(Sources: Anastasiia_M/istockphoto; DI Studio)

Don Allen
Co-founder and CEO
Strut Partner
… Comment on LinkedIn on the trade-off between corporate benefits and competitive thinking in the AI ​​industry.

CEO of Dallas Don Allena six-time co-founder with three exits, made the pointed comment in response to a LinkedIn post by Joseph AlexanderCEO and founder of The Uptown Agency.

Alexander last week quoted former Google CEO Eric Schmidt as saying that he had told Stanford University students that “Google has decided that the work-life balance of going home early and working from home is more important than winning” the AI ​​race against OpenAI.

The post sparked comments about startup culture, remote work, productivity, and the potential trade-offs between startup intensity and the amenities offered by tech companies. Notably, Schmidt later “walked back” his remarks, acknowledging in an email to the Wall Street Journal that he had “misspoken” about Google’s work hours and policies.

But Alexander’s post continued the discussion with the views of business and technology leaders on the topic, including:

• Scott HarperFounder | CEO at Dialexa, an IBM company based in Dallas: “There is a lot of truth in that. Successful startups do whatever it takes and have more passion than scaled companies. That doesn’t make it sustainable, but in my experience and observation it’s true.”
• Eileen KelleyExecutive Partner at IBM: “… maybe startups work because they are founded at home in the garage, so no time is wasted on unnecessary commuting and chatting at the water cooler or looking for a free conference room or phone booth. Things that make you think.”
• Ali SaidiCFO and Controller at Liberty Harbor Group: “Google started in a garage, so they had no commute. They’re also behind on AI because they were too content with being the leading search engine with no real competition. Now they’re panicking about the AI ​​and cloud business, but it’s too late.”
• Rohit GopakumarCEO at Times Network; World Wide Media: “I think what makes the difference in any business/career is who is GOAL MINDED or SELF MINDED. Self minded people don’t care about noise, they just focus on their path to the goal. Their work is also their life which they love, so there is no conflict.”
• Sam DarwishCEO of Frisco-based The Functionary: “More about passion, desire and management. … What often makes startups successful is the flat management structure.”

What do you think? For more information, see Alexander’s LinkedIn thread.

For more information on who said what about North Texas, Check out Every Last Word.

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