Indian entrepreneur's 80-hour workweek remark sparks online debate: 'If you're not working 14 hours...'

Rekindling the debate on productivity and working hours, a San Francisco-based Indian entrepreneur has claimed that working more than 14 hours a day is the bare minimum. Neha Suresh, an Indian entrepreneur based in San Francisco, shared a video of herself working at her desk in her room and sharing her mantra for success, which has gone viral on the internet.

The entrepreneur said that if employees or founders are stuck in a regular 9-5 routine, they will not be able to develop 'world-changing products'.

"If you are not spending more than 14 hours a day working on your dream, you are NGMI. You cannot build a world-changing product on the back of 9-5 energy. An 80-hour week is not extreme. It is baseline," Ms Suresh wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

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As the post went viral and garnered hundreds of likes and comments, social media users pointed out that working long hours every day was 'unsustainable' and they needed some time off.

One user said, "Calm down bro, take a walk, have some soup, hug," while another said, "I'm tired of chasing 80-hour weeks. I find that when I relax and think clearly, I create better products."

A third commented: "And this is extremely unsustainable. Please get some sun, exercise and sleep :) You'd be surprised how productive that makes you."

A fourth said: "My 14 hours are spent on commuting and internships. I'm definitely not going to be successful with that."

In India, Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy has long advocated for a 70-hour workweek. Mr Murthy claims to have followed a strict work schedule of 14 hours a day, six-and-a-half days a week, throughout his career, reaching office by 6:30 a.m. and leaving around 8:40 p.m.

The former technology chief had earlier said India's young workforce will have to work hard if they want the country to realise its full potential on the global stage.

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