Hamdi Ulukaya, the visionary Turkish billionaire and founder of Chobani, recently reflected on the extraordinary commitment that defined the earliest years of his company. In a candid conversation on the “Rapid Response” podcast, he recounted how, during the foundational days of his Greek yogurt enterprise, he often slept on the floors of his very own factories. This vivid image of the entrepreneur surrounded by the hum of machinery and the scent of fresh dairy products captures not only his resilience but also the profound dedication required to bring a new idea to life.
Ulukaya, who launched Chobani in 2005, explained that his entrepreneurial journey began far away from the glamour of big cities or the comfort of corporate offices. He started in the rural heartlands of America — in places defined by open pastures, grazing cows, and a tight-knit community bound to the rhythms of the land. Speaking with characteristic humility, he emphasized that the region where he chose to begin was one “where the cows are, where the land is,” a place untouched by nightlife or urban amenities — “no bars and no restaurants, nothing,” as he described. In that environment, he said, the factory became not only a workplace but also a home. Rather than commuting long distances or seeking conveniences, he would simply roll up his sleeves and rest on the factory floor, turning exhaustion into motivation.
Chobani’s first manufacturing site was established in New Berlin, New York — a small, picturesque countryside town roughly 200 miles from the bustle of New York City. It was in this quiet setting, amid fields more accustomed to agriculture than entrepreneurship, that Ulukaya transformed a struggling old dairy plant into the birthplace of what would become one of America’s best-known yogurt brands. Such surroundings demanded persistence and self-discipline, qualities that soon became embedded in the company’s culture.
During the podcast, Ulukaya shared that in the first five years of building Chobani, he rarely left the factory. Business was consuming, the hours relentless, but he maintained his focus, driven by the belief that hands-on leadership was essential for survival and growth. When the company expanded and built a new plant in Idaho, Ulukaya once again immersed himself completely in the process — remaining on-site for six to seven months without leaving. His message was clear: true progress often requires total involvement. “You’ve got to make those kinds of commitments,” he stated firmly. To him, success in an environment characterized by rapid growth and constant adjustment could only be sustained through that level of personal sacrifice. Without it, he warned, “it will go south really fast.” In that remark lies a philosophy that echoes throughout the entrepreneurial world — the idea that leadership is not about comfort but about courage, about being the first to arrive, the last to leave, and at times, the one willing to forgo rest for vision.
Interestingly, Ulukaya’s account is not unique among notable innovators. Other tech and industrial leaders have similarly demonstrated their commitment by quite literally living at their workplaces. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has famously spoken about spending years sleeping on the floors of his company’s factories in Fremont, California, and Nevada. Addressing investors at the Annual Baron Investment Conference in November 2022, Musk confessed that he treated these factories as his “primary residences” for nearly three years. He admitted the experience was physically uncomfortable — sleeping on the floor was “damn uncomfortable,” he said, and often left him “smelling like dust.” Yet this hardship was deliberate. Musk wanted to send a message to his employees — that he was working alongside them, fully engaged in the same struggle, not “drinking Mai Tais on a tropical island.” His visible presence was meant to inspire and motivate the entire team, proof that leadership means enduring the same challenges as those you lead. As recently as May of this year, Musk reiterated this commitment, saying he was “back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference, server, and factory rooms.”
A similar example emerged from China, where Lei Jun, the founder and CEO of Xiaomi, posted a photograph of himself on social media lying on a simple white mattress placed directly on his factory floor. In the accompanying caption, he cheerfully shared, “Good morning! Woke up to the news that 100,000 units of Xiaomi SU7 achieved!” The image conveyed not exhaustion, but triumph — a symbol of pride and the tangible fruits of persistent effort.
These narratives from Ulukaya, Musk, and Lei underscore a broader truth about the entrepreneurial spirit: that great leadership often demands enormous personal commitment and an unshakable belief in the outcome, even when comfort or convenience must be sacrificed. From yogurt to electric cars to smartphones, the most transformative ideas have often emerged in places where leaders worked, slept, and dreamed side by side with their creations. Though representatives from Chobani declined to comment further, Ulukaya’s reflections stand as a testament to the power of persistence — a reminder that the most remarkable enterprises are built by those willing not only to envision change but to live inside the process of making it real.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/chobani-ceo-hamdi-ulukaya-slept-factory-first-5-years-2025-10
