Do you think the solution to work lies in a specific culture shift in companies or a general shift in what we consider work culture?

This is a great question. When I had asked CEOs pre-pandemic what was their biggest problem, they all said that they can not keep employees. During the pandemic, I asked the same question and they responded by saying burnout, employees not able to turn off from work, and people having more things to deal with at home. That is a very tangible and significant issue for everyone – organizations and people. Burnout is very real. Even before the pandemic, we were seeing steady rises, even in Europe, of increased cases of stress, anxiety, panic attacks, and suicide-related to work. I think there is never one reason but one part of that is that technology drives the fear of missing out. In my era, you go home and you shut off but now you are constantly being hit with information through the internet. We have not adjusted properly to this internet-filled world that constantly hunts at our anxieties. It a confusing place that we have created and have to navigate now.

Let’s go back to the premise of the original question. You are an investor and you have a choice. Company A in Austin, Texas, has relocated from Silicon Valley, 30 young engineers who have no families and no labor laws are limiting their working hours. We also have company B in Paris, France. They have a working cap of a maximum of 35 hours per week cap and they are recruiting people actively because of this promise. They are working on the same tech and both are promising teams. Who do you invest in?

Aadi: Without any knowledge, I would say team A as they are young and hungry. But based on our conversation, I would choose the one in Paris as they are hiring rapidly and could have more sustainable growth due to their work hour restrictions as people can be happier in and out of work.

That’s sort of the dilemma right now. I got into a dispute with a reporter in Barcelona who asked me: what do you think of companies that work employees all the time? I said in China they make people work all the time and do not pay them. So if we do not put in the effort, some country that has different dynamics – that is the other part of the spectrum – there are countries where $1/day is phenomenal and people have no choice and there are whole cities in China making one product only. That’s hard to compete in we are only gonna work a few hours a day and then take a siesta. That’s a different world. I want the lifestyle of Europe, the balance. I want that life but I want the energy and idea exchange of Silicon Valley too. We are hitting a wall of this bro culture working of all the time. It is not producing outcomes that are healthy for people. So what are you gonna value? Finishing first or happy. Finishing wealthy or feeling whole. Finishing as #1 or with a family. So it is calling into question our values. So what is important? I do not know. I am seeing more testaments to saying that they are working fewer hours and feeling better. Some companies are reducing hours or have certain days. What’s cool is with doing that is everyone is on the same level. I don’t know a lot of success stories, I am seeing early indications that is where we need to go towards – something more balanced, where you have a better life. But there will always be the allure of wealth. And there is a desire for that. I want a world where we get to balance.

Especially in this post-pandemic world, people have to consider what is important for them. We are at a crossroads right now. It’s not just a question of what work culture we want but a larger question about the world. What do we do now? Do we stay the same way or change?

You said what every company I am talking to is asking me. I have talked to Nestle, Kelloggs, I’ve talked to a bunch of high-tech companies who are saying: what do we do, do we go hybrid, or go all in. Here the interesting thing. We got changed by the pandemic, let’s call it the hostile takeover of work. Every organization is facing a new reality and that to e is an opportunity for us to come out in a way that we design rather than we are forced into it. One of my friends said that I am not working from home but rather I took my family to my office. There are ways, I’m seeing wellness become super important for companies and I believe that the pandemic has forced us to work differently and we are looking at things differently. I think we will see the most epic number of people changing careers and job paths. I’m excited about that. Everyone’s reality is different. To me all of this is contributing to the most amazing sequence of events that is poised – the buzzword is the perfect storm – for people to rebuild their view of what people want to do with work. Combine that with that people can see so much of what they want to do. I’m super excited. 

Any specific advice for students who will start entering the workforce over the next few years?

Here is what I advise anyone reading. Careers are an experiment. There are hundreds of dream jobs, all different. Do not put pressure, but put every work opportunity as a thing to learn more about yourself. Nobody in high school has any clue. They have not experienced working in different places. Look at everything and what I see young people, the biggest mistake, is that they look at companies like Google and Apple and say what an amazing place they must be to work for. Really? Their products may be amazing but you don’t know abt their work. Let me tell you that in every sexy company there may be hellish bosses and good ones and in every boring company which you would be embarrassed to tell your friends about, there may be an angel of a boss who can help you grow. I have worked in the most boring and the most exciting companies. Discover at every job what you are good at, what do they value in you, and what works for you. My advice is to take the pressure off and you will find out what you want to do. You don’t have to have a master plan and have it planned out.