Search anywhere on the internet for the term hustle culture and you’ll find no shortage of videos, articles, blog posts and major news outlet stories bemoaning the phenomena. However, what if I told you that the following was a net benefit to society? Hustle culture should not be demonized in the way it currently is, in fact, it ought to be celebrated. The practitioners of hustle culture and their beliefs aren’t problem, it is us that is the problem.
At the risk of painting a whole community with a broad stroke, hustle culture essentially is an online movement that encourages its believers to eschew traditional 9-5 employment in favor of creating their own business and putting all of their eggs in that basket, often putting in long hours to make that venture succeed. This movement has received a lot of pushback in recent years, being labeled as toxic and unhealthy, among other things.
However, we should stop and ask ourselves Why do we detest these predominately young men from building towards their desires? The hustle culture community is full of bachelors in their 20’s-30’s, who are financially motivated and are clearly willing/able to take big risks in life. The pundits (eww) love to tell our young people that this is the period of their lives to explore and take risks. So then why are we admonishing these practitioners of hustle culture when they take said risks? As a society we need to accept that there will always be some subset of people who will think about and act on risk differently than the rest of the population. Who are we to tell them what risks they can and cannot take? Hating hustle culture stems from a place of judgement. Hating hustle culture essentially is a you problem.
It is often talked about how the vast majority of employees in the United States are dissatisfied with their jobs. Often, people sit in their jobs that they tolerate (or actively hate) wishing for something better to present itself. Many of us can understand the lack of fulfillment, so our hatred of hustle culture is less about disliking young people for chasing a business-related desire and instead is merely just misplaced anger, frustration and bitter jealousy. While the average American is day-dreaming or making excuses, those who have embraced hustle culture have decided to take a sincere chance and make their dreams happen, knowing that failure may await them. The average American would rather not take a risk at all, in some part due to what Dr. Carol Dweck calls a fixed mindset. Those who adhere to hustle culture will not have I wish I tried on their tombstones.
I’d like to call into question the creativity and thought process of someone who criticizes someone who takes a creative and financial risk, do you not have anything that you believe in yourself enough to pursue, even on your off-time? Everyone believes that they have the special sauce in one area of their lives, hustle culture followers are merely trying to bring their special sauce to the world.
The movement of hustle culture is often called toxic. This is an interesting word choice because there is some definite toxicity involved with the interaction of the community and the general public. When a hustle culture practitioner has a venture that does not work out, the failed founder often faces ostracization from the general public. This judgement of someone who gave it their all by a bunch of risk-averse spectators is what truly toxic. Entrepreneurs rarely hit a homerun on their first venture, and it takes courage to take both the initial risk and each subsequent risk. Zuckerburg and Gates are not the norm, as is often discussed on How I Built This with Guy Raz (an absolutely fantastic podcast). What is more typical is that a founder is in his mid—to-late 40’s by the time he starts a company that becomes financially viable. Along the way, the path is filled with numerous 16+ hour days. The way failure is treated by our culture is what is toxic, given how many times failure occurs in the business world, and our country’s dependence on the companies created by people who hustle. As is often the case in sports, the one booing the loudest is sitting in the cheapest seat in the stadium and hasn’t exercised in years, and the same concept applies here. The toxicity flows from the risk-averse naysayer towards the entrepreneur.
Culturally, Americans are not an entrepreneurial bunch. Ramit Sethi frequently points this out on his blog, citing numerous sources that foreigners are much more likely to start businesses than their U.S-born counterparts. As Dr. Thomas Stanley points out in his book The Millionaire Next Door (an absolute life-changing book for me), most people in the U.S with a net worth between one and ten million dollars are owners of small businesses. The tax dollars that these owners pay and the jobs they create, the stable ones taken up by hustle-critics, stimulate our nation. Entrepreneurs are a vital part of the economy, and our financial landscape looks putrid without them. In no small way, we need hustle culture, so we should embrace it’s existence rather than loathing it. It’s time to stop biting the hand that is literally feeding us.
Picture for a moment the average American lifestyle; wake up, eat a highly sugar-laden breakfast, drive 45 minutes to work, work 8 hours at a job that they dislike, drive 45 minutes home, veg on the couch for 2.5 hours watching NCIS re-runs, go to bed. Rinse, repeat. That scenario has 9.5 hours of mandatory work and commuting, however there is 6.5 hours left in that day to fill with pursuing a side project or other venture (assuming 16 waking hours). The average American does not exercise at all and often eats a nutritionally poor diet. Many sub-communities of hustle culture endorse waking up early to ensure a proper workout, a very conscious choice of meals and the pursuit of a dream. In essence, the average American could use some hustle culture.
Others say that the community of hustlers can be an obnoxious bunch, preaching about how much they love their lifestyles to nearly anyone who will listen. While I’ll concede that they have a branding issue, other movements with similar marketing tactics such as the keto diet attract far less hate than hustle culture does. Besides, since when does the poor branding of a movement de-legitimatize their points?
Personally, I say to the practitioners of hustle culture; if you have found something that you believe in and are willing to take a chance on, then you owe it to yourself to give it your best attempt. If you’re pursuit does not endanger anybody, and it fulfills you, then our nation needs you to go for it. I am genuinely happy that you have found something that you’re truly engaged in, despite the numerous long days. And to those who actively hate the community of young people trying to create their dreams, I’d recommend that you do a little soul-searching and find out the source of this negativity. Face your demons, however irrational that they may be. Instead of saying I wish, go make something positive happen.
Happy Hustling!
Home Page 