Want to be your own boss? Forget the side hustle—just do it
Young workers today quite clearly want to be their own boss. New research reveals that nearly 60% of Gen Z are running a side hustle right now—they’re reselling sneakers, content creating, and running drop-shipping companies. Another study echoes that half of the 18- to 35-year-olds who’ve started a side gig (or plan to) say their primary motivation is ditching their employer and becoming one instead.
From Apple to Instagram, some of the world’s biggest companies started as scrappy side hustles built in basements, garages, or during lunch breaks.
But for those who want to turn that dream into reality, entrepreneurs have consistently told me, a side hustle will only take you so far. At some point, you’ll need to quit your nine-to-five and bet everything on yourself—an all-in gamble that’s easiest when you’re young and relatively responsibility-free.
These founders took the plunge early in their careers, ditched their plan B day job, and never looked back:
Jonathan Recanati was earning $100,000 a year at Deutsche Bank when he suddenly quit to launch Farmer J, a healthy fast-food chain. “Most of the people I spoke to told me not to do it,” he told Fortune. But after looking around at senior bankers, he knew: “I don’t want to be you.” Just like that, Recanati walked out, pitched his vision to investors, and launched Farmer J just one month later. “The biggest sacrifice is you go from the safety net of a big bank to nothing,” Recanati said. But now, he’s running 15 hot spots feeding hungry Londoners and celebrity fans alike—from Dua Lipa to Jamie Dornan—while gearing up to make his Manhattan debut this year.
Before finding fame as Paris Hilton’s husband, Carter Reum quit his cushy job at Goldman Sachs to cofound VEEV Spirits. For Reum, banking was just “a two-year training ground” to learn the ropes and build a network. When the time was up, he left the lucrative career path to bet on entrepreneurship. As he told Fortune, it was a win-win move—if the startup flopped, he’d have the experience and connections to jump back into the corporate world, but if it succeeded, he’d be building his own legacy.
Julia Hartz quit a career in Hollywood working on hit TV shows like Friends to launch Eventbrite. She told Fortune that despite seeing other entrepreneurs juggling their nine-to-five while working on their passion project, she opted not to do that. Instead, she wiped her slate clean and even moved homes to tech founder’s paradise, Silicon Valley, to launch her startup. Eventbrite is now estimated to be worth $225 million.
Too Good To Go CEO Mette Lykke left her consulting job with no big idea or plan—just a drive to become an entrepreneur. Eventually, she came up with Endomondo, a fitness app that she eventually sold to Under Armour for $85 million in 2015. But Lykke told Fortune that too many “aspiring entrepreneurs are just sitting there in their corporate jobs waiting for that lightning moment.” With no plan B to fall back on, she said, “You’ll come up with something—because you have to.”
Her advice? Take that leap of faith while you’re young, childless, and mortgage-free. “The worst thing that can happen is that it’s not going to work out, you’re going to lose whatever money you invested, and you’re going to go a couple of months without any employment.”
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Success Associate Editor, Fortune
Got a career tip or dilemma? Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com You can also find me on Linkedin: @oriannarosa
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CRO-track SaaS and AI leader | Partner GTM, co-sell, ISV attach | Nine-figure portfolio impact | SaaS and Cloud growth | Scaling partner-sourced revenue across APAC and global markets
1moGreat read, Orianna! Loved the reminder that side hustles spark ideas, but at some point, it takes that all-in leap. And Jonathan’s story really shows what conviction can do. 🙌
Personal Branding Strategist & Ghostwriter for B2B Tech CEOs & Founders | Crafting Authority-Building LinkedIn Content & Thought Leadership Articles & Posts.
1mo"This desire isn't just about rebellion or a rejection of authority; it's a fundamental shift in how we define security. Previous generations found safety in stability—a pension, a single company, a defined path. For many young people today, that model feels broken. Being your own boss isn't just a pursuit of freedom; it's a strategy for building resilient security. It's the control over one's time, income, and purpose in a world that feels economically volatile. They're not just choosing a different career path; they're architecting their own safety net."
Everybody has to start somewhere! So fascinating that young entrepreneurs are experimenting, building, and learning by doing. That experience is priceless, even if the first idea isn’t the one that scales.
Chief Executive Officer @ Company | Management, Leadership, Public Speaking
2moGOD
Associ One as as far as for my American Express. ate Women international American Express internationalFACE COMES FIRSRForbes international LinkedIn prime all the members .JOEL KATZ “Miss you very much
2moAll it takes is No Fear. I was my own boss. I were 15 years old. And at 60? still I am. To be a good boss and successful company. You should surround yourself. With smart. Workers. And CFO. That's how you grow. That's how you make smart decisions.