Well, yeah. But also, sometimes it is true and they do work hundreds of hours, their “work” just looks different than most peoples. Elon Musk and that sort usually aren’t the ones coming up with how to overcome some technical challenge or what each team should be doing- unless they are shit managers.
They’re in a room with a bunch of rich execs or board members arguing over what shade of blue the logo should be or deciding if it is more important to finish the recalls before Q2 or launch the new product before Q2. That’s a good chunk of the office work- setting priorities for the large scale projects that VP’s and directors will then set the priorities for smaller projects within those to reach deadlines.
Next up are lots of meetings where they sit and listen to teams give reports on where they are in the progress towards those goals. They will usually troll a bit in an executive way- try to get departments or employees to fight over doing more work or a better job or showing off…
using subtle manipulation. Instead of telling a director or VP they have to have something done by XYZ they might manipulate the director or VP into volunteering to beat goals through tactics of psychology and social pressure etc. They hear “blockers,” so at the employee level- when Dean from department 2 won’t reply to your emails even though you cc’d the management chain for your departments, that’s an employee blocker. Your manager is supposed to go to deans manager and compel a reply. Directors and VP’s can hit blockers too- at that level they go to the HDIC who goes to the board or a committee- for external problems they may contact their connections in government or industry, media etc.
So a big chunk of those hours is sitting and listening to people talk about what they are doing, and lots of often petty and stupid arguments which other entitled babies about “vision.” Then, especially for “hip” companies like Tesla- a bunch of those hours are spent… basically partying. You take important people to dinner, you attend events and “network” and “lobby.” You golf or smoke cigars or ride around in Epstein’s plane or some equivalent thereof to get “face time” and act as an “ambassador.”
Now I want to be clear- sadly, that is actually not a total waste of time. Do you think Elon just moved his main operations to Texas or opened the gigafactory in China with someone email requests? There is a lead up. You play some golf or have some dinner or meet someone at a party and they mention, often subtly and casually, some thoughts on making a move. There are usually a few meetings and trips to feel each other out and negotiate the terms. “Now Roy, I’m very happy where am at, but IF we were to move our operations, I can’t see moving to anywhere that gdidn’t promise us XYZ…” even that is a bit “on the nose” and these conversations often remain “hypothetical” and general and get more specific until the lawyers get involved after an
Understanding is reached. It’s always a game of who you not not what you know at that level, though what you know is quite important especially when it comes to knowing about who you’re dealing with and how to work them.
And also in fairness- those events and dinners and such can be stressful. You don’t generally get to just “be yourself” and “enjoy the moment.” You have specific goals and you’re watching what you say and do and who you spend time with and all these subtle elements of your behavior. It’s a performance. You are trying to put forward an image and you have to be mindful of perception. Does Murdoch hate the smell of fish? Can’t order fish. Does Jones think salad or anything but red meat is a sign of lack of masculinity or weakness? Gotta get a “manly meal.”
When you dine with someone who is friends with the Senator of Arkansas you need to make sure your meal and table and everything else reflects the cultures and values of Arkansas. You need to try to use local products and observe local customs and you want that person to leave and tell their friend the Senator that you’re not just a “good one” but that you “get” their ways and fit in like a good ol boy/girl and that you have their states or their interests shared and at heart - and you have to be subtle enough that even though anyone who has played the game knows they are being worked, that it isn’t insulting and they feel like they can sell you to rubes and you won’t embarrass them among the big shots.
So there is stress and work and not anyone can manage the charisma or presence or speak the language and fit in to get the support of the sorts of people who make success possible from behind the scenes. The people who watch your back when laws come up or lobby for you with their peers or bring you backers and investors and future opportunities. So it’s not completely without value.
And wether you are at a dinner or golfing etc. with wealthy powerful people or sitting in a meeting listening to people give their high level status reports or playing therapist to the board and calming them down or trying to get more funds to get to where you need to go, 100 hours is 100 hours. So that part isn’t always a lie.
It’s just their 100 hours are often spent doing things that while arguably work and arguably beneficial- aren’t the same as spending 100 hours of manual labor or reinventing the wheel under a brutal deadline. When their 100 hours are up they have millions or billions in compensation coming their way. When they aren’t on the clock they can go to Paris on a whim or literally fly to space. When your 100 hours are up you might go back to the rental you share with 4 other 30 something year old adults and maybe go to a bar or play some video games. The inequity is that if they put in 100 hours and you put in 500, you’d still get paid 1000x less than them. You’d still only be as good as what you did today. Yesterday doesn’t count for you. You saved the company $100 million last year? You got your 6% raise and a $6000 bonus. What did you do THIS YEAR?
You can’t stand on one idea. The musks of the world can lose $100 million dollars and it makes them MORE valuable. Why? Experience. How many people have lost that much money? So the theory goes you can’t lose $100 million if you weren’t trusted with at least that much. The theory goes that someone who’s lost $100 million knows how it happened and had the experience they gained from that loss while you, who have never lost $100 million and likely never been trusted with $100 million, you’re a worse hire than the guy who lost a fortune. That’s how it works. The musks of the world can have one very good idea and it can wash away the bad. There are very few jobs where you can stay employed and earn bonuses while not producing by telling your bosses that your plan will take 5 years or whatever. Try that as a stocker at Walmart. When they say to stock the shelves tell them that you are doing a revolutionary plan that will stock all the shelves better than ever and nothing has been put up..
.. but in one week it will be put up better than they can believe. That’s not how that works is it? You are as good as your work today. If the stock goes up today you are good. If it does not you are likely not good.
If you save your managers behind once, that probably won’t get you much goodwill. So I mean- partial truth but the total truth is actually much sadder. These people do work usually, it’s just what they do for work are things most people would do for free or pay to do and are things most people wouldn’t get or expect the level of compensation these guys get for it.
They’re in a room with a bunch of rich execs or board members arguing over what shade of blue the logo should be or deciding if it is more important to finish the recalls before Q2 or launch the new product before Q2. That’s a good chunk of the office work- setting priorities for the large scale projects that VP’s and directors will then set the priorities for smaller projects within those to reach deadlines.
Next up are lots of meetings where they sit and listen to teams give reports on where they are in the progress towards those goals. They will usually troll a bit in an executive way- try to get departments or employees to fight over doing more work or a better job or showing off…
And also in fairness- those events and dinners and such can be stressful. You don’t generally get to just “be yourself” and “enjoy the moment.” You have specific goals and you’re watching what you say and do and who you spend time with and all these subtle elements of your behavior. It’s a performance. You are trying to put forward an image and you have to be mindful of perception. Does Murdoch hate the smell of fish? Can’t order fish. Does Jones think salad or anything but red meat is a sign of lack of masculinity or weakness? Gotta get a “manly meal.”
And wether you are at a dinner or golfing etc. with wealthy powerful people or sitting in a meeting listening to people give their high level status reports or playing therapist to the board and calming them down or trying to get more funds to get to where you need to go, 100 hours is 100 hours. So that part isn’t always a lie.
If you save your managers behind once, that probably won’t get you much goodwill. So I mean- partial truth but the total truth is actually much sadder. These people do work usually, it’s just what they do for work are things most people would do for free or pay to do and are things most people wouldn’t get or expect the level of compensation these guys get for it.