Entrepreneurship addiction is frequently compared to workaholism, but important differences differentiate the two constructs. Workaholism typically unfolds within structured employment settings, where workers face organizational oversight, job descriptions, and established performance expectations. Workaholics often experience pressure from supervisors, corporate cultures, or economic demands (Andreassen et al., 2016). The risks they encounter—job stress, burnout, and interpersonal strain—are real but generally buffered by the stability of organizational employment.

Entrepreneurs, however, navigate a dramatically different landscape. Their risks are personal, financial, reputational, and often existential. When an entrepreneur becomes compulsively engaged in work, the consequences may include severe financial loss, business collapse, investor fallout, and disrupted family life (Cardon & Patel, 2015). Moreover, entrepreneurial over-engagement is not only socially accepted but often celebrated. Modern “hustle culture” glamorizes sleeplessness, constant productivity, and the idea of sacrificing everything for the dream—making it far harder for entrepreneurs to recognize their behaviors as harmful.

Thus, while both workaholics and addicted entrepreneurs exhibit compulsive work patterns, the entrepreneurial context involves higher stakes, fewer external constraints, and stronger cultural reinforcement. As a result, entrepreneurship addiction can be more intense, more socially invisible, and more damaging.

By Mustafa Tut Brown Jr.