Alexis Ohanian might not have the story of rags to riches. However, he worked very hard to establish his legacy as one of the foremost tech entrepreneurs. Despite being busy with his various business endeavors, Ohanian does not compromise his personal time with Serena Williams and Olympia. But this was not something that the Reddit co-founder did from the start. The glorification of the “hustle” culture is very common in social media nowadays. He learned it the hard way and even gave it a term, “hustle-porn” back in 2018.
Now as a married man, Ohanian reflected on his old ways of working to send out an enlightening message to young and budding entrepreneurs. He focused on how this toxic “hard work” culture is deteriorating the overall health of a person.
Alexis Ohanian condemns the “hustle-porn” culture to create awareness among budding entrepreneurs
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The Reddit co-founder is one of the most revered tech-based entrepreneurs of all time. However, he struggled a lot to be able to reach that stage. Nonetheless, he picked up some toxic patterns from his early days while he was working day and night to build up his business empire.
This is what he called “hustle-porn” culture. The term came up in 2018. However, Ohanian learned his lessons way before that.
The Reddit co-founder now worries about the new generation following the same trend. He took to his Twitter and stated, “The idea that unless you’re working every hour of the day that you’re not working hard enough is so misleading.”
The idea that unless you're working every hour of the day that you're not working hard enough is so misleading.
This idea got perpetuated with the "Hustle-Porn" trend I coined a few years ago that's so prevalent across social media. Thankfully the tide has started turning.
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) June 15, 2023
Pointing out the toxic grind culture on social media, the husband of Serena Williams had his concerns. Ohanian stated, “This idea got perpetuated with the “Hustle-Porn” trend I coined a few years ago that’s so prevalent across social media. Thankfully, the tide has started turning.”
"Hustle-Porn" distracts young founders from doing good work + reinforces stereotypes that in order to win in tech, you need to ditch everything and devote your life to the company.
This isn't a tradeoff you need to make in order to be successful. Of course you gotta work hard…
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) June 15, 2023
Furthermore, he shed light on how good founders are becoming a victim of this culture. This, eventually, takes a toll on their health. He stated, “But hard work MUST be complemented with rest & recovery. Be the lion.”
Pointing out that he made the same mistake, he wishes young founders to not repeat the same.
The husband of Serena Williams was the victim of the same toxic culture
During the initial ten years of his career, he adhered to the same grind every single day. However, it proved detrimental to his mental health, and he became depressed. Even then, he continued working, as he wrote in an article in 2018.
Therefore, he reminded them once again of the mistakes he did. Adding to that, he shifted their focus to the importance of good sleep and exercise. He also added, “And when you are struggling, talk to someone–whether that be a professional, a family member, a friend, etc.”
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Remember: insufficient sleep and exercise are among the worst things you can do for your health *and* your business.
And when you are struggling, talk to someone – whether that be a professional, a family member, a friend, etc.
It can help get you into a better headspace 🧠
— Alexis Ohanian 🧠 (@alexisohanian) June 15, 2023
Aligning his vision with his words, his Seven Seven Six foundation made a whopping $2.6 million investment in the mental health program, Grand. The aim of the program is to help people facing mental health issues caused by their professional lives.
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What do you think of Ohanian’s advice? Do you agree with him? Let us know in the comments below.
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