Colin Powell calls them “busy bastards”.
If you know entrepreneurs you know the tales of 16-hour-days, 80 hour weeks, sleeping under your desk. These stories are hushed, not told, to preserve the aura of awe. Entrepreneurs wear them as badges of honor. It’s their version of the purple heart.
Bullshit.
Yes, you will find yourself working long hours from time to time. You will wish that a day had more than 24 hours and you will end up working longer stretches without enough sleep and too much work.
But that should not be the norm. Emphasize quality over quantity. There is tons of scientific proof that results are achieved when you work focussed, not when you merely “put in the hours” — like here: If You’re Busy, You’re Doing Something Wrong: The Surprisingly Relaxed Lives of Elite Achievers
Don’t work long hours just because it’s the social norm in startup land. Dare to be different and do what’s right for you and your business. And if you end up working 16 hour shifts: Don’t brag about it. Be proud of your end results, not the process.