I don’t want to work!
Whenever I drop this sentence in conversation, the first reactions are usually a mix of confusion, amusement, and curiosity.
I remember 15 years ago when it was cool to stay late at the office, grinding from morning until night. My friends and I were constantly battling each other, proving our dedication by working longer hours—and, of course, sharing it on Facebook so everyone could admire the hustle. Looking back, I can’t help but ask: What were we thinking? How did overworking become something to be proud of?
Today, my perspective couldn’t be more far away. In fact, this shift in mindset has become my philosophy: I don’t want to work!
I openly share this idea with business partners and my team. Nobody wins a medal for the most worked hours. Instead, we should focus on efficiency, smart tools, and working with purpose. The goal isn’t to stay at your desk for hours—it’s to work efficiently, deliver results, and move forward. If you’re done by 11 AM? Perfect. Go home and enjoy your day! Working smarter and with focus will always be more valuable than just staying late to look busy. After all, personal happiness is the best motivator—far better than a free fruit basket in the office.
But this mindset doesn’t only apply to my daily work routine—it’s something I’ve actively built into my companies. When I say “I don’t want to work,”, I don’t mean I refuse to do anything. It means I want to design my businesses in a way that enables talent, builds trust in my team, and allows mistakes and learning to operate without me needing to control every detail.
I’m also a huge fan of tools, automation, and AI (especially GenAI), as well as well-structured workflows and processes. It’s more than just “nice to have”—they save an incredible amount of time.
Since I’ve always been involved in multiple ventures at the same time, this approach is a great way to keep the balance. It allows me to zoom out, focus on strategy, work in a way that’s more effective, calm, and sustainable, and simply have more time for the things I really want to do.
At the end of the day, “I don’t want to work” isn’t a literal statement—it’s a north star, guiding how I approach work.
