‘Toughen up’: Vinod Khosla comments on Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour-week remark

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Vinod Khosla weighed into the debate kicked off by Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy’s comments that young people should work 70-hour weeks, saying that people need not be so sensitive to the remark.

‘Toughen up’

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Responding to a question on X, Khosla, the founder of Khosla Ventures, said people who “felt attacked” by this statement need “mental health therapy”. “They should learn to “toughen up” and not feel attacked,” he said.

Khosla stated that it is okay to not work 70 hours per week and “live with the consequences of the choices you make”, adding that Murthy's statement was for the “career ambitious” individuals.

“OK to not work 70hrs/wk and live with the consequences of the choices you make. He is speaking to “career ambitious” young people but there are other ways to live with different choices,” his post read.

Definition of success varies

In another post, Khosla expanded that not working 70 hours a week may not “get you the biggest house or car to show to your neighbors, but you can make that choice”. The billionaire investor iterated that the definition of success can differ for all. “Be internally driven and not externally driven by what others expect of success: bigger titles, bigger house don't make everyone happy,” he said.


In November, Murthy said young individuals should put in at least 70-hour work weeks for nation-building. His remarks kicked off a debate about work-life balance in IT services and other industries.

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