Less work, more productivity: Ankur Warikoo questions 'hustle culture' trend, reveals what really boosts performance

In a time when being busy is often treated like a badge of honour, entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo has put out a simple but uncomfortable idea — maybe working less, not more, is what actually improves performance. In a recent LinkedIn post, he argued that constantly pushing without pause does more harm than good, especially when it comes to thinking and decision-making.

Warikoo did not talk about quitting work or being lazy. Instead, he focused on the idea of stopping on purpose. He wrote, “The most productive thing you can do today might be to stop.” He clarified that this does not mean stopping forever or avoiding responsibility, but taking a deliberate pause.

Rest is not a reward, it is a requirement

One of the key points in his post was around how people view rest. Many see it as something they earn after finishing enough work. Warikoo challenged that thinking directly. He said, “Rest is not a reward you earn after being productive enough. It's a condition for being productive at all.”


He explained that exhaustion directly affects how people perform. According to him, “You cannot think clearly when you're exhausted. You cannot make good decisions when you're depleted. You cannot give your best to anyone - work, family, yourself - when you're running empty.” The idea is simple, but it hits because it goes against how most people are working right now.

Questioning the hustle mindset

Warikoo also took aim at hustle culture, which often promotes constant activity and long hours. He wrote, “The hustle culture lies that rest is weakness.” Instead, he pointed out that the most effective people treat rest seriously. “The most effective people I know protect their rest with the same discipline they protect their work,” he added.

He ended his post with a reminder that feels obvious but is often ignored: “Stop. Breathe. Come back stronger. You are not a machine.”

What people are saying about it

The post triggered a lot of reactions, with many professionals sharing similar experiences. Some agreed that rest is not the opposite of ambition but actually helps filter out noise and improve clarity. Others pointed out that burnout often comes from treating recovery like an afterthought.

A recurring theme in the responses was that pushing through exhaustion leads to slower and lower-quality work. Several users mentioned that decision-making suffers after long hours, even if people don’t realise it immediately. One comment highlighted that the real skill is knowing when to pause, not just how to keep going.

There were also practical observations. Some said that scrolling on the phone is not real rest, and that recovery should actually restore energy. Others spoke about how they used to think stopping meant falling behind, but later realised it helped them avoid mistakes and rework.

At the same time, not everyone fully agreed. A few voices questioned whether simply resting without changing direction really helps, suggesting that pauses need to be meaningful, not just repetitive resets.