that is all v interesting and informative. I’d probably agree with your view that the correlation between working hours and output is not all that strong. But I do also think that hyperproductive people tend to work extremely hard. I’m mainly going off anecdotes and personal experience though.
“Working really hard carries such a significant risk of burnout that in expectation it’s bad” is completely consistent with “I can point to people I know of who are working really hard and really productive”.
Another example is Sam Bankman-Fried. Apparently he never drinks and never goes on holiday because he thinks it makes him less productive.
I agree that the people cited are not optimising for impact but successes in other realms do seem relevant to which habits are successful in impact-related domains.
I thought I would add my current view here is less in line with my original comment and more in line with the OP. I think something like ‘9-5 EA’ is probably the best approach for long-term impact. I’ve noticed that even if you’re working really hard, it is usually difficult to squeeze that much more impact out of your work. This might in part depend on the type of person you are. Maybe some people can squeeze heroic amounts of effort out of themselves for long periods, but the vast majority of people cannot. One caveat might be if you have to push to finish an important project by some key deadline. But this would be a short-term situation, not a long-term approach
Interesting and relevant article, which just came out; an excerpt:
“I think it’s important that people push themselves to achieve what they can but not push themselves beyond that point, to the point where they are just burning out,” he said. “I think that is something that we have to struggle with constantly, walking that line correctly.”
Still, Bankman-Fried has a higher threshold for burnout than most.
Ellison, the co-CEO of Alameda Research, said Bankman-Fried is able to work harder than most because he is truly motivated to give his crypto wealth away and make a positive impact on the world.
“I think if that’s really what you care about, I think you can sustain it,” she said. “I think you can do a lot more than a lot of people realize, and I think that’s what Sam is trying to do.”
But as FTX grows into a crypto empire, even some of the most devoted employees could reach their personal breaking points.
“I think about less than 50% of the 10 people I started with are there, and I think a lot of us knew that what we were doing was not sustainable,” Croghan said.
And newer recruits, who lack the same close bond and shared vision as early employees and the company’s founder, may not be as well-equipped to handle the long hours
that is all v interesting and informative. I’d probably agree with your view that the correlation between working hours and output is not all that strong. But I do also think that hyperproductive people tend to work extremely hard. I’m mainly going off anecdotes and personal experience though.
I also have the impression that some of the most productive people I know (within the EA community specifically) work very long hours.
“Working really hard carries such a significant risk of burnout that in expectation it’s bad” is completely consistent with “I can point to people I know of who are working really hard and really productive”.
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Another example is Sam Bankman-Fried. Apparently he never drinks and never goes on holiday because he thinks it makes him less productive.
I agree that the people cited are not optimising for impact but successes in other realms do seem relevant to which habits are successful in impact-related domains.
in free solo, alex honnold said “Nobody achieves anything great by being happy and cozy”. Warrior mindset seems very common in super-high achievers.
I thought I would add my current view here is less in line with my original comment and more in line with the OP. I think something like ‘9-5 EA’ is probably the best approach for long-term impact. I’ve noticed that even if you’re working really hard, it is usually difficult to squeeze that much more impact out of your work. This might in part depend on the type of person you are. Maybe some people can squeeze heroic amounts of effort out of themselves for long periods, but the vast majority of people cannot. One caveat might be if you have to push to finish an important project by some key deadline. But this would be a short-term situation, not a long-term approach
Interesting and relevant article, which just came out; an excerpt:
This comment reads pretty differently two years later 😅