what rich meant was that unlike other companies, where social & work bleed together (people hang at the office 7 days a week, 15 hours a day but aren't always working) - we come in, we jam all day, we go home. and we take weekends off.
Past a certain amount of time, you're spinning your wheels, doing bad work you'll have to clean up later, and pushing yourself towards an early burn-out.
It's unhealthy, non-sustainable, a bad cultural precedent.
If there's no other choice, then do it -- we all have. But don't be too proud of it; it's not something you want engrained in your culture.
It's nowhere near the hours worked by a first year analyst at an ibank, or by a first year associate at a law firm.
Bill is not saying we are particularly proud of how much we work, just that we aren't apologizing for it. Especially when we are talking about the first 5 employees in the company.
Trust me, I don't want to be working 12 hour days a year from now, but it's what the company requires right now. I enjoy coming to work every day and working on something I love. I'd much rather do that for 12 hours a day, than watch the clock for 8.