Someone Accused Alexis Ohanian of Not "Working Hard" Enough, and That Was a Big Mistake

By Erin Cullum

Alexis Ohanian does not have time for bullsh*t. He does, however, have time for a vacation with his wife, Serena Williams, and their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (the family recently traveled to Italy together). And yes, not that it's any of our business, but he worked hard for that vacation. So when someone called him out for not "working hard" enough, the 35-year-old Reddit cofounder made sure to share his honest response.

First, let's recap real quick. Back when baby Alexis was born in September 2017, Alexis Sr. pulled a badass move when he announced his decision to step down from work and focus on parenting. "I was a believer [in paternity leave] before, but now I wholeheartedly believe that every single dad should take it," he said at the time. The cofounder paused his full-time role at Reddit but remains on the board, and he's active in the venture capitalist firm Initialized, which he also cofounded.

In his recent real-talk caption on Instagram, Alexis wrote, "Had an associate at another VC firm text one of my partners about my vacation a couple weeks ago, implying I wasn't working hard. If you spend that much time thinking/talking about your competition, you're going to lose."

"If you think that spending time with your wife and kid on vacation is an example of a poor work ethic, you're part of the problem."

He continued to emphasize the importance of family, saying, "But less often said in tech — if you think that spending time with your wife and kid on vacation is an example of a poor work ethic, you're part of the problem." He admitted you should "work your ass off" when you're working, but that your job "cannot be everything, forever. And you don't need a family to need time for self-care. Burnout is real and you're not doing great work if you're not in a great condition."

A thousand times yes, Mr. Serena Williams. Fellow parents, hard workers, and pretty much everybody voiced their appreciation and agreement in the comments. Here are a few select gems:

  • "Working got you to that vacation . . . what an idiot. Hope he's reading all these comments."
  • "I feel this in the depths of my soul, especially today. I wish others would acknowledge the fact that we all deserve a work/life balance. Work to live, not live to work. You keep living your best life and doing what works for you and your family."
  • "Drops truth! Ignore the haters . . . Life is too short for that mess. Continue to do you!"
  • "Don't come for @alexisohanian unless he sends for you!!!!!"
  • "So. Damn. True."

Alexis drove his point home with this final sentence: "Find me in a decade and we'll check the receipts." Any questions, VC associate?