‘38-hr work week not enough to be successful’: AI chip company CEO slams 9-to-5 mindset among employees
He said that while professionals can stick to a 40-hour workweek and be happy, they would not be the ones launching the next unicorn or generation-defining products.
- Oct 14, 2025,
- Updated Oct 14, 2025 3:57 PM IST
As debates around shorter workweeks gain momentum in the U.S., some of America’s top business leaders are challenging the idea that you can achieve extraordinary success on a standard schedule. Andrew Feldman, cofounder and CEO of $8.1 billion AI chip company Cerebras, said at a podcast recently that one cannot achieve greatness by working just 38 hours a week.
“This notion that somehow you can achieve greatness, you can build something extraordinary by working 38 hours a week and having work-life balance, that is mind-boggling to me. It’s not true in any part of life," Feldman said at the 20VC podcast recently.
He said that while professionals can stick to a 40-hour workweek and be happy, they would not be the ones launching the next unicorn or generation-defining products.
“The path to build something new out of nothing, and make it great, isn’t part-time work. It isn’t 30, 40, 50 hours a week. It’s every waking minute. And of course, there are costs.”
Feldman, however, said that the number of hours is not important. “It’s about being passionate and being consumed by the work. It’s about being driven to change the world, to be the best you can be, and to help your team be the best it can be.”
Other leaders echo similar views. Google cofounder Sergey Brin told staffers earlier this year that 60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity.
LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman said in a Stanford class that founders who talk about having a balanced life are "not committed to winning". He added that the really great founders put everything at stake while building their businesses.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan also told employees there’s “no way” to separate work and life, as “work is life, life is work.” Some leaders, however, acknowledge limits. Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandler gives himself eight hours on Saturdays to step away from work, noting that “every one of us has to make certain work-life choices.”
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As debates around shorter workweeks gain momentum in the U.S., some of America’s top business leaders are challenging the idea that you can achieve extraordinary success on a standard schedule. Andrew Feldman, cofounder and CEO of $8.1 billion AI chip company Cerebras, said at a podcast recently that one cannot achieve greatness by working just 38 hours a week.
“This notion that somehow you can achieve greatness, you can build something extraordinary by working 38 hours a week and having work-life balance, that is mind-boggling to me. It’s not true in any part of life," Feldman said at the 20VC podcast recently.
He said that while professionals can stick to a 40-hour workweek and be happy, they would not be the ones launching the next unicorn or generation-defining products.
“The path to build something new out of nothing, and make it great, isn’t part-time work. It isn’t 30, 40, 50 hours a week. It’s every waking minute. And of course, there are costs.”
Feldman, however, said that the number of hours is not important. “It’s about being passionate and being consumed by the work. It’s about being driven to change the world, to be the best you can be, and to help your team be the best it can be.”
Other leaders echo similar views. Google cofounder Sergey Brin told staffers earlier this year that 60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity.
LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman said in a Stanford class that founders who talk about having a balanced life are "not committed to winning". He added that the really great founders put everything at stake while building their businesses.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan also told employees there’s “no way” to separate work and life, as “work is life, life is work.” Some leaders, however, acknowledge limits. Twilio CEO Khozema Shipchandler gives himself eight hours on Saturdays to step away from work, noting that “every one of us has to make certain work-life choices.”
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