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Should you build a side hustle in 2026?

2026-01-01 · Short · Ali · recording, 1:18 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Business and entrepreneurship · mode: Explanation and tutorial

Ali says whether to build a side hustle in 2026 depends on the goal: for financial freedom a UK doctor needs one, while a lawyer or consultant on track to partner or a highly paid engineer gets there more easily through the job; anyone asking should probably start one anyway.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Should you build a side hustle in 2026? It depends on the goal

  • ★★★ Whether to build a side hustle depends on your goal, Ali says: if it is financial freedom, ask whether your job is an appropriate vehicle; a doctor in the UK kind of needs a side hustle to make more money. — 00:00:00 · work optional
  • ★★★ If your goal is financial freedom and you are a corporate lawyer or management consultant on track to become partner, or a very well-paid software engineer or AI researcher, Ali advises not starting a side hustle: the job gets you there more easily. — 00:00:20 · work optional
  • ★★ Anyone even asking whether to start a side hustle should probably start one anyway, Ali says: it teaches skills, starting your own thing is fun, it can be in a field you are passionate about, and with a stable job it need not make money immediately. — 00:00:35
  • ★★ Ali likens a side hustle to a video game played some evenings and weekends, and says it is often far more interesting than actually playing video games. — 00:00:48

00:00:58 — Spark 2026, a free online summit on 3 and 4 January

Threads in this video

  • refine · Should you start a side hustle, and which one? — Whether to build a side hustle depends on your goal, Ali says: if it is financial freedom, ask whether your job is an appropriate vehicle; a doctor in the UK kind of needs a side hustle to make more money. (00:00:00)
  • refine · How do you reach financial freedom? — If your goal is financial freedom and you are a corporate lawyer or management consultant on track to become partner, or a very well-paid software engineer or AI researcher, Ali advises not starting a side hustle: the job gets you there more easily. (00:00:20)

Mentioned

Central: work optional

Also: Spark

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