He seems to be confusing working long hours with working hard. Those aren't the same thing. I would even argue they're in conflict with each other. Nobody does good work when they're "obsessed" with something. Obsession is a sickness. Everyone eventually learns that you need moderation (in all things) if you're going to be around for the long haul.
Most software in the world is utter trash and I at least partially blame maniacs like this guy who keep people up hacking on it until they fall asleep. I wish more people would do what most people think of as "work" from 11-4 and spend their mornings and evenings thinking about how to do that work _well_ instead of just faster.