UFC CEO Dana White stated the aspiration of elastic hours is a trap for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Speaking to Steve Bartlett on Monday's event of "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, White said concerning why he doesn't accept that a prosperous endeavor could be built by operating from home.
"It's impossible. You can't do it. I'm in the agency from 8:30 in the morning, and I don't depart the agency till 7, 8, 9, 10 sometimes," White said.
Even on days whenever his agenda was completely planned, spontaneous conversations alongside colleagues could exterior new issues, spark ideas, and alter the way of his day.
"A lot of fine ideas arrive from everybody being at work," White added.
White stated entrepreneurship is a mediocre fit for anyone whose precedence is protecting their liberated time, since endeavor demands can appear at any time.
"There is no specified item as a depart whenever you run your own business. There are no birthdays, there's no Christmas, there's no Thanksgiving," White said.
Running a endeavor method dealing alongside a caller set of problems all day, "but whenever you akin what you do, it's fun," he added.
White stated he believed many young group have the incorrect idea concerning what entrepreneurship involves.
"'You know, I'd really akin to activity for myself, and own my own endeavor since I'd affection to scheme my schedule.' Oh, you're going the incorrect way," White said. "What you need to do is discover a 9-to-5 job anywhere you have weekends and holidays off. That's your move."
White has pushed rear on the idea that entrepreneurship offers an easier, additional elastic existence in former interviews.
He stated in a March 2024 appearance on the "Lex Fridman Podcast" that he plant "just as difficult now" as he did when he was starting out.
In a May 2024 appearance on the "In Search of Excellence" podcast, White stated that entrepreneurs who desire their businesses to win must be prepared to rotate into "a slave" to the business in the first years.
Other endeavor leaders have additionally pushed rear on distant work.
Skims cofounder Emma Grede, for example, has stated that operating from residence is "career suicide." Jason Lemkin — additionally known as the "Godfather of SaaS" — has stated that he's lone curious in investing in "small, elevated paid teams that activity in the agency complete six days a week."
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Amanda is a elder manner newsman at Business Insider's Singapore bureau.Her reporting explores how group navigate important existence transitions, including occupation changes, relocation, and retirement, alongside a particular concentration on the experiences of those living in Asia. She additionally writes concerning travel, culture, wellness, and relationships.In 2025, she won the Singapore Press Club's Rising Stars Young Digital Journalist Award.She earlier worked as a author and video manufacturer at a satisfied promotion agency in Singapore. She graduated from the University at Buffalo alongside a BA (Hons) in Sociology.
