The Fastlane Works (But Not for Everyone)

With side hustles on my mind lately, I’ve been reading some business books, and one that is consistently recommended by business gurus was MJ DeMarco’s “The Millionaire Fastlane”. After a week listening to the audiobook, here are some of my thoughts.

Overall, this is a solid book that explains why achieving financial freedom through a traditional 9-5 job (unless it’s ridiculously high-paying) and index fund investing isn’t realistic for most people. The main issue is time: these strategies require decades of investment, and by the time you reach your goal, you may not have the health to enjoy the money or be around to spend it with loved ones. The book argues that starting your own business is the only real “fastlane” to financial freedom. This message has definitely strengthened my resolve to begin this journey and start a side business.

I won’t dive into the book’s details, plenty of YouTubers have already summarized it, but I do want to address something that bothered me about this book and others in this genre: the tone feels condescending. The author seems unwilling to understand or entertain the idea that people might have valid reasons for not pursuing the “fastlane” to wealth. Perhaps some of this comes from the audiobook narrator, but throughout many chapters, the author discusses the fastlane as if people avoid it simply because they make excuses or lack education about getting rich.

While this is certainly true for some people, there are legitimate reasons why others might not be able to pursue the fastlane, even if they want to. Personal circumstances can be major barriers. Sure, someone working multiple jobs to pay rent might squeeze in time for a side hustle, but I feel it’s a lot harder than the author makes it sound, physically or mentally. I don’t think he fully appreciates this reality.

In fact, I’d argue that those barely surviving on multiple jobs face a uniquely challenging barrier, perhaps even more so than those who’ve hit rock bottom. (I’d also argue that more people are in the former group.) The “rock bottom” group has to make something work and has the time and energy to do so. For them, the downside of not trying is infinite, so any potential upside makes the effort worthwhile. But for people just surviving off their jobs, the downside isn’t infinite, working multiple low-paying jobs isn’t ideal, but they’re making ends meet. The potential downside of pouring time and energy into starting a business becomes tangible and risky.

This is what I feel the author doesn’t fully appreciate, and many business-focused people share the same blind spot. They dismiss these concerns as excuses or lack of willpower rather than recognizing legitimate constraints. The condescending tone risks alienating readers instead of effectively conveying the message.

Another example is the topic of luck. While it’s true that people often make excuses about being unsuccessful due to bad luck or dismiss others’ success as pure luck, I think successful people often downplay how much luck contributed to their achievements. Sure, luck might not be the majority factor, and you do need to position yourself for luck to strike, but the emphasis from successful people is always on “getting to the right place” while glossing over the part where luck actually strikes. They make it sound like being in the right place enough times means luck will eventually strike, but I don’t think that’s quite true.

I’d frame it differently: you have to position yourself where luck can strike, that’s the part you can control, but luck still needs to happen. Successful people were fortunate enough to have luck strike when they were ready for it.

All in all, I’d still recommend this book to people seeking financial freedom, as it shows there’s a path beyond working 30-40 years in a corporate job. But as with any advice, take only the parts that make sense and apply to your situation. Take the rest with a grain of salt.