For many founders, late nights at the office and nonstop schedules are all part of the routine. Kevin O’Leary, however, is pushing back on that mindset, arguing that young entrepreneurs should stop worshipping 18-hour workdays.
“How stupid is that? You gotta get some sleep, you have to eat well, and you gotta stay focused,” O’Leary said in an Instagram video posted Thursday. “That’s how you’re successful.”
Yet many business leaders run on too little sleep. A 2014 Harvard Business Review survey of more than 180 business leaders showed that four in 10 reported getting insufficient rest lat least four nights a week.
For decades, corporate culture has promoted the idea that overworking is a badge of honor and proof of commitment. O’Leary thinks breaking down that myth is long overdue.
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Research suggests sleep plays a critical role in entrepreneurial decision-making. A 2019 study revealed that sleep-deprived entrepreneurs were more likely to focus on surface-level features of new business ideas rather than the deeper factors that determine their long-term potential. As a result, they were more likely to favor weaker ventures. Even a single night of poor sleep could impair judgment, researchers found.
The assumption that longer hours lead to increased productivity also fails to hold up. Sleep-deprived entrepreneurs tend to make poorer decisions and show lower levels of creativity and strong leadership.
Researchers also found that making important decisions becomes more difficult after a long day of work. Their 2022 study described this effect as “cognitive fatigue,” a state in which careful thinking requires greater mental effort and people are more likely to make impulsive decisions.
That is why O’Leary said business leaders should make important decisions earlier in the day, when energy and mental clarity are at their peak. Regardless, a sleepless founder is a deal-breaker for the ‘Shark Tank’ star.
“When I see somebody who looks like they’re dead and I’m going to meet this business startup, I don’t invest,” he said.
Whatever this article says: Kevin is a shitbird weirdo
His wife took the rap for him when he smashed his boat into another, killing two:
Linda O’Leary found not guilty in fatal boat crash
Never thought I’d agree with Kevin OLeary, famed shithead and traitor.
I guess we’ve got a broken clock situation here.
Fuck this piece of shit asshole and anything he says.
That’s the best O’Leary can do is get faux angry and name call. He only cares about getting drunk and boating.
Don’t forget killing people and blaming his wife.
Maybe sensing the changing winds and hedging his bets before the guillotine get built.
Im waiting to see this asshole in the Epstein files
