'Not a flex': AI startup co-founder works on laptop at his own wedding. Internet not impressed

The post did not go unnoticed, triggering an immediate backlash online.

In a viral image that reignited discussions on work-life balance, Casey Mackrell, co-founder of the AI startup Thoughtly, was photographed working on his laptop during his own wedding. The picture, shared on LinkedIn by Mackrell’s fellow co-founder and Thoughtly CEO, Torrey Leonard, quickly drew widespread attention across social media platforms, prompting a wave of criticism.

The image shows Mackrell seated with a laptop at his wedding reception, while guests are seen dancing in the background. Leonard’s LinkedIn post explained the circumstances, noting that Thoughtly had recently secured a new client with a two-week deadline for launching a project. Mackrell's wedding happened to fall within that critical window. "Here he is wrapping up a pull request. At his own wedding," Leonard wrote, highlighting Mackrell’s dedication to his work.

The post did not go unnoticed, triggering an immediate backlash online. While Mackrell clarified in the comments that he returned to the celebration "two seconds later," the image sparked debate on the pressures of modern workplace culture. Many questioned whether such work practices were truly admirable or reflective of a troubling erosion of personal boundaries.

Following its appearance on LinkedIn, the post made its way to X (formerly Twitter), where responses were similarly critical. One user expressed disbelief, commenting, "I don’t know what’s worse: the people who asked him to work on his wedding or the fact it was posted on LinkedIn as somehow motivating." Another user questioned why the work was not completed before the wedding, calling the situation a case of "horrible time management."

The online backlash even led some users to make grim predictions about the future of Mackrell’s marriage. Comments on both platforms suggested that if work overshadowed his wedding day, it might strain his personal life long-term. “Can't wait till his next pull request at his divorce,” one user joked on X.

"This is wildly embarrassing for you and your company," a user wrote. Another user remarked, "This isn’t the flex you think it is."