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LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has reignited debate over work-life balance in the startup world, declaring in a recent X post that founders who brag about achieving balance “are not serious about winning.” The billionaire entrepreneur doubled down on his controversial stance that true startup success requires complete dedication and temporary sacrifice of personal time.“I actually think founders have no balance,” Hoffman stated during a Stanford University guest lecture last month titled “How to be a Great Founder.” He argued that successful entrepreneurs must be “all in” during their company’s critical early years, warning that the startup journey is “super hard and there are lots of ways to die.”
Early LinkedIn culture demanded after-hours commitment
Hoffman’s philosophy isn’t just theoretical—it shaped LinkedIn’s early culture. In recently resurfaced comments, he revealed that during the company’s startup phase, employees were expected to continue working after family dinners. “We said, sure, go home have dinner with your family. Then, after dinner with your family, open up your laptop and get back in the shared work experience and keep working,” Hoffman explained in a podcast appearance.The approach appears to have paid off financially. Hoffman notes that approximately 100 early LinkedIn employees “don’t need to work anymore” following Microsoft‘s $26.2 billion acquisition of the platform in 2016.
Hoffman’s defense against critics of ‘toxic’ work culture
Despite growing workplace wellness conversations since the pandemic, Hoffman remains unapologetic about his stance. “Work-life balance is not the start-up game,” he said on the Diary of a CEO podcast, dismissing critics who label such practices as toxic.“The people that think that’s toxic don’t understand the start-up game, and they’re just wrong,” Hoffman argued. “The game is intense. And by the way, if you don’t do that, eventually, you’re out of a job.”While Hoffman acknowledges this lifestyle “may only last for a couple of years,” he insists that founders must remain “unbalanced” during the crucial company-building phase, keeping their minds constantly focused on business success.
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