Stanford analysis of WWI munitions workers found output plateaued beyond 48 hours — and added nothing after 63.
Yet Sergey Brin reportedly called 60 hours "the sweet spot."
Narayana Murthy of Infosys has advocated for 70-plus.
And Elon Musk famously declared nobody ever changed the world on 40 hours.
🔥 Chuck and Jenni's take: when a CEO publicly endorses a 60-hour week, they're not citing productivity science. They're telling employees what the organisation actually values — and how safe it is to leave on time.
Jenni also flags the part everyone drops from the 10,000 hours rule: you need 12,500 hours of rest and 30,000 hours of sleep to go with it.
⚠️ Note: The Economist article is behind a paywall — full details are in the episode show notes.
📰 Full article (paywall):
https://www.economist.com/business/2025/12/04/how-many-hours-should-employees-work