Casey Mackrell, co-founder of the firm Thoughtly, recently made news for an unexpected reason: managing work and his wedding. The viral incident occurred when Mackrell was seen working on his laptop at his wedding reception while still clothed in his suit.
Torrey Leonard, Mackrell’s other co-founder, took the photo, which shows Mackrell at his computer during the wedding festivities. Leonard shared the image on LinkedIn, and it rapidly went viral, eliciting mixed reactions—some praised his dedication, while others questioned the prudence of combining business with such a personal event.
The true story
Despite the online hoopla, Mackrell’s work was less spectacular than it appeared. “He just needed to push one thing to a server,” Leonard said, according to TechCrunch. The entire process took less than one minute. It was a brief activity during the festivities, so it wasn’t a significant distraction.
The “Founder Mode” Debate
The episode generated a larger discussion about “founder mode,” a term commonly used to describe startup owners who are highly immersed in all aspects of their business. While some viewed Mackrell’s activities as a sign of dedication, others criticized them for demonstrating poor work-life balance.
“Publicly, the comments we’ve received are mostly negative,” Leonard said, noting that once the news reached venues such as Reddit, it frequently lacked comprehensive context. However, the post resonated with many in the entrepreneurial community. Leonard revealed that he has gotten thousands of encouraging notes from both founders and investors.
According to the article, Mackrell is currently on his honeymoon, focused on his personal life, leaving Leonard to deal with the viral picture’s buzz. Leonard reported that Mackrell’s wife was unconcerned about the quick work disruption. However, given Thoughtly’s staff of 15, some argue that it may be a good way to ensure that no single individual is so important that they must work during crucial personal milestones—no matter how memorable the occasion becomes online.