{"id":163849,"date":"2025-09-27T13:18:42","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T13:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163849\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T13:18:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T13:18:42","slug":"linkedins-cofounder-reid-hoffman-says-seeking-work-life-balance-is-a-red-flag-that-youre-not-committed-to-winning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/163849\/","title":{"rendered":"LinkedIn’s cofounder Reid Hoffman says seeking work-life balance is a red flag that you’re ‘not committed to winning\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

LinkedIn<\/a> cofounder Reid Hoffman<\/a> has a reality check for entrepreneurs: If you\u2019re serious about starting a company, you should say goodbye to binge-watching your favorite Netflix<\/a> show after dinner or sleeping in on the weekends\u2014you need to be on the work grind all hours of the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I ever hear a founder talking about, \u2018this is how I have a balanced life\u2019\u2014they\u2019re not committed to winning,\u201d Hoffman told Stanford University\u2019s \u201cHow to Start a Startup\u201d<\/a> class in 2014.\u00a0\u201cThe only really great founders are [the one\u2019s who are] like, \u2018I am going to put literally everything into doing this.’\u201d<\/p>\n

While Hoffman\u2019s tough love when it comes to work-life balance<\/a> is nothing new, the clip resurfaced on social media<\/a> and racked up thousands of likes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And even after the pandemic, when Americans realized the constant work grind<\/a> was hurting their mental health, his opinions haven\u2019t swayed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re by nature dead as a start-up,\u201d he said late last year on the Diary of a CEO podcast<\/a>. \u201cWork-life balance is not the start-up game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start-ups can\u2019t afford to take time off from working\u2014except for this one daily ritual, Hoffman says<\/p>\n

Even though one-third of employees in LinkedIn\u2019s early days<\/a> had children, taking time off was not an option\u2014with the exception of dinner at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started LinkedIn, we started with people who had families. So we said, sure, go home have dinner with your family. Then, after dinner with your family, open up your laptop and get back in the shared work experience and keep working.\u201d<\/p>\n

While that may sound brutal in today\u2019s culture, it was even worse when Hoffman was helping to found PayPal<\/a>; there, dinner was served at the office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people that think that\u2019s toxic don\u2019t understand the start-up game, and they\u2019re just wrong,\u201d he said. \u201cThe game is intense. And by the way, if you don\u2019t do that, eventually, you\u2019re out of a job.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For those who disagree, working at a startup is a choice, Hoffman insisted.<\/p>\n

But the reward on the other side is second to none; the 100 or so first employees at LinkedIn don\u2019t need to work anymore, he added. Microsoft purchased<\/a> the professional networking platform for $26.2 billion in 2016.<\/p>\n

Fortune has contacted Hoffman for comment.<\/p>\n

As a leader, the \u2018pain\u2019 must be embraced if you want to find success<\/p>\n

Hoffman\u2019s words resonate with leaders across all parts of the tech industry who sometimes have to substitute work-life balance to overcome challenges.<\/p>\n

Take VSCO for example. Founded in 2011, the social media company rode a wave of popularity after the \u201cVSCO girl<\/a>\u201d trend and was later valued at $550 million<\/a>. However, when Eric Wittman took over as its CEO<\/a> in 2023, the photo app was trying to shake off its image as being just a fad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under Wittman\u2019s leadership, the company finally turned a profit in 2024. And he told Fortune accepting there will be stress and long nights in that process is key.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pain along that journey,\u201d he said. \u201cYou gotta embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he says that the need to grind extra hours extends to staff\u2014because success doesn\u2019t come from just the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the people I\u2019ve invested in, they get what it takes to be modest overachievers\u2014embrace the grit, work together with a bunch of other really great like-minded people and are just willing to grind their way through to find those wins and to grow that into something that you know is increasingly successful,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you distill it all down those are generally the attributes that I\u2019ve seen where you\u2019re creating a successful company or a successful product.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

A version of this story originally published on Fortune.com<\/a> on April 2, 2025.<\/p>\n

More on work-life balance:<\/p>\n

Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26\u201327, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.<\/a>