I hate that word. I hate everything that revolves around that word. I’ve seen so many people call themselves hustlers, claiming that the world of business is all about hustling. If you hustle, you’re basically bullshitting. There’s a famous short story about bullshit and it goes like this:
A pheasant was standing in a field chatting with a bull.
“I would love to be able to get to the top of yonder tree” sighed the pheasant, “but I haven’t got the energy.”
“Well, why don’t you nibble on some of my droppings?” replied the bull. “They’re packed with nutrients.”
The pheasant pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. And so on. Finally, after a fourth night, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. This was when he was spotted by a farmer who dashed into the farmhouse, emerged with a shotgun, and shot the pheasant right out of the tree.
The moral of the story? Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won’t keep you there.
The Quick-Flip Culture
Self-proclaimed hustlers seem to be proud of it. Smug, almost. Hustling is not a good trait, it’s typically somebody who sells a product against the rules of the law. The people I’ve met who claim to hustle normally try and bullshit people into creating deals with them. They don’t care about the clients as long as they secure a deal.
I think this culture of being a hustler has arisen due to the massive increase of quick flip start-ups. Companies that are made purely to be sold in the near future and provide no actual value for the customers. You can see why those businesses tend to be led by hustlers. These people just want clients and customers until they can sell the business and no longer care.
If you create a business that you intend to flip within the next 3 or 4 years, you’re probably a bullshitter. You can call yourself a hustler but it’s essentially the same. I’m sure a few founders will continue caring about their businesses once they are acquired but it hurts to know that most people only care about making some quick money.
I’d like to clarify that I’m not hating on all quick-flip start-ups. Some of them have provided massive value and moved the industry forward. The negative side-effect of this, however, is the culture of bullshitters that has been created alongside the success.
How to spot a bullshitter?
It’s normally a person who’s trying to offer you a deal that sounds amazing. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If somebody wants you as a client and they’re offering you an amazing deal — you should certainly do some due-diligence.
If you’re getting a deal from a start-up, try and talk to a founder and see how invested they are in the business. Are they trying to sell it? Do they care about where the business will be in 5 years? This all affects you as a client. You’re taking a risk by joining a start-ups journey, so you have every right to question a founders motives and you should exercise that right.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this topic and what the term “hustler” means to you in the start-up context. Do you agree with the hustler culture?