One of world's highest-paid Indian-origin CEOs prefers to work Sundays; Here's why

Despite working on Sundays, Rangan ensures that her employees are not affected by her schedule.

Yamini Rangan, one of the world's highest-paid Indian-origin CEOs, has revealed her unique take on managing work-life balance—by choosing to work on Sundays. The 48-year-old chief executive of $34 billion marketing software giant HubSpot opened up about her routine in a recent episode of The Grit podcast, as reported by Fortune.

Unlike most people who dread the arrival of Sunday evening, Rangan embraces it. "I'm not scared of Sundays. I enjoy it because it's my time," she said. "I get to decide what I'm learning, what I'm doing, what I'm thinking, what I'm writing. It is completely my schedule."

Rangan, whose 2024 compensation totaled $25.88 million, shared that while she disconnects from work on Friday nights and spends Saturdays meditating, reading, and enjoying time with her husband, she deliberately sets aside Sundays for focused, distraction-free work. This personal ritual includes deep thinking, reading, and writing—activities she finds difficult to prioritize during busy weekdays.

Despite working on Sundays, Rangan ensures that her employees are not affected by her schedule. Emails written over the weekend are timed to go out early Monday mornings, respecting her team's rest time. "Peak performance requires peak rest," she said, adding that her previous burnout experiences taught her the value of structured downtime.

Her regular weekdays, which often begin at 6:30 am and stretch to 11 pm, underline the need for her carefully crafted weekend structure to maintain energy and productivity.

Rangan's leadership journey spans over two decades in the technology sector. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering from Bharathiar University, a Master's in Computer Engineering, and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley.