Gen-Z AI Founders Are Merging Work and Life in These 3 Ways

Young AI founders in San Francisco are upending preconceived notions about Gen Z’s approach to work-life balance. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, founders from ages 18 to 32 described a lifestyle entirely structured around their companies. These founders and their grind-first mindsets are in stark contrast to a 2024 Deloitte survey, which found that while 36 percent of Gen Z respondents consider work to be central to their identity, 25 percent consider work-life balance the top factor in choosing an employer. Far from quiet quitting, these founders are working seven day weeks, living in their offices, and eating only for sustenance. And they couldn’t be happier, at least according to the Journal’s reporting. Here’s what these young founders are doing to win in the AI era. Living in the office Several young founders interviewed by the Journal claimed to be working constantly. Marty Kausas, a 28-year-old founder building an AI startup called Pylon, said he had recently worked three 92-hour weeks in a row. And Nico Laqua, a 25-year-old cofounder of AI-powered insurance startup Corgi, said that he lives in his office and typically spends “every waking hour” working (doggedly, perhaps) on his company. He claims to only hire people willing to work seven days a week. Indeed, Corgi is currently hiring for a chef to provide the team with breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Blowing up the work-life balance Even when they’re not physically in the office, these founders are reportedly almost always advancing their business interests in some way. Recent social activities for Kausas include attending a hackathon and taking a bike ride with a fellow founder. Emily Yuan, a Corgi co-founder, told reporters that she and her founder friends spend their free time discussing funding rounds while exercising and going to saunas. De-centralizing food Another common theme among the interviewed founders is their attitudes toward food and meals. Kausas told the Journal that he eats pre-packaged breakfasts and lunches from nutrition and supplements company Blueprint, because “the workday is more efficient if he doesn’t have to think about food.” Haseab Ullah, founder of an AI customer support chatbot, also claimed to have a utilitarian approach to eating. Usually, his only meal of the day is an Uber Eats-delivered treat, a tactic that he said helps him “save time and avoid cooking.” (A young person using Uber Eats to avoid cooking may not be a shocker, but using it to source every meal sounds more extreme.) Michelle Fang, an event planner at VC firm Headline, told the Journal that many founder-focused get-togethers in San Francisco don’t even serve alcohol, both because it is “out of fashion in the San Francisco crowd,” and because many founders “aren’t old enough to drink” yet. BY BEN SHERRY @BENLUCASSHERRY