Workweek Exceeding 80 Hours by Indian Entrepreneur Sparks Productivity Discussion: 'If You Aren't...'
In the realm of tech entrepreneurship, a heated debate has arisen surrounding the ideal number of work hours for building world-changing products. Neha Suresh, an Indian entrepreneur based in San Francisco and the founder of April Assistant, has advocated for extended working hours as the norm, while Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, champions a more balanced approach.
Suresh, in a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), shared a video of herself and her co-founder working long hours, stating, "If you're not spending 14+ hours a day working on your dream, you're ngmi [not going to make it]. You can't build a world-changing product on 9-5 energy. 80-hour weeks aren’t extreme. It's baseline." This position has sparked debate, with some critics warning that such a workload can lead to burnout and is not sustainable or healthy.
In contrast, Narayana Murthy, widely respected for his disciplined yet balanced work culture, led Infosys from a startup to a multinational corporation known for quality and global impact. Though exact daily hours of Murthy are less emphasized in media, his approach focused on setting high standards, fostering innovation, and building scalable systems without glorifying exhaustion or excessive workloads.
Suresh's video did not go down well with the internet. Social media users commented on her post, expressing concerns about the sustainability of working long hours every day. One user even suggested, "Take a break, go for a walk, have soup, and cuddle." Another user shared their personal experience of burning out while chasing 80-hour weeks and building better products when well-rested.
A third user warned about the unsustainability of Suresh's 14-hour workday and emphasized the importance of sun, exercise, and sleep for productivity. A fourth user mentioned their struggle with a 14-hour workday due to commute and internship duties.
In a separate story, another Redditor shared how they saved money by flying to Vietnam and buying a MacBook, highlighting the potential benefits of a more balanced lifestyle.
While Suresh stands firm on her belief that working over 14 hours a day is the bare minimum for employees and founders, Narayana Murthy has advocated for a 70-hour workweek. His leadership style, often associated with sustainable work ethics combined with high productivity, has shown that world-changing products can be built with efficient and principled management rather than extreme hours alone.
Earlier, Murthy emphasized the need for India's young workforce to embrace hard work to realize the country's full potential on the global stage. He claimed to have followed an intense schedule of 14-hour days, six and a half days a week, throughout his career. Murthy arrived at the office by 6:30 am and left at around 8:40 pm.
In summary, the debate between Neha Suresh and Narayana Murthy underscores the ongoing discussion about productivity and the number of hours one needs to work. While Suresh champions very long work hours as essential for breakthrough innovation, Murthy’s success exemplifies productive, disciplined work that balances dedication and sustainability. Both approaches have shaped significant world-changing enterprises, but with markedly different views on work schedules and their effects on productivity and well-being.
[1] Link to Neha Suresh's viral post on X (formerly Twitter) [2] [Link to Infosys's success story] (URL) [3] [Link to Narayana Murthy's interview on work ethics] (URL)
- The debate between Neha Suresh and Narayana Murthy highlights the importance of work schedules in shaping productivity and well-being, with Suresh advocating for extended working hours and Murthy promoting a balanced approach.
- While Suresh's viral post on X (formerly Twitter) emphasized 14+ hours a day as the norm for building world-changing products, critics have warned about the unsustainability and potential health risks of such workloads.
- Narayana Murthy, on the other hand, has shown through his leadership at Infosys that world-changing products can be built with efficient and principled management, without glorifying exhaustion or excessive workloads.
