Call it reaching for the brass ring. Tech is one of the few fields where fairly average people can get ahead and potentially move up the ladder. If my options are to burn out my body in the oil wells of South Dakota for a few years, or work hard at tech ventures over my whole career, the tech ventures have a better chance at a really big payout. Tech isn't perfect, and I'd agree there is a lot of problem with crazy hours and burn out, but it is also one of the few industries that is semi-meritocratic (so those long hours can pay off)
