Founder earning ₹2 lakh from business says job may offer a better life than entrepreneurship

A founder’s post on Reddit is challenging the widely celebrated idea of “hustle culture”, which often promotes entrepreneurship as a better alternative to traditional jobs. The hardware business owner shared that despite running a profitable venture, they sometimes miss the structured environment and professional interactions they experienced during their corporate career.

Founder questions the “hustle culture” narrative
In the post, the entrepreneur explained that although the business appears successful financially, the reality of running it has been more complicated than expected.


“I feel job is mostly better than a business or entrepreneurship,” the Reddit user wrote, adding, “A few years ago I left my job where I was earning around ₹1 lakh per month to start my own business. Today the business is stable and makes around ₹2 lakh per month. On paper, it looks like the perfect success story — ‘leave job, start business, double the income’.”

However, the founder noted that the story behind this apparent success is very different in everyday life.

Challenges of running a traditional business
The entrepreneur described the daily realities of managing a hardware-related business, which involves constant interaction with different types of people across the supply chain.

“Running a business means you constantly deal with all kinds of people — suppliers, laborers, transporters, local agents, customers, and middlemen. In my case, I run a hardware-related business, and most of the daily interactions are with people who are not very educated or professional. Over time I realized something about myself: as someone who is educated, I prefer being around educated, professional people. I enjoy structured discussions, clear communication, and a professional environment. In many small businesses, especially traditional ones, that environment is rare.”

The Redditor also pointed out that business owners often have to navigate difficult situations, including payment delays and conflicts.

According to the post, in business one frequently has to “negotiate aggressively, chase payments, manage conflicts, and deal with unpredictable behavior”. In contrast, working in a “good company” allows individuals to collaborate with “educated colleagues, structured systems, clear roles, and professional behavior.”

The entrepreneur added that the constant pressures of running a business have left them feeling “mentally exhausted”, describing the experience as sometimes “worse than any corporate pressure”.

Reflecting on these experiences, the founder shared a personal takeaway about the differences between employment and entrepreneurship.

“This made me realize something: not every business suits every person. So today my unpopular opinion is: a job is not always worse than business.”

The user further suggested that individuals who value a professional and structured environment might find certain industries more suitable.

“For educated people who value a professional environment, the best businesses might be ones where your team, partners, and customers are also educated — like tech, consulting, finance, analytics, etc,” adding, “Traditional businesses like hardware, scrap, transport, etc., may make good money, but they require a completely different temperament.”

The business owner concluded the post by saying, “Sometimes a job can actually provide a better quality of life depending on the kind of person you are.”

Internet reacts
The post sparked discussion among other users on the platform, with many sharing their own perspectives on jobs and entrepreneurship. “Do you realise that all of this proves only one statement - grass is always greener on the other side.” one user commented.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post on Reddit. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.