With AI startups booming, nap pods and Silicon Valley hustle culture are back‍

When Jeffrey Wang made a post on X on Monday, inviting others to join him in purchasing fancy yet affordable office nap pods, he didn't anticipate it going viral. He expressed surprise at the overwhelming response, stating that he could have ordered over 100 units due to the high level of interest.

"I had way too many people than I could handle," explained Wang, who is the co-founder of AI research startup Exa Labs, in an interview with TechCrunch. "I initially intended to order two nap pods for ourselves and see how they turned out, but I received demand for over 100 units."

The post resonated not only with X users eager for a workplace nap but also sparked humorous comments about the hygiene concerns of sharing nap pods with office mates. One user quipped, "The last thing I want to do is share bedsheets with my software developer coworkers."

Many expressed admiration for the unique features of the nap pods or endorsed the concept of office napping altogether. "Every modern office should have one—no different than napping on a 15-hour flight. Some tasks require the enhanced cognition that REM sleep provides," responded another user.

Some raised a more straightforward question: Why would an employer encourage employees to sleep in the office instead of allowing them to go home? As one commenter put it, "Nothing is a bigger red flag than a potential employer showing off their 'nap pods.' I'd be outta there."

The explanation is straightforward: Silicon Valley startup hustle culture is making a comeback, particularly in Cerebral Valley, the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, known for its abundance of early-stage AI startups. These startups, often led and staffed by individuals in their twenties, prioritize their work above all else. While hustle culture waned during the post-pandemic era, with people working remotely and leaving San Francisco, hacker houses in the city are now regaining popularity. Cerebral Valley has emerged as a distinct cultural phenomenon, where individuals who believe in the future of AI (or harbor fears about it) reside in communal houses and attend the same social gatherings.

In the case of Exa Labs, the introduction of nap pods is a natural progression rooted in its history of operating from a hacker house. Initially a 10-person startup, Exa Labs, until recently, operated out of a communal living and working space typical of the area. Co-founder Jeffrey Wang explained that like many companies in the vicinity, they transformed two bedrooms into a spacious office where colleagues collaborated, socialized, and dined together. This arrangement eventually expanded to accommodate nine people.

For Wang, the introduction of nap pods aligns with the company's ethos of prioritizing employee well-being and productivity over an outdated mentality of employees being akin to slaves. He emphasized the importance of acknowledging that in today's world, perfect sleep is not always attainable, and providing the option for employees to rest when needed is essential for optimal productivity.

However, Wang also acknowledges the demanding nature of startup life, describing it as requiring an unwavering commitment. Drawing from his own experiences at Harvard, he notes that startup life surpasses the challenges faced during rigorous academic semesters.

Exa Labs, a Y Combinator graduate, specializes in training LLM models for search functions, catering to approximately 100 paying customers and tens of thousands of developers, including AI startups, researchers, and AI labs.

Employees at Exa Labs receive competitive compensation and equity, reflecting the company's stance that commitment and dedication are prerequisites for success. This approach translates into long work hours and, for some, the option to nap at the office—a lifestyle epitomized by the mantra "Code, sleep, repeat."

Nevertheless, as an experienced observer of startup culture, the writer notes that there comes a point in a company's growth trajectory where such an intense work culture must be reassessed to ensure sustainable project and employee management. This transition typically occurs as the company expands its workforce, navigates regulatory compliance, or welcomes employees with familial obligations.

As for concerns about hygiene in Exa's nap pods, Wang assures that cleanliness is not an issue, citing a surplus of sheets acquired for a previous celebration.

Source: Techcrunch