The Drugs Young Bankers Use to Get Through the Day–and Night | Hacker News Reader

The Drugs Young Bankers Use to Get Through the Day–and Night

wsj.com

25 pointsmancerayder23 comments

Best drug suite for productivity: Copious running and moderate weights and calisthenics; moderate coffee, including occasional midday coffee with L-theanine; a protein-rich diet with minimal sugar and carbs generally; in bed by 9:30. If your job doesn’t allow enough time for these minimal investments in your productivity, then get a different job. Don’t waste your life working for fools, or competing with them.

Have you tried the others? I don't mean to be facetious, and I think you're correct in terms of long term sustainability and health, but, unless you've tried the drugs or are citing a paper, there isn't much substance yo your assertion.

You're also overlooking the affect of stacking drugs on top of all the other things you list.

same thing can be said about the opposite. People addicted to drugs to be productive, have they tried GP strategy?

> you're also overlooking the affect of stacking drugs on top of all the other things you list.

that’s an exception, people looking for shortcuts won’t take the long route

Yes. I have done all that. Coffee, coffee plus l theanine, plus Mg supplement, plus vit supplements, lifting (at 155 lbs, I had dl 375, squat 265, front squat 225, bench 185, ohp 135, clean and jerk 135, snatch 115), 23 min 5k (untrained, I got my running from daily Barry’s class), rhr 39 bpm, HIIT every morning, sleep 10 pm to 6 pm. Many variants. All these are outclassed by even modafinil. And that is a candle to the sun that is amphetamine.

Only reason I don’t use the drugs is I want to avoid habit formation. Afterburners on, man. You don’t know the fire till you’ve seen it.

Now I am like a family man, but you can pour gasoline on youthful bonfire. Probabilistic failure possible but if you’re lucky, emerge unscathed.

I'd rather be unproductive than live that intensely, drugs or early bed time and intense exercise nonstop.

I do exercise because it's fun, rather than to work more.

> same thing can be said about the opposite. People addicted to drugs to be productive, have they tried GP strategy?

Well yes, but I'm not making any assertions there.

productivity isn't worth forcing yourself to have a toddlers bedtime

Living longer, being stronger and being happier all make it worth it, though.

> in bed by 9:30

That may be a touch optimistic for the crowd in question.

People change (as we get older?)

I agree that exercise is a great psychological benefit.

But at a certain age you're exhausted more easily and recover less well. I say this as very active middle-aged weightlifter (who gets more joint pain from running but that's besides the point).

But maybe since this article talks about people in their 20s mostly, including I think 30s, your advice us definitely worth following.

But if you need something to work 20 hr days on deals, I dunno, maybe don't do that.

Or maybe do it with a fixed goal - save $x. I think a lot of the people in the articles are addicted to work, though! I'm lucky in that I never had that issue.

I wonder why the jobs demand such long hours. Where are the deadlines coming from? Is there something in the banking sector that necessitates this level of pressure and work hours or is it a problem of the "partner-model" where a lot of people are hired at lower levels and then the carrot of "becoming a partner earning big bucks" is dangled in front of them to make them work like mules and then take the ones who survive?

My knowledge of the banking and consulting industry tells me it is the latter although someone from inside can correct me if I'm wrong.

I would hazard that you need to act quickly when you receive new information to capitalize on it.

Is it so? I imagine trading worked this way upto the late 90s, but today with algos running the show, is it still true?

Strategic plays are done by humans. Things like deciding to bundle and sell junk bonds etc.

> For a couple of days of the week, it was very regularly a 20-22 hour day.

I do not believe this and it seems disingenuous for an author to quote that as fact without at least a little bit of scrutiny.

Investment bankers work 100 hour per weeks as needed during deals, which is how you get 20 hour days. 60-80 is the usual pace though. Investopedia has an article on this but there are plenty more. That isn't proof this particular person did this, but should at least make it believable.

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/professionals/111715/d...

100 hours per 5-day week is a lot different than 100 hours per 7-day week.

> , but should at least make it believable. How is it physically possible? No person could survive working 20 hour per day for any at least slightly extended amount of time without some extreme consequences.

I assume they weren't actually working all the time but just basically "living" in the office an not actually engaging in anything productive for more than 10-12 hours.

Then again.. I'm sure that I don't really have what it takes to be an investment banker nor do I know how being hopped up on amphetamines all the time feels so maybe they do actually "work" >100 hours per week.

Why not Modafinil? - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modafinil

I would have thought that would be first preference. But not sure.

Because modafinil has a particularly nasty set of side effects for some people, and doesnt wear off when you need it to so you can actually rest

Effect is far weaker. For me, other reason was it gave me crazy hives. Entire body red post hot shower. Religious experience when the hot water hit.

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