Silicon Valley’s “work till you drop” culture has long been romanticized as the path to billion-dollar success.
At the Web Summit conference, Andrew Filev, CEO of Zencoder – a company that achieved a $2.25B exit – debunked that myth. He called it blind hustle, a mindset that destroys long-term innovation and sustainable growth.
For engineers and founders navigating fierce competition, Filev argues that success depends not on the number of hours worked but on the quality, focus, and sustainability of effort. He calls this approach the smart grind.
Filev highlights how overwork has become normalized, especially through the infamous “996” schedule, 9 AM to 9 PM, 6 days a week, a routine common in hyper-competitive tech markets.
This panic-driven culture often disguises itself as passion but ultimately stunts professional growth.
Creative output peaks only within a certain range; beyond that, productivity nosedives. Those extra hours often add little value and instead drain the energy needed for rest, reflection, and strategic thinking.
Many skilled engineers fall into what Filev calls the “over-engineer’s trap,” where they chase hours instead of impact. In doing so, they trade clear, strategic thinking for the illusion of productivity, creating overly complex solutions when simpler ones would suffice.
Even stepping away can feel difficult. Filev recalls taking vacations yet constantly feeling pulled back into work, a cycle that slowly erodes creativity. Innovation, he argues, depends on perspective – and perspective only comes when you truly disconnect.
Instead of chasing blind hustle, Filev promotes the smart grind, which drives lasting, industry-defining success.
The myth of the “overnight success” fuels burnout. Filev explains that every transformative company, including his own, grew from years of consistent, intentional work. Real progress demands a sustainable pace, not a desperate sprint.
I’d rather work in a way that increases the law of probability that success finds me.
True success isn’t a lottery. It’s the outcome of steady, high-quality decisions that compound over time.
Shift your focus from how long you work to what you work on and how you approach it.
Start by recognizing patterns, study market trends, and your team’s performance to make smarter, more informed choices.
Then, guide your direction by ensuring every hour of effort supports your long-term strategy instead of reacting to short-term, low-impact tasks.
Filev warns that AI could amplify the blind hustle mindset. As automation handles more tasks, the real advantage belongs to people who can think clearly and direct AI effectively. Burnout dulls that ability, leaving even talented teams ineffective as AI “bosses.”
The edge no longer comes from working longer, but from maintaining the mental clarity to make high-impact, strategic decisions. Filev’s message is simple:
The $2.25B exit didn’t come from sleepless nights at the office. It came from years of disciplined, well-rested, high-quality decisions. True innovation and lasting success come from sustainability, not sacrifice.
