More Than Just the Hustle: Offbeat Lessons from an Unconventional Career

Picture this: you're 17, running a cell phone side hustle, skipping class, and pondering why 'money' was the first answer you gave to 'what do you want in life?' If you think success is a straight road paved with 24/7 hustle and flawless plans, fair warning—my own story veers wildly off course. Sometimes your biggest career epiphanies hit while you're pretending to work, and sometimes the lessons that matter most come from years of making mistakes, dabbling in the stock market, and, yes, admitting that nobody really knows what they're doing at the start.

When the Hustle is Mostly Pretend: Hard Work versus 'Looking Busy'

Let’s be honest for a second—how much of your workday is real, focused effort? And how much is just, well, looking busy? If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. One of the most surprising career lessons you’ll ever learn is that pretending to work is more universal than anyone admits. Yes, even your boss is probably faking it sometimes.

Why Everyone Fakes It at Work—Yes, Even Your Boss

Picture this: you’re sitting in a meeting, eyes glued to your laptop, fingers tapping away, but your mind is somewhere else entirely. Maybe you’re thinking about dinner, or that show you want to binge. Now, imagine your boss across the table, looking equally absorbed. Here’s the twist—there’s a good chance they’re pretending too. In fact, research shows there’s no direct correlation between time spent working and actual career outcomes in many modern industries. White-collar productivity is often more about the performance of work than the work itself.

The Meeting Room Confession Nobody Tells You About

There was a moment in my own journey that changed how I saw hard work versus results. A few years ago, I sat in a meeting with my management team—my brother, my CEO, and a handful of senior folks. Out of nowhere, I admitted, “I’m pretending to work in this meeting because I think you’re all working. I feel insecure that you’re being productive and I’m not.” My brother, sitting right next to me, just laughed and said, “I’m doing the exact same thing.”

We went around the table. Every single person—each one a leader—confessed to faking it at times. It was almost funny. The higher up you go, the easier it is to admit this open secret. But here’s the catch: while leadership might laugh about it, the rest of the organization rarely feels safe enough to say it out loud.

Reframing Hard Work: Effort versus Effectiveness

So, what’s the lesson here? In many white-collar and affluent circles, work hours often don’t align with output. For every four hours you spend at your desk, maybe three are just for show. It’s not laziness—it’s the system. Capitalism rewards a lot more than just total hours worked. Sometimes it’s about being in the right room, saying the right thing, or simply being seen. Measuring success by hours logged is a broken metric.

I started my first job at 17, working night shifts in a call center from 5 PM to 2 AM for a salary of 8,000 rupees. Back then, every minute felt like it counted. But as my career evolved, I realized that measuring success isn’t about clocking in the most hours—it’s about the value you actually contribute. And sometimes, less work means you’re more thoughtful, happier, and ultimately more effective.

Measuring Productivity When Pretending Might Be Part of the Job

So how do you measure work-life balance or productivity when pretending is baked into the culture? Maybe it’s time to focus less on the hustle and more on the outcome. Ask yourself: are you adding real value, or just performing the role of a hard worker?

Hard work is a great excuse for our mind when the ego comes attacking, asking why you didn't make it.

It’s a tough truth, but a freeing one. The next time you catch yourself faking it, remember: you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re failing. It just means you’re human, navigating a system that sometimes values the appearance of effort over the results that really matter.

Contradictions & Moral Mazes: Why There’s No One Right Way to Succeed

Let’s be honest: you’ve probably spent a lot of time searching for the “right” way to do things. Maybe you’ve read all the books, listened to the podcasts, and tried to follow the rules that society, your family, or even your industry have handed down. But here’s the twist—life contradictions are everywhere, and the more you chase a single, clear answer, the more you realize how slippery those answers can be. Success ambiguity isn’t a flaw in the system; it’s the system itself.

Think about it. Society loves to hand out rules. There’s a right and a wrong, or so we’re told. But as you move through your career and personal growth journey, you start to notice that those rules don’t always fit your lived reality. What’s “right” in one context can feel totally wrong in another. The world isn’t black or white. Most of the time, it’s a messy, unpredictable shade of grey.

Society’s Rules vs. Your Lived Reality

From the time you’re a kid, you’re taught to color inside the lines. School, religion, even politics—they all push you to be a “good robot,” to follow the script. But as you grow, you realize that real life doesn’t fit into neat boxes. The moral decisions you face at work, in relationships, or even just walking down the street, rarely come with a clear label. Research shows that the most important choices you’ll ever make live in that grey area. Striving for rigid certainty can actually stunt your personal growth, because it keeps you from seeing the bigger, messier picture.

Making Peace with Contradiction

Here’s something personal: I recently got a tattoo on my arm that reads, “don’t do unto others as you wouldn’t have others do unto you.” It’s not just a phrase—it’s a compass. My own little rule for navigating the moral mazes that pop up every day. It’s simple, but it reminds me that my sense of right and wrong doesn’t have to match everyone else’s. It’s about making peace with contradiction, not fighting it.

The key is not to figure out the contradiction... but somehow to make peace with that contradiction and to be able to live with it, to accept it.

That’s the real trick. You don’t have to solve every contradiction. You don’t have to find the “perfect” answer. Instead, you learn to live with the ambiguity, to accept that sometimes you’ll make decisions that don’t fit anyone’s rulebook—not even your own, sometimes. And that’s okay.

Living in the Grey

So, what does it look like to live in the grey? It means you stop obsessing over whether you’re doing it “right.” You start asking better questions: What feels true to me, right now? What’s the kindest choice, even if it’s not the most logical? How do I balance my own needs with the needs of others?

• Let go of the need for black-and-white answers.
• Trust that your personal growth will come from wrestling with ambiguity, not escaping it.
• Remember that every moral decision is a chance to define your own path, not just follow someone else’s.

Success ambiguity isn’t a dead end—it’s an invitation. When you accept that life contradictions are part of the journey, you open yourself up to a deeper, more authentic kind of personal growth. You stop searching for the “one right way” and start building a life that’s true to you, contradictions and all.

From Anxiety to Action: Channeling Worry into Something Useful

Let’s be honest: dealing with anxiety isn’t just a phase you outgrow or a hurdle you leap over once and for all. For many of us, anxiety is a constant companion. But here’s a twist you might not expect—what if anxiety isn’t always your enemy? What if, instead of fighting it, you could use anxiety productively, turning that restless energy into fuel for personal growth?

Think about it. We live in a world that practically manufactures anxiety. Our education system nudges us to think alike. Mass media keeps us fearing the same things. Advertising tells us what to want, and social media? Well, it’s a playground for conformity, where stepping out of line can get you shamed in seconds. All these forces push us to repress our real thoughts, and that bottled-up tension? It morphs into anxiety.

You might recognize this in yourself—maybe you grew up feeling insecure or anxious, always second-guessing your instincts. Maybe you still do. The truth is, you’re not alone. The problem with anxiety isn’t the feeling itself. It’s what you do with it. When anxiety leads to inaction, that’s when it becomes a trap. But if you can channel that nervous energy into something—anything—suddenly, you’re moving forward instead of freezing in place.

Why Anxiety Isn’t Always Your Enemy

It’s easy to see anxiety as a sign of weakness or failure, but research shows that channeling anxiety into action is actually healthier and more productive than trying to eliminate it altogether. Anxiety, in small doses, is a signal. It tells you something needs attention. The trick is not to let it paralyze you. Instead, let it push you to act.

As long as anxiety is leading us into action, I think it's a super tool to use in the real world of capitalism that you're walking into.

That’s not just a catchy phrase—it’s a mindset shift. Instead of seeing anxiety as a roadblock, you can see it as a tool for personal growth. The key is actionable habits. When you feel anxious, don’t just sit with it. Move. Do something. Anything.

Turning Nerves into Productive Habits

Everyone’s “action” looks different. For some, it’s hitting the gym and letting the sweat wash away the nerves. For others, it’s coding—getting lost in the logic and rhythm of building something new. For the speaker, reading is the go-to hack. When anxiety creeps in, picking up a book (any book, really) becomes a way to channel that energy into learning, distraction, or even just a moment of calm.

• Try reading when your mind spirals—fiction, non-fiction, even a magazine article can help.
• Physical activity, like a brisk walk or a workout, can transform anxious energy into endorphins.
• Creative outlets—writing, drawing, coding—give your mind a task to focus on, breaking the cycle of worry.

Stagnation Is Worse Than Nerves—Move, Don’t Freeze

Here’s the bottom line: stagnation is the real enemy. When you freeze, anxiety festers. But when you move—when you take any step, no matter how small—you start to reclaim control. Using anxiety productively isn’t about erasing it; it’s about transmuting it into something useful. Action, even imperfect action, is the antidote to worry.

So next time anxiety knocks, don’t just sit there. Pick up a book, lace up your sneakers, open a blank document—do something. That’s how you turn anxiety into your own super tool for personal growth.

The Changing Game: Embracing Hypocrisy and the Joys (and Limits) of Capitalist Success

Let’s be honest—measuring success in today’s world often feels like trying to hit a moving target. You might have grown up thinking that ambition, status, and the relentless chase for more were the only ways to “win.” Maybe you’ve even dreamed of those Ivy League names—Columbia, Yale—believing they’re the ultimate badges of achievement. But here’s the twist: what if the real game isn’t about winning at all?

It’s Okay to Change Your Mind (Seriously)

You’ve probably heard people throw around the word “hypocrisy” like it’s a dirty secret. But what if changing your mind is actually a sign of growth? As you gather new experiences and data, your perspective shifts. That’s not failure—it’s learning. In fact, embracing a growth mindset means letting go of old beliefs when they no longer serve you. It’s not about being inconsistent; it’s about being honest with yourself as you evolve.

Capitalism Reflections: There’s No Final Boss

Here’s a hard truth: you’ll never “win” at capitalism. There’s always someone with a bigger house, a fancier job title, or a more impressive resume. If you measure your life by this single, capitalistic yardstick, you’re setting yourself up for endless comparison and, frankly, disappointment. Research shows that measuring success solely by external achievements leads to chronic dissatisfaction. The pursuit never ends—there’s always another summit, another rival, another “next big thing.”

The key here might be not to win the game of capitalism, but to play and have a lot of fun while you're playing.

So, what if you stopped trying to win and started enjoying the game instead? That’s where the real magic happens. It’s about finding moments of joy and connection in the middle of the hustle. It’s about laughing at your own ambition and letting yourself off the hook when you don’t measure up to someone else’s highlight reel.

Gratitude in Daily Life: The Real Scoreboard

Let’s talk about gratitude. Not the fluffy, Instagrammable kind, but the real, gritty, everyday kind. Maybe you spend ten days a month in Goa just to breathe and reset. Maybe you wake up in Mumbai, thankful for your brother’s recovery after a stroke, or for your sister-in-law’s clean bill of health. Maybe you find yourself missing a loved one who passed away, but grateful they found peace. Or maybe, on a tough day, it’s the wagging tails of your dogs, Chase and Grace, that remind you what really matters.

• Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good add-on—it’s a practice. It’s the antidote to endless ambition.
• Family, health, and even pets can be more meaningful than any job title or college acceptance letter.
• Research indicates that gratitude in daily life boosts well-being and helps you appreciate the journey, not just the destination.

Redefining Success, One Day at a Time

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to choose between ambition and joy. You can chase big dreams and still pause to appreciate the small wins. You can aim for Columbia or Yale, but also measure your life by the laughter you share, the connections you build, and the gratitude you feel each morning. That’s the real secret to measuring success—and it’s a game worth playing, even if you never “win.”

Wild Card Wisdom: Trading, Tactics, and Stumbling Into a Career

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stumble into a career rather than plan every step, you’re not alone. Let’s rewind to a time when formal education wasn’t the only ticket to success. Imagine being fifteen, not in a classroom, but out in your neighborhood, selling cell phones to anyone who’d listen. That’s where this trading story begins—not with a business plan, but with a bit of hustle, a dash of curiosity, and a willingness to try something new.

By seventeen, the hustle had shifted from phones to a full-time call center job in Bangalore. Back then, the city was greener, quieter, and the roads weren’t choked with traffic. The job wasn’t glamorous—selling accidental health insurance to strangers on the other side of the world—but it paid just enough and, more importantly, left the mornings free. That’s when the real adventure started: the world of stock trading.

Trading as a teenager is a wild ride. There’s the thrill of your first win, the chaos of your first loss, and—if you’re lucky—a bit of beginner’s luck to keep you hooked. But here’s the thing: the stock market isn’t just about numbers and charts. It’s a lot like a relationship. At first, everything feels exciting and new. You think you’ve found the secret. Then, inevitably, things get bumpy. The market turns, your luck runs out, and you’re left wondering if you should have just stuck to selling phones. But if you stick with it, if you weather the tough patches, things can settle into a kind of equilibrium. You learn. You adapt. You grow.

For aspiring traders, these stories aren’t just entertaining—they’re a reminder that every career choice is a mix of strategy, luck, and a willingness to keep going when things get hard. Research shows that early experimentation—trying out different jobs, taking risks, and learning by doing—can matter more than following a perfectly planned path. It’s the unexpected detours that often lead to the most interesting destinations.

But here’s a lesson that’s even more important than any trading tactic: who you surround yourself with matters more than you think. The people you meet, the friends you make, the mentors you find—these are the real game-changers. As one trader put it,

Who you surround yourself with, whichever college you go to, I feel like that will have the most disproportionate impact on life compared to anything else you might have voluntarily chosen to do.

After twenty-one years of trading, investing, and managing financial services, one thing stands out: the journey is never really over. Even on holiday, the market calls—reminding you that passion and curiosity don’t take days off. If you’re thinking about your own career choices, remember that it’s okay to stumble, to experiment, and to lean on the people around you. Sometimes, the best trading stories—the ones that really stick—are the ones you never planned to write.

So, whether you’re just starting out or already deep into your own wild card adventure, keep your eyes open for opportunity, stay curious, and never underestimate the power of a good support system. That’s the real wisdom behind every unconventional career.

TL;DR: Success means more than climbing a single ladder. Take risks, accept contradictions, harness anxiety, and never measure life by one yardstick alone. Have fun, find your crew, and thank your dogs (or whatever brings you joy) often.