The Luba Show Marty Kausas, Co-founder of Pylon: Why 100-Hour Weeks Are Necessary To Win
Marty Kausas, co-founder & CEO of Pylon joins Luba to open up about the real cost, mindset, and psychology behind building a company in “grind mode.” Marty recently went viral after being profiled in the Wall Street Journal for his 100 hour work week lifestyle.
We talk about why he works 90–100 hour weeks, how he thinks about ambition, fun, burnout, and why he sees company-building as a 10-year board game he refuses to lose. Marty also explains how he picked his co-founders, what finally worked after years of pivots, why most people start companies for the wrong reasons, and what keeps him locked into this pace.
It’s a grounded, honest look into a founder who’s both extreme and surprisingly self-aware — and why, even with all the sacrifice, he’s genuinely having the time of his life.
In this episode, we go deep on:
- Why he sleeps ~6 hours, works 6 days a week, and still feels energized
- How Pylon went from “living in the office” to a 55-person Series B company
- Co-founder matching, pivots, and why the early years nearly broke him
- The real motivators behind starting a company (and why most people get it wrong)
- Why he thinks passion for a problem is overrated
- What “Sprint the Marathon” means and how he measures “winning”
- Why he sees startups as a competitive board game
- The immigrant mentality, risk tolerance, and his obsession with acceleration
- How he thinks about relationships, dating as a founder, and the cost of this lifestyle
- What building Pylon has taught him about leadership, culture, trust, and pacing himself
Highlights:
(00:39) Introduction and Daily Schedule
(03:06) Work–Life Integration
(05:57) Defining Success and Win Conditions
(09:10) Sustainability and Personal Sacrifice
(13:10) Family Background and Upbringing
(20:48) Leaving Airbnb and Starting the Journey (38:51) Finding the Right Co-founders
(46:56) Deciding Roles and Company Structure (56:08) Learning from Airbnb and Role Models (01:03:56) Admiring Elon Musk’s Approach
(01:09:49) Biggest Fear: Slowing Down
(01:12:34) Life Outside Work and Relationships (01:16:11) Building Pylon and Providing Value
(01:20:33) Regret Minimization and Priorities (01:24:07) Beliefs About Tech and Life
(01:26:19) Daily Habits and Closing Thoughts
Marty Kausas
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martykausas/
Luba Yudasina