The prod-facade

Working all day is not productive. It has the feeling of productivity, but it is not actually so. It’s only a facade. A “prod-facade,” if you will. (Sorry for that.)

Startups and ad agencies and other exciting companies like to work all day because it makes them look and feel productive. But that’s only because they’re measuring the wrong stuff. Some companies measure time online, to prove to their investors that their teams are bought in. Some companies measure response time, to show their clients they’re always available.

Smart businesses, on the other hand, measure results. They create systems and working hours that deliver the solid results in a short amount of time. Of course there’s always some redundancy and waste with any daily system. But if hours online don’t equate to measurable business outcomes, then working all day is just professional posturing. 

Even a king of hustle, Alex Hormozi, has stated his routine is to “sleep until he wakes up” and to “work until his output per hour is too low.” He doesn’t wake up at 4am to prove anything. He doesn’t work beyond his limits. 

Studies have shown that over a certain threshold (some say 50 hours each week) productivity takes a steep decline. Conceptually this makes sense. You have to eat and sleep at some point, and if you push yourself to exhaustion, your productivity will decline to zero. There’s a threshold for everyone, and understanding yours might be the key to freeing up your own performance and personal life.