No, I do not subscribe to the Church of the Nonstop Hustle’s teachings
More hours does NOT ensure success. And whereas arguments from the founder of a recently failed startup may not hold water for some, I’m getting really, really sick of this belief that continues to permeate the startup world. This piece in particular, while having plenty of merit, simultaneously infuriates me because of its pejorative nature — vilifying downtime, suggesting your startup will likely die if you don’t work 12 hour days.
More and more science is showing that downtime is not just a nice thing, it’s critical for the brain and body to function at its peak. Evenings spent without work, a relaxing weekend (even if just one day), and time spent away from the office should be seen as a net gain for your brain and be encouraged.
Scientific American wrote the above, a dense, but amazing report on just how critical downtime is for the brain. Recently scientists have discovered something they’re calling the Default Mode Network. Its purpose? Restoring the brain’s higher level functions by leveraging wakeful rest. Seriously, read the entire article above and maybe you’ll think twice about the value of pulling that all-nighter or skipping an evening away from your computer.
“I have so much to accomplish today that I must meditate for two hours instead of one.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Now, I’m not simultaneously advocating for being lazy, or somehow being too comfortable that you don’t actually hustle to achieve the goals of your startup. On the contrary, I’m arguing that downtime is not a luxury but a necessity in the pursuit of the greatest output your mind can achieve.
I do agree with Paul in that attending parties, gigs, etc. probably aren’t the best way to be spending your downtime. But to suggest that one must work 12+ hour days to achieve success is absolutely bonkers to me. Not everyone achieves the same amount of output per hour. We should not be encouraging every person in a startup to work themselves to the bone in the endless pursuit of “hustle” when it’s a pretty well known fact that everyone’s per-hour output can be dramatically different.
How would I summarize my thoughts most effectively?
- Don’t fall into the peer pressure of working insanely long days — just because it’s possible for a slim margin of the population to work effectively for hours on end doesn’t mean you can, or should.
- Your brain NEEDS downtime to recharge to be at its peak effectiveness.
- Don’t be stupid with how you spend your downtime — partying non-stop is probably not the best. But a weekend hike away from the cognitive load of the city would be a great alternative.
Lastly, here’s a fantastic piece by Facebook and Asana co-founder Dustin Moskovitz that does a great job of emphasizing some of this:
