An interviewer asked a CEO: "How many hours should we work?"
The CEO gulped. He could see the army of Gen Z marching toward him. Masks will fall. Cultures will clash. This is just the beginning.
The great generation divide is on its way.
Origins
Boomers survived decades of war and struggle. They built their worldview around it — society ran militarily, hierarchically, with discipline as the default.
Their kids, Gen X, said nothing. Their fathers had just survived the war. You don't mouth off to the veteran. Shut up and take it.
So Boomers and Gen X, together, built a corporate culture of hierarchy and conformity.
Then came Millennials — with the newly founded concept of the internet. The world was changing again. The old corporate governance wouldn't cut it. Now it was all about speed and growth.
Hierarchy? Too slow. Conformity? Too slow. We gotta hustle and grow, no matter what.
Big Tech formed. FAANG emerged.
You Became What You Swore to Destroy
Millennials didn't build a hierarchy of roles. They built a hierarchy of ideas — and everyone had to conform to it.
"You don't want to be a billionaire? Everyone wants to be a billionaire. Play our game."
They sold their version of luxury. "We work all day. I sacrificed my social life, my physical health, my mental health — and you should too."
"Work 10–16 hours. For what? To make you rich? I don't hold any equity. Give me equity."
"You'll get it. One day. Grind until then."
"I don't want it. I just want to be happy."
"How can you be happy if you're not a billionaire? I'm a millionaire. Do I look happy?"
The Hypocrisy Is Revealed
Millennials played recklessly and gave us economic downturns. They had enough cushion to cruise through the hard years for the next five to seven years. Gen Z was left holding the bag.
Gen Z can't even cook their own food — because they're grinding 10–16 hours a day. So what do they do? Order expensive food online. Hire an already-underpaid cook. Their entire discretionary income goes to surviving a life they didn't choose.
"Take part in this system — and it's not a request."
Now that Gen X is leaving the C-suite, Millennials are taking their place. And they cannot afford to be disrupted by Gen Z when they already paid their price for their hedonic chase. They will install every hurdle possible.
What the Heart Wants
Millennials created a society of DINKs — Dual Income, No Kids — because they can't go back home and face what they've built. Gen Z refuses to accept that.
Gen Z refuses to spend their youth not living.
Not travelling. Not sitting in the park. Not reading the literature they love. Not lying idle on Sundays.
Gen Z refuses to give up a loving partner, a home, children growing up with a present parent.
Gen Z refuses to trade small daily pleasures for an empty promise of some big future.
Listen, Millennials. You don't tell Gen Z how to live their life.
The First Revolt
Gen Z looks at AI and sees how ten hours of work gets done in five — so they can go home.
Millennials look at AI and see how Gen Z can do double the work in the same ten hours.
They will squeeze every drop until Gen Z has trained the AI. Then they won't think twice before the layoff.
Gen Z is understanding this hypocrisy. Their first revolt? Work hours.
But once that clash is resolved, every cultural practice will be contested. The status quo domino will start to fall.
"Do I really have to wear your hoodie with your brand logo? Do I really need to come to the office? Do I have to go to your cringe workcation? Who are you to decide my variable pay? Let the market decide. You're not my family. I have my family at home. Let me go."
The New World
- Pay for hours worked — you put in X hours, you get paid for X. Gen Z decides X.
- Equity from day one — even the warehouse worker will ask to be paid for every box he packs. ESOPs from the lowest level to the highest.
- No probation — job security over pay. Being paid consistently > big money with the fear of losing it.
- Project-based work, not task-based — no deadline micromanagement. Projects and milestones. No need to be in the office. Work however you want. Just finish on time.
If your business model cannot support this, it won't deserve to survive. Someone smarter will figure it out and build your competition.
It's for Your Own Good
Even Henry Ford had to introduce the five-day, 40-hour workweek in 1926 — because he didn't have consumers with enough leisure time to buy his car.
He famously said:
"It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either lost time or a class privilege."
Build your business in a way that supports this change. Otherwise it won't be a pretty sight when these kids throw you out.