‘Work-life balance is not the startup game’: LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman doubles down on hustle culture

For Reid Hoffman, sacrifice is non-negotiable—and the rewards, he argues, speak for themselves.

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has reignited a long-standing debate around work-life balance in startups, after resurfaced comments revealed his steadfast belief that building a successful company requires near-total dedication—even at the cost of personal downtime.

In a podcast appearance last year on "The Diary of a CEO", the entrepreneur elaborated on the culture he fostered during LinkedIn’s early days. “When 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,” Hoffman said.

He added that relentless work is simply part of the job in a startup environment, declaring: “Work-life balance is not the startup game.”

Hoffman’s stance has stirred criticism online, especially in the post-pandemic era, where workplace wellness and employee mental health have become central to corporate conversations. However, the Silicon Valley veteran remains unapologetic. “The people that think that's toxic don’t understand the start-up game, and they’re just wrong,” he asserted. “The game is intense. And by the way, if you don’t do that, eventually, you’re out of a job.”

Hoffman’s views first drew attention years ago but have gained fresh traction after clips from previous appearances resurfaced on social media, attracting thousands of likes and reigniting discussions on startup work culture. Despite changing attitudes towards employee well-being, Hoffman insists that extreme dedication remains a prerequisite for success in the entrepreneurial world.

“If I ever hear a founder talking about, ‘this is how I have a balanced life’—they’re not committed to winning,” he told students during a 2014 lecture at Stanford University’s “How to Start a Startup” class. “The only really great founders are [the ones who are] like, ‘I am going to put literally everything into doing this.’”

For Hoffman, sacrifice is non-negotiable—and the rewards, he argues, speak for themselves. “The 100 or so first employees at LinkedIn don’t need to work anymore,” he said, referencing the massive financial upside from the company’s success. LinkedIn, founded in 2002 and later acquired by Microsoft in 2016 for $26.2 billion, became one of the most influential professional platforms globally.

Hoffman’s comments also drew comparisons between the environments at LinkedIn and PayPal, where he previously held executive roles. “It was even worse when I was helping to found PayPal,” he said. “There, dinner was served at the office.”

He further clarified that while some time was allowed for family obligations—such as dinner—it was always followed by a return to work. “Even though one-third of employees in LinkedIn’s early days had children, taking time off was not an option—with the exception of dinner at home.”

While Hoffman’s position has faced mounting criticism for being out of touch with the growing emphasis on sustainable working models, he insisted that his philosophy is a matter of realism rather than ideology. “Startups can’t afford to take time off from working,” he said bluntly. “You’re by nature dead as a start-up.”

He also dismissed criticisms labelling the culture as “toxic,” arguing that such judgements ignore the high-stakes environment in which startups operate. “For those who disagree, working at a startup is a choice,” Hoffman said.