Late nights? Sure, sometimes they happen. 
When they did, our manager ordered pizza, cracked jokes, and we rallied as a team. 
It was rare and it felt meaningful, and worth it.

A shared push for something important, not a habit.

Fast-forward to a collaboration with a consultancy where "all hands on deck" was code for "8 p.m. daily." 
First war room session?
High energy, pizza, caffeine, sticky notes. 
Have to admit, it looked fun, felt exciting.

Day two? Same 8 p.m. invite. 
Same setup. 
Already significantly less exciting. 

Day three? 
I declined. 

I still worked on the project, just within my actual working hours.

It wasn’t the late hours or pizza that bothered me. 
It was the realisation: This wasn’t a sprint. 
It was their marathon. 

Crunch time wasn’t the exception - it was the culture.

Good for them, but no thanks for me. 

Some teams thrive on intensity: high-stakes consultancies, start-ups, hustle-driven workforces. 
They attract people who want the grind and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But when pizza or free snacks and beanbags become a substitute for actual culture, it backfires.
Real culture isn’t perks.

It’s the unspoken contract between a company and its people:
"We’ll expect you to push hard when it matters, but we’ll never take you for granted."

What builds culture:
⚪ Transparency
If late nights are part of the job, say it upfront.
⚪ Reciprocity
If you ask for off-hours effort, give flexibility in return.
⚪ Meaning
Connect the work to a purpose people care about (not just client deadlines).

For leaders: 
If your team eye-rolls at "fun" late-night meetings, it’s not the pizza they’re rejecting. 
It’s the lack of trust, balance, or clarity beneath it.