Indian-origin CTO reignites work-hour debate, says, ‘no founder built breakthrough startup with work-life balance’

In recent months, a national conversation has been rekindled in India concerning work-life balance and productivity, following remarks by influential business leaders advocating for extended work hours.

Amid the ongoing debates, an entrepreneur and Indian-origin CTO of Hubspot shared a candid perspective on the challenges of balancing work and personal life while building a successful startup. The post opened with the assertion, "Wanting work-life balance is OK. Wanting to build a breakthrough startup is OK. But you shouldn't expect both." Highlighting the difficulty of maintaining work-life balance, the entrepreneur emphasized that achieving success in building a breakthrough startup requires immense dedication and sacrifice, a point that was driven home by the claim, "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."

The post goes on to discuss how every competitive human endeavor demands sacrifice, whether it's in athletics, the arts, or entrepreneurship. The entrepreneur concluded, "Raw talent is not enough. You have to toil," underlining that sheer talent alone won't lead to success. Instead, the path to building a significant startup requires relentless effort and a willingness to make personal sacrifices, especially when the stakes are high.

Take a look at the post:

Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, was at the center of this debate. In late 2024, Murthy expressed disappointment over India’s transition from a six-day to a five-day workweek in 1986, suggesting that young Indians should commit to a 70-hour workweek to enhance the nation’s productivity and competitiveness on a global scale. He emphasized that such dedication is essential for India’s progress, stating that young people should work harder to compete globally.

Also read: Narayana Murthy defends 70-hour workweek idea' Indians have a lot to do'

However, in January 2025, Murthy clarified his stance, emphasizing that while he personally adhered to long working hours during his tenure at Infosys—often starting at 6:20 AM and leaving at 8:30 PM—such commitments should be a matter of personal choice rather than public debate. He stated, “There’s nobody who can say you should do this, you should not do it.”

Also read: L&T employees on Glassdoor: Workers list poor ‘work-life balance’ as company's con

Adding to the discourse, S.N. Subrahmanyan, Chairman of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), proposed an even more demanding 90-hour workweek during a corporate meeting in Mumbai. His remarks, which questioned the value of spending time at home, quickly went viral, sparking widespread criticism and discussions about the implications of such expectations on employees’ personal lives and well-being.