#26 Weekly Dan — 10 more hours
Hustle culture vs work-life balance
Hello there
This is the #26 Issue of Weekly Dan.
Ready to become a better Maker?
Every Tuesday, I share an actionable essay for Indie Entrepreneurs.
Today let’s talk about good products.
Hustle balance
I was always torn between hustle culture and work-life balance.
And becoming a full-time Entrepreneur only increased this conflict.
Should I work 80 hours weekly and aim for Forbes 30 Under 30?
Or maybe I should build a lifestyle business and read books 5 hours daily?
This dichotomy has driven me mad.
That’s how my productivity framework was born. Let me share it with you.
Mom, one more hour
In my first startup, I worked 80+ hours per week.
Now I work 30-60 hours. And if we subtract Twitter, then it will be 50% less 😂
These two experiences taught me that every 10 working hours are different.
The most significant value is going from 0 to 10 hours. It’s nothing vs. something. Spending a few hours on your side project or a new skill is always better than spending 0 hours.
The next spike is going from 40 hours to 50 hours. If most people work around 40 hours, then spending 10 more hours will give you a huge advantage.
The peak is around 60 working hours. At this point, you invest 50% more time than most people and still have time for recovery and self-growth.
I know hustle bros will get mad about this. But I have to say it.
Working too much hours on your product is not heplful.
Instead, it will only cause you more problems.
Anything more than 5 days with 12 working hours or 6 days with 10 working hours.
There are a few reasons why:
You are solving problems with effort, not intelligence. Solving fundamental problems is unpleasant because it leads to admitting mistakes and product pivots. You can’t win the competition by working 100 hours if your startup is not suited for the competition.
You will have less time for self-growth. The better your skills are, the more valuable your one-person business is. Spending 10 hours per week on the new skill is the only growth hack Indie Makers should care about.
You will have less time for recovery. Working long hours require both physical and mental recovery. Of course, everyone needs a different number of recovery hours. But ignoring it will lead to burnout.
1:0 to work-life balance team.
Hustle culture strikes back
But here is the deal.
You want people to spend some time and money on your product. At least 1%.
And you are not the only one. Every day thousands of Startup Founders and Creators do the same thing. You have a lot of competitors.
You can’t win it by spending 5 hours on your product. It’s good enough to start, but you need to invest more effort. It’s just how things work in the beginning.
A 4-hour workweek must be earned
If anyone is selling you that Entrepreneurship is easy and not time-consuming, they are lying. Maybe to sell you some marketing Notion templates.
I disagree with 90% hustle culture bullshit.
But they are right about one thing. You need to put in more effort than an average competitor. Otherwise, you won’t create enough momentum.
1:1.
Productivity Manifesto
As you can see, it’s not a black-and-white situation.
There is common sense behind both ends of the spectrum.
That’s why I created a simple manifesto for myself. It has 10 points.
I should work more than others
Working more than 60 hours is not effective
A four-hour workweek must be earned
Investing in self-growth means investing in my business
Indie Entrepreneurship is thriving on time-efficient tasks
The time for recovery is crucial to make the next sprint effective
I overestimate what can be done in one month and underestimate what can be done in one year
Not every day will be as productive as the previous one
Making the right decisions can save a lot of working hours
The less I complain, the better I feel
Ready to make your manifesto?
That’s it!
Mind to give me some feedback?
And see you on Friday with the usual 5 golden nuggets for Indie Makers.
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