The work-life balance debate continues to spark discussions. While some argue that long working hours drive productivity and economic growth, others believe they take a toll on employee well-being. Weighing in on the conversation, Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, shared his candid perspective on the challenges of maintaining work-life balance. He emphasised that building a successful startup demands immense dedication and sacrifice.
In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), Indian-origin entrepreneur stated, “Wanting work-life balance is OK. Wanting to build a breakthrough startup is OK. But you shouldn’t expect both. In 30+ years and knowing hundreds of founders, I’ve never met a single founder that built a breakthrough startup while maintaining work-life balance.”
He went on to say that every competitive human endeavour demands sacrifice to stand out, whether it’s in athletics, the arts, or entrepreneurship. “Raw talent is not enough. You have to toil,” the entrepreneur asserted.
In the follow-up posts, he stated that he is not advocating for unsustainable levels of unhealthy work. “That’s hustle culture, and I don’t think it works over the long term. Peak performers know that they need to rest. Sleep is not discretionary, but Netflix is,” he wrote.
He concluded the post saying, “Unhappiness comes from expecting more out of the system than you put in. Either path is totally OK, as long as you understand that you picked a path. Two roads diverged in a wood, and if you take the one most traveled by, don’t think that won’t make a difference.”
As the post gained traction online, it sparked mixed reactions. While many users agreed with Dharmesh Shah’s perspective, others argued that they have encountered founders who successfully maintain a work-life balance. So far, the post has amassed over 2 lakh views, with the numbers continuing to rise.
“Depends on the definition of breakthrough and balance of course, but as one data point, feels like we always managed to maintain some good balance while building HF,” read a comment.
Another added, “Well said and 100% true. You can have both—but not at the same time. This is why you should focus on optimising your work-life integration rather than your work-life balance while you are building your startup.”
“Founders have to be honest with themselves and choose their path. You can’t build a breakthrough company if you don’t understand/are not comfortable with the sacrifices you have to make. Regret and ‘things you are missing out on’ will always hold you back. You should be either ‘in’ or ‘out,’” commented a user.
An account remarked, “There’s no such thing as work-life balance in startups, just life-work integration where your obsession becomes the most interesting part of your life.”
