I love a good piece of satire. Unfortunately, we seem to live in a world where reality and satire closely intertwine, making it hard to distinguish between the two. This absurd job posting by Icon CEO Kennan Davison for an AI advertising company left me scratching my head this morning.

On the face of it, the ad is inherently ridiculous. It seems to be a critique of modern job postings, promising extreme commitment and a crazy work culture.

In the ad, Davison states:
“Our culture would make 99.99% of people go crazy. And that’s by design. We move faster, demand more, & think bigger than almost anyone else. Before joining, please make sure you genuinely align with these values.”

You see, they claim:

• Grind: We work on weekends and late nights if necessary. It’s perfectly fine to send messages at 3 AM. We do what it takes to win, not out of necessity, but because we desire to.
• Drive: You’re eager to do whatever it takes for us to win. You likely feel a significant chip on your shoulder or have a neurodivergent brain. Work is integral to your identity and fulfillment in life.

As Davison provocatively puts it, “I’ll even eat dog poop if it means winning.” Is this a satire of the modern tech startup culture, or is it a genuine plea for insane dedication?

I’ll leave you to ponder the bizarre lines between sincerity and self-parody in today’s corporate world.