In a recent LinkedIn post, entrepreneur Callum Laing challenges the conventional notion of work hours, arguing that the focus on time spent is a flawed metric in today’s business landscape. Laing, who has 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, contends that true value lies not in the hours clocked, but in the tangible results delivered.
Laing opens his post by questioning the standard work week and the prevailing compensation models. He asserts that the widespread practice of paying for time is an invention that has been misunderstood.
“Paying for time is a process we invented because it was the most simple way to allocate resource. Unfortunately this got conflated into ‘my time is valuable’. Sadly your time is not valuable. Only results are valuable.”
The entrepreneur elaborates on this point, drawing from his extensive experience. He states that stakeholders are not concerned with the hours he dedicates to his work.
The Irrelevance of Timesheets in Business
Callum Laing emphasizes that for entrepreneurs, clients, teams, and shareholders, the number of hours worked is secondary to the outcomes achieved. He explains:
“I have been an entrepreneur for 30 years and I can tell you that nobody cares how many hours I put in. My clients are only interested in the results I deliver. My team is focused on meaningful projects and fair compensation. My shareholders are looking for growth and dividends. Not one of them asks for a timesheet because they know it doesn’t matter.”
According to Laing, the business world has adopted time-based metrics because they are easy to monitor, leading to a culture where ‘time spent’ becomes the default measure of productivity. However, he argues that this approach hinders true efficiency.
Shifting Towards Outcome-Based Thinking
Laing advocates for a paradigm shift towards outcome-based thinking, which he believes is the foundation of true efficiency. He observes a growing trend mirroring the ‘Hollywood’ model, where individuals are compensated for their worth on specific projects rather than for the time they invest.
This model, where talent is assembled for a project and then disbands, is becoming increasingly prevalent. Laing points to the rise of freelancers and fractional roles as early indicators of this transition.
“We have drifted into a culture where time ‘spent’ is the default metric because it is easy to track. However, true efficiency is built on outcome-based thinking.”
He concludes by posing a direct question to his audience, urging them to consider their readiness for this fundamental change in how work and value are perceived and compensated.
The Future of Work: Results Over Hours
Callum Laing’s perspective challenges long-held assumptions about productivity and compensation. By highlighting the primacy of results, he encourages businesses and individuals to re-evaluate their metrics and embrace a more outcome-oriented approach. As Laing suggests, the future of work likely lies in valuing what is delivered, not merely how long it takes to deliver it.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Callum Laing on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on September 8, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →