Kids and Office Work
I had the opportunity to talk briefly with an engineer at xAI about a software engineering job. Some things were certain:
- You hit the ground running.
- You don't watch the clock.
- You're local (Palo Alto).
- You're in the office every day.
To each his own, and if that's the way xAI wants to roll, more power to it. I pulled many an all-nighter in my 20s working for startups. What I find interesting is that this work style is completely incompatible with having a family. Why does that matter? Elon Musk is (1) the father of more than a few children, (2) frequently talking about the need for people to have more children, and (3) the owner of xAI.
Simply producing children really isn't enough. It should go without saying that there's also the responsibility to be their father, which kinda starts with being present.
Incongruity in words vs actions.
If you're going to have kids, your priorities have to adapt.