DelhiGW

Do you think that this is toxic work culture or "the price of greatness"?

When I look back at my own journey, my biggest growth spurts weren't from my wins (though those felt great!). They came from those moments when I was sitting in my room at 2 AM, fixing shit that wouldn't work, or getting rejected from that "perfect" job opportunity.

Yesterday, I was mentoring someone who was frustrated about a project not going perfectly. Found myself saying "Good! This is where the real learning happens!" Then realized I sounded exactly like what Huang was talking about 😂

It's kind of wild, we spend so much time trying to shield ourselves (and others) from failure, but maybe that's exactly what we need? Not because suffering is good, but because learning to get back up might be the most valuable skill we never knew we needed.

Think about it - how many "overnight success" stories actually took 10 years of failing first? Probably most of them. Maybe Huang's just being real about what it actually takes, even if it sounds harsh at first.

What's your take on this? I know WLB is a big thing now and maybe this is an old fashioned take.

23d ago44K views

Qwerty2398

Stealth23d

when its s your company, it price for greatness. When you are salaried employee it toxic work place.

salt

Gojek23d

Atleast nvidia minted millionaires too

DelhiGW

Venture Capital23d

This is a really important distinction. The risk-reward ratio is completely different between founders and employees. When you own significant equity and are building your vision, those 2 AM debugging sessions feel like investing in yourself.
But expecting the same sacrifice from salaried employees without proportional upside isn't leadership, it's exploitation. The real mark of greatness might be creating an environment where people can do their best work sustainably

Grapejuice

PayU23d

That's short term greatness. Sure a decade may be a long for you or us genz but the real greats are who are doing ge erstuonal good and earning more from sustainable growth and employee care. Don't ask me for examples, do you own research as I have mentioned them a number of times on GV. For example Buggati

salt

Gojek23d

Very true. This is a smart answer tbh.

BetaTester

Zepto23d

Sustainable growth is the term, very well summed up

LosingmakesnoCents

Stealth23d

You are confusing resilience with toxicity. Resilience comes from within when you feel equal to the challenge and ready to do the grind because the rewards are worth it ( maybe it’s your company or you have enough stake in it).
Not everyone feels that involved in a problem, specially if they don’t have skin in the game. When they are forced to still grind it out beyond what they signed up for, it’s toxic.

LosingmakesnoCents

Stealth23d

What he’s saying is true. For example : the great pyramids of Giza couldn’t be built without the sufferings and death of the many thousands of slaves.
The Egyptian Pharoahs wouldn’t stop gloating over “their” majestic achievements. Doesn’t mean that the entire process wasn’t toxic to the workers. who built it.

DataJedi

Stealth23d

Loved this take. Resilience vs Toxicity. It's all how much of your stake is involved, how much of the returns you get out of it.

jake_peralta_B99

Freelancer23d

Nothing is worth achieving if the cost is your health, relationships. We are so focused on achieving things within a specific timeline like MBA by 25, 1Cr NW by 28 etc etc. These numbers aren't defined on any quantitative reasoning, but just a sheer number to run behind. This ain't the goal one should pursue, life is so much more than chasing money or position.

What's the worst you'll do if you don't achieve 1cr NW by 28? You'll achieve by 32 say, is it really that bad? Who are you really competing against? Instead, why not balance it out with enough time for your personal life as well

DelhiGW

Venture Capital23d

This really resonates. The arbitrary timelines we set (1Cr by 28, etc.) often make us optimize for speed at the expense of sustainability. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Building something meaningful while maintaining your health and relationships isn't just 'nice to have' - it's what makes the achievement worthwhile in the first place. A few years' delay in hitting those milestones is nothing compared to burning out or losing connections with people who matter

ServerCrashed

SAP23d

Well said, failure is important to develop that character!

Cummerbund

EY23d

@ServerCrashed I agree with this too.

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