The Dark Side of Hustle Culture

The hidden agenda of hustle culture, and how to find a better way to work

When you look around at what we call work, life, and community—it's not working for most people. So many people are burned out, yet still trying to somehow do it all in their businesses and their lives as though this is the recipe for satisfaction and success.

But hustle culture and do it all culture both have a dark side that’s not often talked about—an insidious idolization of “missing sleep, meals, family, community, and anything else outside of work that might provide comfort, rest, respite, or meaning,” writes Erin Griffith for the New York Times.

Over the past few years, I’ve watched as work continues to expand scope across all facets of life, curious about who hustle culture benefits and whether or not it’s an effective strategy for individuals or teams. The benefactors of hustle culture are often an elite few—and it’s not usually the people are hustling the hardest.

A few years ago, I put together a talk on the problems of hustle culture, and a related short book on how to strategically work smarter (and work less). I’ve given this talk to retreats, team off-sites, masterminds, and leadership organizations as a way to rethink the way we rush through work and continue to try to do more.

Last month, I recorded one of the sessions I did for the B2B Writing Institute, and Sarah Greesonbach, the founder, sent me the recording to share with everyone who is a paid subscriber to this newsletter.

When you are a paid subscriber to the newsletter, you’ll not only get access to the private podcast, our advice columns, our community forums, but you’ll also occasionally get extra bonuses—like a full recordings of this talk on hustle culture and it’s downsides. If you’re on the free plan, upgrade to get access to this talk.