Town

I just finished reading @ElenaVerna's article on '996' culture in AI and whether we're filtering people out of the industry because of it. elenaverna.com/p/im-not-doin… I agree with so much of it. It's always been a badge of honor for me that I can outwork anybody if that's what the job requires. A long time ago, I was a lawyer and it taught me what it means to work truly hard. In hindsight, this was silly because that work really didn't deserve my undivided attention at the cost of health, friendships, and being happy. But still I learned that there are times in life when going all-in really can make a difference. Today, as the founder of Town, with an incredible wife and two amazing kids and, yes, friends still and hobbies and many commitments I take seriously outside of work, I have many things that deserve (and/or demand) my time and my love. And Town is the most immediately demanding of those things. It merits attention: for my employees to have an incredible outcome, for our customers who rely on us to run their business, for our investors who clamor for an outsized return, etc. And the business can always use more of me. Every minute of my time spent on Town has such high ROI. Early in the journey, founder time is so high leverage. And yet I say no to many of Town's demands. Should I feel guilty about saying no? I am old enough to live mostly post-guilt thankfully. Elena's articles speaks perfectly as to why I say no. Before starting Town, my wife and I sat down together and agreed on what it would mean for me to be a great and happy husband, dad, founder, and friend. We talked about the things that are sacred to us that I wouldn't compromise on. The places where she could help me and where I could help her. It was a tough discussion. The tradeoffs meant I would not be the best dad. Nor the best founder. Nor the best husband. I'd be in ok physical shape but not in great shape. We had the discussion and we agreed on the kind of life we wanted. And now we're doing our best to live up to it. Town reflects the tradeoffs from that conversation. I think for the best, not just for me, but for our employees. My co-founder Tony and I have been intentional about building a culture where you can be a great parent and a great employee, where you can be happy in your work life and your personal life, where it's ok to crank when the business needs it, but also to step back when you need it. A lot of parents don't think they can work in AI or startups and still show up for their spouse and their kids. You can. Our team composition is proof of it. A lot of people think all of your employees have to 996 or else you won't win as a business. Our growth and success is proof that you can win simply by building a culture that knows when to push hard and when not to, a culture that gives agency for people to govern their time and commitments, trust that people will do what's right both for themselves and the company. I am very proud of what we're building here. The product, the company, and the culture. Maybe there is an alternate reality where another Town has employees cranking 996 (or 997!) and maybe it's a better business. But I don't think so. I think it has worst talent. I think it's less able to step back and build the right things. I think it loses its soul and burns out before it can be truly great. So no, we're not doing 996.