Live data from Hacker News

We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

ryancarson.com

41–50 of 136 posts

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#42

My experience working 80 hour weeks wasn't with startups, it was with political campaigns where I made far less money and there was obviously no equity. Similar situation though, get idealistic 20-somethings recently out of college without families to work endlessly. I don't support 7 day weeks and 12 hour days, but frankly for politics it works. Why? Because for 95% of campaign employees it's not work quality that m…

Political campaigns at least have downtime though, right? You can have a month or two off between sprints. I think certain creative work (movies?) is like this too.

With some exceptions, especially at the top, the "downtime between campaigns" is called unemployment.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#43
post #25
post #5

I worked at StreetEasy for 3 years (helping lead the dev team and writing lots of code) when it was a fast growing startup and we didn't work a 4 day week, but we worked normal business hours (9-5,10-6'ish) and never ever worked weekends - unless you felt like working on some code. One of the co-founders there had the opinion that we were in it for the long haul, not for the sprint, so why burn out early. This seemed…

Congrats on your company's success! However, I'm surprised that you single out a 40-hour work week as though it's something exceptional. Isn't that the standard? I would never consider joining a company that expected me to work weekends. I hope that's not as common as you imply.

Yes, it is common in my experience.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#44

Anyone have thoughts on how 4-day work week compares to a 5-day-but-shorter-days work week (discussed a bit yesterday at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6912645 )?

I would think it depends on what you want to do. If you want to go for longer hikes as someone else commented it would be great. If you want to pick up your kids from school every day, maybe the reduced hours version is better.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#45

Anyone have thoughts on how 4-day work week compares to a 5-day-but-shorter-days work week (discussed a bit yesterday at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6912645 )?

I work for Treehouse. The 4-day work week is amazing and I feel it'd be very hard to go back to 5 days a week.

What do I do on my Fridays?

If I have errands, they get run. I usually pop-in and off my computer. Sometimes I actually am working, but I'm "playing". I'm a data scientist and I love my job. I love working on my tools and I love trying new methods. So I might be improving my D3.js skills. Or learning Python (like I have been). Or teaching myself new Bayesian analysis, or survival analysis methods. So in once sense I work on Fridays, in the other hand it feels like play. And I'm not obligated, so I can get up whenever.

Also, this isn't every Friday or weekend. Many weekends are just non-tech play, like a trip to Boston.

In general, my stress level is way down. I feel focused and happy to be at work when I'm "there" (I work remotely, another Treehouse core value). I think about Treehouse, much more than 4 8-hour days a week, but it's so much more pleasurable! I'm totally thankful to work for Treehouse.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#46
post #40
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Majority of tech companies require 7-day work week I've been working as a professional programmer for the last 12 years, in 4 companies as an employee and a couple others as a consultant/freelancer. In none have I seen 7 day work weeks as a standard, nor have I heard of such from any of my many friends who also work as programmers. Am I an outlier? PS I agree that tech companies (among others) often have a culture of…

I put answer in my comment. Here is the answer: This 7-work week is actually based on calculation: 5 days * 10 hours per day + 5 hours on weekends (to check email). All companies I worked required 10 hours per day. 9 to 5 is not looked nice unless you don't login in the evening and "do some emails". Which tech company has 9 to 5?

There are plenty of tech companies that are very 9 to 5. People have lives and families outside of work. I've worked at three startups now and have yet to work at one where I routinely worked long hours. Good, competent managers who have lives outside of work definitely helps.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#47
post #40
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Majority of tech companies require 7-day work week I've been working as a professional programmer for the last 12 years, in 4 companies as an employee and a couple others as a consultant/freelancer. In none have I seen 7 day work weeks as a standard, nor have I heard of such from any of my many friends who also work as programmers. Am I an outlier? PS I agree that tech companies (among others) often have a culture of…

I put answer in my comment. Here is the answer: This 7-work week is actually based on calculation: 5 days * 10 hours per day + 5 hours on weekends (to check email). All companies I worked required 10 hours per day. 9 to 5 is not looked nice unless you don't login in the evening and "do some emails". Which tech company has 9 to 5?

> This 7-work week is actually based on calculation: 5 days * 10 hours per day + 5 hours on weekends (to check email). All companies I worked required 10 hours per day. 9 to 5 is not looked nice unless you don't login in the evening and "do some emails".

I cannot believe you think this is the norm for tech companies.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#48
Congratulations! That is a great milestone to celebrate.

I was wondering about your numbers though, your post says :

    > $3,000,000+ yearly revenue run rate (and growing fast)
    >
    > Grown the Team to 34 full-time people and hiring 
    > at least 10 more as soon as possible
Profitable with $3M run rate and 34 people? That is $88K fully loaded per person. Can you share some techniques for keeping your burn rate so economical?

[1] As an example, with a nice (but not lawyer nice) office and a healthcare plan we're paying > $30K per employee annually for just office space and medical benefits.

Re: We work a 4-day week and just raised $4.75m (2012)

#49
post #40
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Majority of tech companies require 7-day work week I've been working as a professional programmer for the last 12 years, in 4 companies as an employee and a couple others as a consultant/freelancer. In none have I seen 7 day work weeks as a standard, nor have I heard of such from any of my many friends who also work as programmers. Am I an outlier? PS I agree that tech companies (among others) often have a culture of…

I put answer in my comment. Here is the answer: This 7-work week is actually based on calculation: 5 days * 10 hours per day + 5 hours on weekends (to check email). All companies I worked required 10 hours per day. 9 to 5 is not looked nice unless you don't login in the evening and "do some emails". Which tech company has 9 to 5?

I've worked 9-5 type hours at three companies. At my current employer, the office is empty by 6pm.
Post reply on HN