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Mark Hurd Has Died

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Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#161

Post by ci5er »

VonGuard wrote: post #15

I feel really bad for Hurd and his family. Why work that hard? The 24/7 CEO lifestyle seems like such a waste of time if you end up working it to the day you die. Like, why work that hard? For the family you never see? The vacation home you can visit for 5 days a year? The yacht you leave parked 360 days a year? The job is so demanding and so hard it seems like Mark worked himself to death, literally. He probably cou…

Sculpting a company, like sculpting out of clay, or creating a perfectly balanced 4 or 6 or 8 or 12 cylinder enging can be a "work of art". Creating a a system, and then watching it run, and tuning and adjusting and tinkering and improving (given that it is built on the most unreliable or unspecifiable of parts: humans), could be a joy in itself.

The sheer joy of creation and maintenance. Or, with the mental model of the organization as a developing child, an unruly yet talented child full of promise - raising it up to reach it's peak potential, like an athlete's father, like Tiger Wood's father, might do.

That sounds like a legitimate life work, and a hobby, and an interest, to me.

EDIT: The care-and-feeding of some of my long-running simulations, be they agent-based computational economics, or alife, give me a lot of joy, even after 20 years of watching them and nurturing them and tuning their parameters. (The results are can be quite surprising! I don't understand people who golf or fish, or that retire to do whatever retired people do, but starting companies or herding populations of computer programs is something I could imagine doing until I die.)

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#162

Post by agumonkey »

hinkley wrote: post #136
sharadov wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right, its definitely a leadership issue, if you have really hired the right lieutenants and 100% trust them, you don't need to be pulling 70 hr weeks. Unfortunately, most "leaders" never allow that, they love to get involved in every fire - big or small, and I feel, they derive their sense of self-worth from it.

You know the romantic arc in some comedies and many action movies? The people in a stressful situation form a bond. At the beginning they hated each other. At the end they were living happily ever after. It's not just a movie trope, it's a human cliche. Pour enough oxytocin onto a human brain and you'll believe anybody is your bestie. Survival creates a bond. These guys create emergencies and then become emotionally…

In war you're brother or enemy

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#163

Post by DallasTX »

Mark Hurd is an amazing person both professionally and personally. He did and does for so many. This is a tragic loss for his family and friends. Mark is a husband, father, brother, and best friend to many. He has selflessly donated millions to great causes. A man’s life has come to an end far too early Than it should. When making comments, think of those who are hurting, in shock and grieving. RIP #markhurd

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#164

Post by [deleted] »

VonGuard wrote: post #15

I feel really bad for Hurd and his family. Why work that hard? The 24/7 CEO lifestyle seems like such a waste of time if you end up working it to the day you die. Like, why work that hard? For the family you never see? The vacation home you can visit for 5 days a year? The yacht you leave parked 360 days a year? The job is so demanding and so hard it seems like Mark worked himself to death, literally. He probably cou…

[deleted]

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#165

Post by CamperBob2 »

tyre wrote: post #141
clavalle wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some of the best, making and guiding companies is their art and obsession. That's the nice take on it. For others (or from a different perspective) for some making money itself is a bit of an addiction that swallows everything else. I know a great guy -- very kind, very smart. But he doesn't really know how to have fun if he's not making money. That's his game and he's great at it. But I feel like he's missing ou…

> the best The best at what? I think that’s the real existential question. The best at making money? Okay. Maybe I’m not as interested in having “created significant shareholder value” on my gravestone.

Do you know any hardcore gamers? Ask them if they want "Led successful assault against Foozle the Evil Wizard" on their gravestone. Maybe they do, and that's OK.

In other words, don't project your own idea of a fulfilled life onto other people. "Creating shareholder value" might just be the most important thing in the world to someone like Hurd. It's not your place to say he's wrong or misguided, as long as he doesn't do anything illegal to make it happen.

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#166

Post by ajxs »

VonGuard wrote: post #15

I feel really bad for Hurd and his family. Why work that hard? The 24/7 CEO lifestyle seems like such a waste of time if you end up working it to the day you die. Like, why work that hard? For the family you never see? The vacation home you can visit for 5 days a year? The yacht you leave parked 360 days a year? The job is so demanding and so hard it seems like Mark worked himself to death, literally. He probably cou…

People all over the world are mentioning his name right now, discussing his life and achievements, after his death. For many people lasting notoriety and posterity is a very large motivating factor behind their pursuits. If this is true of Hurd, then he has succeeded.

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#167

Post by CamperBob2 »

biztos wrote: post #122
coldtea wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For some of the best, making and guiding companies is their art and obsession. Again, why? If it wasn't "making and guiding companies", but e.g. someone was obsessed with making spaghetti paintings, and working for it the same hours, would we consider them balanced?

> would we consider them balanced? No, but I never heard anyone say "again, why" about Van Gogh. The why is self-evident in retrospect. I wouldn't put my art before everything else in life, and I'm not saying Mark Hurd did, but I get that some people do and once in a while that results in an incredible gift to humanity. Most of the time it doesn't, but I don't see how you get a Van Gogh without a lot of people giving…

I wouldn't put my art before everything else in life

Which is why you're not Mark Hurd or Vincent Van Gogh.

Your family will (presumably) remember you fondly, and that's your reward. It will have to be enough. If it is, then good for you.

It's not what everybody else wants out of life, and that's OK.

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#168

Post by CamperBob2 »

ses1984 wrote: post #83
rootusrootus wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some people just really enjoy what they're doing. Friend of mine's dad is pushing 80 and he still puts in 90 hour weeks (he's a company owner, not a regular employee putting in that kind of time). Sounds like hell to me, but he'd be dead in a week if he quit. It's what he lives for. Hasn't been great for his relationship with his kids and ex-wife, but ... I guess it's what makes him tick.

80 years old, 90 hours a week, ok.

Maybe he has nothing else he wants to do.

And if so, that's OK.

Re: Mark Hurd Has Died

#169

Post by ereyes01 »

VonGuard wrote: post #15

I feel really bad for Hurd and his family. Why work that hard? The 24/7 CEO lifestyle seems like such a waste of time if you end up working it to the day you die. Like, why work that hard? For the family you never see? The vacation home you can visit for 5 days a year? The yacht you leave parked 360 days a year? The job is so demanding and so hard it seems like Mark worked himself to death, literally. He probably cou…

For a long time I fought with a family member using this exact same argument. Eventually, I realized that his only truly happy state is when he is wrapped up and engaged in his work, and even a little stressed by it. I learned the lesson when he had to take some time off of work due to a health problem, and I never saw him more depressed and miserable than when he couldn't work. There's many ways to enjoy life, and not everyone fits the mold you describe to achieve fulfillment.
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