FounderOperator

Hustle Culture

3 articles

An exhausted founder working late in a futuristic office surrounded by AI code and data, highlighting the toll of hustle culture on well-being.
Founders

Hustle culture's negative impact on founder well-being is costing startups.

Some San Francisco startup employees now work 16-hour days.

Ethan Calder·April 23, 2026
Split image contrasting a stressed, overworked founder at 5 AM with a balanced founder collaborating in a modern workspace, symbolizing the shift from hustle culture to well-being.
Founders

The 5 AM hustle is costing startup founders their well-being, but a balanced approach is emerging.

A Gen Z employee in Gurugram recently received a formal warning for logging off at 7 PM, prompting his founder to emphasize 'hustle' and 'extreme ownership' ABP News .

Ethan Calder·April 20, 2026
An exhausted founder working late at night, surrounded by clutter and coffee cups, symbolizing the detrimental effects of hustle culture on well-being.
Founders

Hustle culture's impact on founder well-being stifles progress

Companies like Rilla in New York explicitly warn potential employees about working approximately 70 hours per week, normalizing a pace that science increasingly proves is unsustainable and harmful.

Ethan Calder·April 18, 2026