The Rise of the Side-Hustler
Why this move is here for the long run
In the litany of one-liners spoken at college commencements, here is one told to me years ago that I haven’t been able to verify but am also unable to forget:
“This generation will go to their grave with their options open.”
It was purportedly said at a Yale graduation — a group that would likely have had many options.
The notion of “leaving one’s options open” has morphed into a noteworthy side hustle. The side hustle is loosely translated as activities undertaken outside of a person’s main job to earn additional income or satisfy a passion. Side hustles can lead to a new career path or simply test a fantasy like, “I want to be the leader of a band.” The accountant by day becomes a photographer by night. A teacher hires himself out as an elite caterer on weekends. They can be as simple as driving for Uber or buying and reselling stuff and as complex as tutoring or being a social media influencer.
It is not an overstatement to say that side hustles pervade our universe.
- The Harris poll estimates that 1 in 3 people have side hustles.
- The same poll estimates that over 60 million people plan to start a side hustle in 2021.
