Starting a startup is good, working for a startup is bad (looking at the odds of the big win). Y'all have 40 years of slog to get through, usually, so don't burn out in the first 5-10. And, man, do things change when your working group grows > 1.
Yeah, there are exceptions but they only prove the rule.
I have nothing constructive to add. Guo is peddling ragebait for the LinkedIn class to repost and - despite knowing this - I’m still fired up
Are there any normal people that want this? Who fantasize about proving “white-glove service” for whatever flavor of the month SaaS is on meme? I fantasize about €0.70 espresso at an Umbrian cafe and surprise! I’m doing that literally right now, working regular eight hour days.
Other than wealthy heirs and lottery winners, Lucy Guo might just be the luckiest billionaire alive. Co-founded Scale, fired two years later, while valuation was still in the millions.
Even among the incredibly lucky people out there, she's an outlier.
Excluding her internships, she worked two years on something, which later made her financially independent. But really, even by the time she left, she must have been financially independent (by their 2018 valuation).
My point being - she won the lottery ticket, and can work as little or as much as she wants to, without it really affecting her wealth. If she one day burns out, she can take as much time off as she wants to. If she wants to take a 3 month vacation tomorrow, she can do that.
To tell salaried peasants that if they just follow their passion, they can easily pull 12 hour days, 6 days a week...yeah, she seems out of touch.
7 billion people in the world. 3,000 billionaires. She won the life lottery and thinks the difference in her success is that she works hard and loves her job. 30 years old.
This is pure propaganda. Just keep working. Feed the rich. You're just lazy.
I'm more likely to end up permanently disabled after being conscripted to war than I am to end up in her shoes. I'm 40. Gen Z is onto something right with work life balance.
Strongly agree, this is post hoc rationalization plain and simple. Between “lying flat (tang ping),” “letting it rot (bai lan),” and the rapidly declining fertility rate (currently ~1 as of this comment and continuing to decline), young folks should be fine against said propaganda.
OMG we're listening to a lazy low-life who didn't even manage to stay in college after all? Someone who was too stupid and lazy for college? Like Elizabeth Holmes?
While this kind of intensity makes sense for founders, especially those deeply invested in their own vision, but it's worth saying out loud that if you're not a principal founder and you're trying to keep up with this kind of work ethic, you should seriously reconsider.
For a long time, I wore being a workaholic like it was a badge of honor. As a solo dev (or working with a very small team), my daily grind often ran 15 to 17 hours. And honestly? It didn’t feel like work, because I was fueled by passion and a clear vision. That drive can be powerful.
But over time, even passion has limits. Mental fatigue creeps in. Burnout follows. What I learned, too late, frankly, is that sustainable output isn’t about how long you can code. It’s about how well you can recover.
I still work long hours, but now I deliberately break that intensity. I’ll do 10 hours of focused top-priority work and spend the rest on creative pursuits like writing, or on valuable family time. For me, that contrast has become essential and healthier. A work-life harmony, and I think that’s closer to what folks like Lucy Guo are describing.
If you're not a founder or equity stakeholder, and you’re pushing long hours for salary and loyalty alone, it’s worth asking: Is this really your mission? Because if it’s not, the cost, mentally and physically, adds up fast.
Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps someone who’s grinding hard right now.
Curious to hear how others are navigating this. What’s been your experience?
What’s even wilder is that I used to work from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ,not every single day, but often enough, especially when chasing tight deadlines. For years I had no hobbies, just work.
Recently, I changed mindset and spend evenings writing or doing something creative, and surprisingly, it gives me energy instead of draining it.
I’m not claiming this is healthy, it’s just what works for me.
I’ve been fortunate to have strong support at home, especially from my wife.
My main point is unless you have real ownership or upside, adopting this kind of work ethic can be a trap. Passion is great, but burnout is real.
I plan to start turning some of these reflections into a personal YouTube project. Simply to share honest stories in case they help someone else who's caught in the grind.
Starting a startup is good, working for a startup is bad (looking at the odds of the big win). Y'all have 40 years of slog to get through, usually, so don't burn out in the first 5-10. And, man, do things change when your working group grows > 1.
Yeah, there are exceptions but they only prove the rule.
I have nothing constructive to add. Guo is peddling ragebait for the LinkedIn class to repost and - despite knowing this - I’m still fired up
Are there any normal people that want this? Who fantasize about proving “white-glove service” for whatever flavor of the month SaaS is on meme? I fantasize about €0.70 espresso at an Umbrian cafe and surprise! I’m doing that literally right now, working regular eight hour days.
Other than wealthy heirs and lottery winners, Lucy Guo might just be the luckiest billionaire alive. Co-founded Scale, fired two years later, while valuation was still in the millions.
Even among the incredibly lucky people out there, she's an outlier.
Excluding her internships, she worked two years on something, which later made her financially independent. But really, even by the time she left, she must have been financially independent (by their 2018 valuation).
My point being - she won the lottery ticket, and can work as little or as much as she wants to, without it really affecting her wealth. If she one day burns out, she can take as much time off as she wants to. If she wants to take a 3 month vacation tomorrow, she can do that.
To tell salaried peasants that if they just follow their passion, they can easily pull 12 hour days, 6 days a week...yeah, she seems out of touch.
I also don't for one second believe her that she works from 5:30am to midnight every day.
7 billion people in the world. 3,000 billionaires. She won the life lottery and thinks the difference in her success is that she works hard and loves her job. 30 years old.
This is pure propaganda. Just keep working. Feed the rich. You're just lazy.
I'm more likely to end up permanently disabled after being conscripted to war than I am to end up in her shoes. I'm 40. Gen Z is onto something right with work life balance.
Strongly agree, this is post hoc rationalization plain and simple. Between “lying flat (tang ping),” “letting it rot (bai lan),” and the rapidly declining fertility rate (currently ~1 as of this comment and continuing to decline), young folks should be fine against said propaganda.
> Guo, who dropped out of college
OMG we're listening to a lazy low-life who didn't even manage to stay in college after all? Someone who was too stupid and lazy for college? Like Elizabeth Holmes?
While this kind of intensity makes sense for founders, especially those deeply invested in their own vision, but it's worth saying out loud that if you're not a principal founder and you're trying to keep up with this kind of work ethic, you should seriously reconsider.
For a long time, I wore being a workaholic like it was a badge of honor. As a solo dev (or working with a very small team), my daily grind often ran 15 to 17 hours. And honestly? It didn’t feel like work, because I was fueled by passion and a clear vision. That drive can be powerful.
But over time, even passion has limits. Mental fatigue creeps in. Burnout follows. What I learned, too late, frankly, is that sustainable output isn’t about how long you can code. It’s about how well you can recover.
I still work long hours, but now I deliberately break that intensity. I’ll do 10 hours of focused top-priority work and spend the rest on creative pursuits like writing, or on valuable family time. For me, that contrast has become essential and healthier. A work-life harmony, and I think that’s closer to what folks like Lucy Guo are describing.
If you're not a founder or equity stakeholder, and you’re pushing long hours for salary and loyalty alone, it’s worth asking: Is this really your mission? Because if it’s not, the cost, mentally and physically, adds up fast.
Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps someone who’s grinding hard right now.
Curious to hear how others are navigating this. What’s been your experience?
> Curious to hear how others are navigating this. What’s been your experience?
Nothing you do matters. It will all be irrelevant in as little as two years. Don't waste your life on technology when it's someone else's project.
You're saying you work flat out for 10 hours a day,then go home and work on hobbies?
This is wild to me
What’s even wilder is that I used to work from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ,not every single day, but often enough, especially when chasing tight deadlines. For years I had no hobbies, just work.
Recently, I changed mindset and spend evenings writing or doing something creative, and surprisingly, it gives me energy instead of draining it.
I’m not claiming this is healthy, it’s just what works for me. I’ve been fortunate to have strong support at home, especially from my wife.
My main point is unless you have real ownership or upside, adopting this kind of work ethic can be a trap. Passion is great, but burnout is real.
I plan to start turning some of these reflections into a personal YouTube project. Simply to share honest stories in case they help someone else who's caught in the grind.
Thanks for the comment.