search?id=hTXhUCMS1DXX2DI3MWRd http://lema.rae.es/drae/srv/search?id=hTXhUCMS1DXX2DI3MWRd empírico, ca. (Del lat. empirĭcus, y este del gr. ἐμπειρικός, que se rige por la experiencia). 1. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a la experiencia.
- timr 14y ago"'Empirical evidence' implies some structured observation happened and somebody documented it." No, that's not what it means at all: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empirical http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empirical None of the three definitions mention "structured observation", and the second definition directly contradicts that assertion.