The vast majority of programmers who work or are required to work 60+ hour weeks, week after week are getting half the work done in 150%+ of the time and creating legacy spaghetti disasters that will outlive their productivity-murdering ways long after they’ve burned out and left the building.

Anybody who has noticed that the most seemingly challenging problems frequently get solved five minutes after walking away and returning to them hours later should know better.

Startups need to work long hours more often than most, sure. And the nature of greenfield development is often that it’s more interesting and easier to stay on it for longer periods of time. But doing this by default outside of business-critical junctures and without following up with rest just to prove your worth to Silicon Valley wunderkind isn’t doing you, the quality of your work, or your stakeholders any favors.

I’m sure Mayer didn’t get to where she is by accident but in this case, she’s advocating a rookie mistake. Don’t work hard. Work smart.