Elon Musk is big on working long hours. And it's hard to argue with what he's accomplished.
What does one have to do with the other?
Unless we can view an alternate timeline where Elon wasn't a workaholic, it's impossible to know if working long hours increased, decreased, or had a net neutral effect on his success.
Re:Trickle-down workaholism in startups
by rorykoehler on Tuesday May 30, 2017 @09:34PM
(#14449899)
Elon Musk has been divorced a few times.....
Re:Trickle-down workaholism in startups
by williamstein on Tuesday May 30, 2017 @02:14PM
(#14447248)
Elon Musk has done what he has done for decades. For some people working very hard is sustainable and for others (probably most) it is not. I much depends on constitution and also what one values and enjoys in life. I have personally also "worked" very hard since the 1970s, I enjoy doing so, it makes me feel good, and I plan to continue working hard into the future. One of my mathematician colleagues (Barry Mazur) is 80, and is one of the most mathematically productive people I know. For some people there is a cumulative benefit to long hours of hard work... for others it is surely a total disaster. Life is so complicated.
Re:Trickle-down workaholism in startups
by stretchwithme on Tuesday May 30, 2017 @02:46PM
(#14447458)
Yes, there is a great deal of variability.
Elon Musk has accomplished much in business. He has failed miserably at his family life. So how much has he accomplished?
That's not a fair statement... He has accomplished a lot by most peoples standards. If you're are implying that marital success is worth more in life than career, I wouldn't argue with you but I do disagree that one is objectively more valuable.
It really depends on the individual.
Clearly Elon made his choice, but he has kids he loves and a business empire. I wouldn't even go as far to say that he did it just for the sake of business success. I think he has long ago dedicated his life to the human race as a whole and his success in business came as a byproduct.
But is it sustainable? Obviously, a young person can do it for years. But can they do it for decades? Or is there a cumulative cost that will shorten their life?
It also matters whether those long hours involve constant sitting or not. Is there a lot of creative interaction? Do they personally care about the mission of the company? Or is just about the money?