The Dangers of Entrepreneurial “Hustle Porn”

So straight up- this week’s topic title might sound a bit risque, but I assure you, there’s nothing X-rated about it.

Not only is it not sexual in nature, it’s not sexy at all.

“Hustle porn” is a term that Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian coined. It’s essentially what Ohanian calls the fetishization of people overworking themselves, particularly entrepreneurs or employees in the tech industry.

He maintains that that penchant or glamorization of working ludicrously long hours can have "deleterious effects" on people’s physical and mental health.

I mean, we all KNOW exactly what this is right? We’ve all been spellbound by a friend, maybe an entrepreneur or working at a hot new startup or agency, who goes on and on about how they pulled an all-nighter to win a big pitch, or never leaves the office until midnight because there’s just. So much. To do.

A lonely entrepreneur stressing after pulling an all-nighter to win a big pitch.

And when it comes to entrepreneurs and business owners specifically, they can get so caught up in trying to make their business a success that they can end up putting their physical and emotional health on the proverbial back burner. That is something neither smart nor productive.

Constantly sacrificing time with your friends and family to be working can lead to many health risks, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal issues, depression, anxiety, and other nasty health implications.

And then you’re out of the office or taking an absence from your business entirely. And then how good is your business and people without its leader?

The staying up too late, waking up early, not getting enough sleep, not eating healthy cycle… That sort of hustle/schedule cannot be maintained!

And then you have to think: What kind of example does that behavior set for current employees, or potential employees? Those that work there will be much more likely to burn out and leave trying to keep up. And a job seeker may seem intrigued but I’m guessing that most out of their 20s (those hard hustle, pay your dues years) will move on entirely.

So! If you’re watching and getting a sinking feeling that you have fallen into the hustle porn trap, fear not!

To avoid falling into the culture of overwork and potentially putting your health at risk, try these three things:

1. Define success for yourself in a way that includes non-business interests.

Whatever your definition of success is, surely it doesn’t involve working nonstop at the expense of friends, family, and health.
So, define your full scope of success and what that entails.
Incorporate spending time with your family into your vision for success. If you include downtime in your definition of success, that means you have to make room for it to be successful by your own definition.

Put priority on sleep.

Don’t think of sleep as a luxury, think of it as a necessity.
Do what you need to do in order to wake up regenerated and refreshed each day.

Temper your passion

Entrepreneurial burnout, something we’ve talked about previously, can often be traced back to a mistaken belief that following your passion means sacrificing everything for it. Don't buy into the hype.

So now tell me- what are your thoughts on Hustle Porn? Do you think it’s something to legitimately be concerned about? Or are people just whining and blowing dedication to a business out of proportion?

Justine Smith is a Graphic Designer for Excelerate America, the fun, smart service for businesses looking to level up. Do you know someone who has fallen into this trap? Or have you yourself? Chat more with Justine by emailing her at justine.smith@excelerateamerica.com.