I've averaged 60-hour weeks for a year and a half, with bursts up to 90 hours. I only did it because we were working on new tech at the time, and I figured it was worth it to my long-term value as a programmer. I'd never do it in some stale tech.

Also there was camaraderie. If I didn't like my coworkers, I never would have gone through it. We certainly didn't do it to make our bosses happy. In a weird way we almost had this attitude like we were doing it to spite our bosses. Like: "We'll build this thing for you, but you better stay out of our way. Your job is to clear obstacles for us when we need it, and otherwise don't tell us how to do our jobs." Luckily our bosses were smart enough to just let us cook and not ruin our morale by micromanaging.

The NBA legend Bill Russell said his dad told him, "Son, if the man asks you for 8 hours, give him 9. That way you can look any man on the job site straight in the eye and tell him to go hell." I like that attitude.

I'm still friends with many of those coworkers, even though we haven't worked together since 2017. It's a bit like (I assume) sharing a foxhole in war. You'll always have that bond.

> Also there was camaraderie.

> It's a bit like (I assume) sharing a foxhole in war. You'll always have that bond.

What is up with the romance? Nothing makes people as numb as being dragged into a trench and waiting for the shell with your name on it.