Can We Stop Saying “Work Hard, Play Hard”?

When Reilly — my partner at GAN Ventures — and I are in the final stages of talks with a company we might invest in, we always ask a question to every CEO…

How would you describe your company culture to someone who was thinking about joining your team?

Somewhere around three-quarters of the time, their response is something to the effect of, “We have a ‘work hard, play hard’ culture.” As far as I’ve heard, they seem to repeat this same response to candidates in their hiring processes, too.

And I think there are a handful of reasons people say it. First, it’s a short, easy way to get across a simple message that everyone generally understands. Second, it sounds good. Working hard sounds good, and so does playing hard. Third, people think that others want to hear it. When talking to an investor, it seems like a pretty safe response — one that reiterates how much you’ll grind every day. And finally, it probably feels like there aren’t many other quick answers to the question. What’s another clear, insightful, but also fast way to explain something as nebulous as “culture” to someone who’s on the brink of investing in your company?

Still, I think the answer isn’t a good one (and I mean both as a practice — how you actually operate — and as an answer), and I really want us to consider cutting it out…