06-05-2025
LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman posted on X (formerly Twitter), “If a founder brags about having ‘a balanced life,’ I assume they’re not serious about winning.” In a guest lecture at Stanford University, Hoffman said to forget about work-life balance if you want to build something great. He said, “I actually think founders have no balance.” Great founders put everything into what they are creating. Hoffman believes that to achieve real success, you must be obsessed with your business outcomes. This philosophy is based on the real challenges of building a new business and the many ways it could fail. He considers it a relentless, unforgiving game.
Hoffman does not assert that you must give up everything. He allows that founders can see their families and engage in some social activities. However, their mental focus must always be on the business to stay hyper-focused. He stated that this intense focus may only last a couple of years. This perspective aligns with statements by other start-up founders. Some leaders, like Narayan Murthy of Infosys, believe that professionals at every level should hold this perspective.
Some other founders do not agree with Hoffman. 37Signals founder Jason Fried called Hoffman’s take “stupid.” Small Bets founder Daniel Vassallo said, “A balanced life is the winning.” Justin Bariso of EQ Applied LLC penned an article for Inc. regarding Hoffman’s take. Bariso stated that Hoffman’s opinion may be the “worst” he had ever seen. Bariso argued that emotionally intelligent founders should work hard to build relations with employees and customers while maintaining strong ties with their family and friends. They lead by example, cultivating habits and building systems that allow their people to thrive. He posits that it is “true winning.”