Exactly. Unpopular take: I don't understand how the "fundamental flaw" is just the author's opinion that it's "not sustainable". Asian companies have sustained 60+ hour workweeks with high-skilled tech workers for decades.

It's not fun. I don't want to do it. I don't support it. But it is one way to run a company.

It is generally ‘sustainable’ with a stay at home spouse, lots of drinking, and actually not a lot of actual work. But they do spend a lot of time at the office.

I'd argue that the increased rates of suicide, and lower birth rates implies these systems aren't sustainable in the long term without depending on factors like immigration to make up the difference

Japan famously has a killer smoking and drinking culture and absolutely awful gender dynamics. No doubt because all the men and women are slaving their lives away - no time for romance.

On a national scale, its actually not sustainable. You eventually run out of humans, or, more likely, your population pyramid gets super fucked and your economy implodes.

Japan's population pyramid has been getting progressively more fucked for decades - it's only a matter of time until their economy implodes. Assuming they don't reverse course.

Sustainable for the company or sustainable for the workers?