In a bold move that's raising eyebrows across the tech industry, Tools for Humanity, the eye-scanning startup co-founded by Sam Altman, has reportedly instructed its employees to forget about their weekends and make their jobs their top priority. The company behind the innovative "Orb" device is pushing for an all-hands-on-deck approach to achieve its ambitious goals.
The Weekend Work Mandate
According to a Business Insider report that cited a recording of an all-hands meeting earlier this year, CEO Alex Blania delivered a blunt message to his staff about the company's expectations. Blania made it clear that the startup's mission to build a global digital identity system was too critical for conventional work schedules.
"We will neither fail, nor will we be an average outcome, and that's what we want, and that's all I care about every day, and all you should care about every day, and nothing else should matter," Blania told employees during the meeting. The CEO didn't mince words when he added that anyone who prioritizes other concerns "should just not be here."
Company Values Reflect Demanding Culture
The report reveals that multiple "team values" displayed on TV screens in the startup's former San Francisco office echoed Blania's demanding stance. One particularly striking message read: "We are very (very) hard working. We believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime project and that success is important for humanity."
The displayed values further elaborated that employees are expected to work weekends, remain always on call, and push themselves as hard as their circumstances allow. The company explicitly stated it doesn't "tolerate slowness and comfort" and has "no place for talkers, ideology, or politics."
Another controversial statement from the company values claimed: "We don't have time to worry about each other's feelings; we say what needs to be said." According to sources, Blania himself authored these uncompromising principles.
Mission Over Everything Else
Tools for Humanity is working on developing a global digital identity system that can verify whether someone is human in an increasingly AI-driven world. The company's flagship product, the "Orb," is a metallic sphere that scans irises to establish human identity. Blania emphasized that the company exists solely to achieve this mission, considering anything else a distraction.
In his meeting address, Blania specifically mentioned that the company doesn't care about politics, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), or anything beyond achieving their mission through "merit, performance, and excellence."
A Tools for Humanity spokesperson defended the company's approach, stating: "The organisation's transparency about its values and operating principles has resulted in building a team that is passionate and focused on its increasingly urgent mission of ensuring every human benefits from the age of AI."
The company identifies its core values as optimism about the project, individual responsibility, and clear thinking. However, the demanding work culture raises questions about work-life balance in the competitive AI startup ecosystem, particularly for a company linked to Sam Altman, who already faces global scrutiny through his leadership at OpenAI.
