The 4-Hour Work Week For Entrepreneurs… Really?

Is it possible to work only four 4 hours a week and still running a successful business?

A complete life makeover for the better: working less, still be making enough money, and staying more productive?

That’s what Tim Ferriss’ book “The 4-Hour Week” is about! That desired lifestyle which the author tested himself and shared with readers.

Let’s figure out whether the book is really helpful for founders.

In his book, author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss describes how he made it from 14-hour days to a 4-hour week.

At first sight, it merely sounds too good to be true, even despite his practical tips and examples throughout the book.

Tim Ferriss tells his own story and many other so-called “New Rich” people. For this small group of people, wealth does not mean having a lot of money, but a lot of free time and mobility.

For them, money is just a tool to make their free time as attractive as possible and fulfill various desires.

Money alone is not the solution, but relative income is more important than absolute income. Relative income measures both time and money.

A person working 10 hours a week and making $10,000 is richer than someone working 80 hours a week and making $100,000.

Tim Ferriss defines the life path of the New Rich in four steps:

D for Definition — Define your goals and what you need to achieve them.

E for Eliminate — Eliminate everything unnecessary from your life.

A for Automation — Go on autopilot and outsource as many tasks as possible.

L for Liberation — Become independent of a 9–5 job and enjoy regular mini-retirements as a “new rich person” where you make your dreams come true.

This DEAL formula is specifically aimed at entrepreneurs, hustlers, makers, and freelancers. People who have built up their own business and now want to retire bit by bit.

Additionally, you can find that the author also firmly believes that even employees can live the 4-hour week. However, he recommends them to swap the last two points and turn DEAL into DELA.

Besides the tips and examples already mentioned, there are small practice exercises to help you understand and adopt the “New Rich” way of thinking and living, as well as a Q&A section at the end of each chapter.

Does the 4-Hour Workweek Methodology Work For Startup Founders and Entrepreneurs?

This book is like the Bible for most of them!

In the beginning, I should admit that I approached reading the book with a lot of skepticism.

Is it real, indeed? Working only four hours a week as an entrepreneur, as a founder? How is that supposed to work if you are in charge of lots of things at the same time?

You surely know that entrepreneurs are absolutely consumed by their business if you think about it. So during the reading, the author is trying to convince entrepreneurs that there’s a better way to live: work less and make more money.

The answer has been found in the first chapter: “FAQ for Doubters.”

Tim Ferriss clearly emphasized that your job or your business should be entertaining work for you first.

Moreover, the author simply packaged a complex entrepreneurial process in more compelling and straightforward language, making it even more understandable to the reader. So, it’s not definitely a “dry” nonfiction book.

We all understand that building up a business quickly in 4 hours a week is rarely possible… a profitable and automated one…

Nevertheless, most of the entrepreneurship tips described are only useful once the company is established and a certain routine has set in.

Still, the book offers numerous suggestions and inspiring food for thought that are also interesting for founders in the startup phase, like:

• Why should you start your day by working on your emails?
• What happens if you outsource not only tasks but also responsibilities to others?
• Who actually said that life is hard and that you have to fight for success every day?

As for me, I found that facing your fears to make better decisions is a fascinating technique:

It’s advocating a lean approach to building business and resonates with the Lean Startup approach but applied to non-tech business, which is interesting.

Also, Tim briefly advocates a “choice-minimal” lifestyle:

“Fast decisions preserve usable attention for what matters.”

I have this problem with choice anxiety–I must choose the best option!

However, I’ve been noticing, which is a big problem for me because I’m spending too much time focusing on minor decisions when there is a better use of it.

I changed my daily lifestyle thanks to the low-information diet provided by the author. Its concept is to limit unnecessary information intake to free up time and brainpower to be more productive. In his words:

Sometimes, you need to go on a low-information diet. Just as modern man consumes both too many calories and calories of no nutritional value, information workers eat data both in excess and from the wrong sources.

These words have affected my mind too much. Now I’m immune to noise and distractions online.

I stopped phubbing and created a distraction-blocking mindset: I start checking social media approximately 2 times per day — in the morning and before sleep.

I stopped reading about hyped, political topics deeply and set limits on the information I process. It’s enough for me to get just a quick overview of it from different sources to understand what happens globally today.

I stopped overworking myself and building a career. Yes, I chose a different path that brought me outstanding results: my life quality is much better. Now I’m a business owner and individual investor.

So when I sit on the laptop to work, I work; and that unnecessary information noise — not helpful for my goals — no longer distracts me from my work.

I still doubt that any business can really be modified by requiring only 4 hours a week to bring significant returns. But I strongly agree with some of the principles in this book, especially the Pareto principle and Parkinson’s law, which can make your approach much more efficient.

“The 4 Hour Week” by Tim Ferriss is, of course, not a miracle cure that will give you a relaxed life (and the pocket money you need) overnight.

This book does not teach you how to be a millionaire. Instead, it does teach that wealth isn’t all about money. It’s about creating time to do the things you love, for example, your small business or side hustle.

This is the “New Rich” in 2021: embracing good stress instead of avoiding stress altogether.

It’s about everyday people who are getting out of their comfort zones to enjoy life now at the moment, rather than waiting until the end of their days.

“Those who abandon the deferred-life plan and create luxury lifestyles in the present using the currency of the New Rich: time and mobility.”

While it would help to have millions and billions, often people are trapped in this rut of wanting more and pushing off “living in the moment” until we believe we have enough. And you guessed it, that day of having enough never comes (unless you have a mindset shift).

I like Tim Ferris more than most self-help gurus. He didn’t just inherit a lot of money while making a career telling aspiring people to work harder. He’s emphasizes working smarter instead.

This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions.

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