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The Motivation Paradox: Why People Want to Work, and Why They Don't Research & Insights | People spend a large part of their lives working. For some, a career is a way to build financial security. Others want to create something of their own, develop new skills, or become good at something that few people can do. But not everyone sees work the same way. Some people actively look for new challenges, while others do everything they can to avoid taking on more responsibility. Even within the same company, two people with similar skills and salaries can have completely different attitudes toward their jobs. What explains the difference? And why do some people remain ambitious for years while others gradually lose interest in what they do? Money still matters It's difficult to talk about work motivation without talking about money. A salary determines what people can afford, where they can live, and how much independence they have. For many, earning enough to feel financially secure is the main reason to work in the first place. Yet a paycheck doesn't necessarily make someone enjoy their job. A December 2024 Pew Research Center survey found that 30% of US workers were extremely or very satisfied with their pay. By comparison, 64% expressed high satisfaction with their relationships with coworkers. The difference is worth looking at. People can spend years searching for better salaries and career opportunities while getting much of their day-to-day satisfaction from the people they work with. Compensation is still important, especially when living costs are high or financial security is uncertain. But once basic needs are covered, other factors can become more important. The quality of the working environment, the ability to make decisions, and the opportunity to learn can all influence whether someone wants to stay. What younger workers are looking for There is a common perception that younger generations are less interested in traditional careers. They are often described as unwilling to work hard, reluctant to commit, or too focused on work-life balance. Research paints a more complicated picture. Deloitte's 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which included 23,482 respondents across 44 countries, found that 89% of Gen Z respondents and 92% of millennials considered a sense of purpose important to their job satisfaction and well-being. Only 6% said reaching a leadership position was their primary career goal. This doesn't necessarily mean younger people lack ambition. It may mean they have different ideas about what a successful career looks like. Some want to manage large teams. Others would rather become experts in their fields, build products, work independently, or have enough financial freedom to choose how they spend their time. In technology and crypto, this difference is particularly visible. A developer might care more about shipping a successful product than getting a management title. Someone working in research might prefer solving difficult problems to managing a team. An early employee might be motivated by ownership and the possibility of building something that eventually becomes much bigger. These people can be highly ambitious without being interested in the traditional corporate career path. Why people stop caring about their jobs People rarely lose motivation for just one reason. Sometimes the salary is too low. Sometimes the work becomes repetitive. In other cases, people feel that their effort isn't leading anywhere. Imagine working hard on a project for several months, only to receive the same compensation, the same responsibilities, and very little recognition. After a while, it becomes difficult to see why putting in additional effort is worthwhile. The same thing happens when people have no clear idea of what they're working toward. If there is no opportunity to learn, progress, or take on more meaningful responsibilities, a job can start to feel like an endless repetition of the same tasks. Management also plays a role. Constant supervision, unclear expectations, and a lack of trust can make even interesting work frustrating. People may still complete their assignments, but they become less likely to take initiative or go beyond what is expected. Deloitte's 2025 survey found that 40% of Gen Z respondents and 34% of millennials felt stressed or anxious all or most of the time. These figures don't establish that work was the cause, but they illustrate the broader well-being challenges facing many younger adults. It's easy to interpret disengagement as laziness. Sometimes it is simply a sign that something about the job isn't working. The difference between working hard and wanting to work hard Two people can put in the same number of hours and have very different reasons for doing so. One might stay late because they are afraid of disappointing their manager. Another might do the same because they genuinely enjoy solving a difficult problem and want to see their project succeed. From the outside, their behavior looks identical. Their experience is not. This distinction is particularly relevant for startups. Early-stage teams often work with limited resources, uncertain timelines, and problems that don't have obvious solutions. People need to be willing to take responsibility and deal with setbacks. A salary alone may not be enough to keep someone engaged in that environment. They might also need to believe in the product, trust the people around them, or feel that their contribution makes a real difference. That doesn't mean startups should expect employees to work endlessly for the sake of a mission. Long hours and constant pressure can eventually wear down even the most enthusiastic people. It means that people are often more willing to put in serious effort when they understand what they're building and have some ownership over the outcome. Purpose is personal Companies increasingly talk about purpose, but the word can mean very different things to different people. For one person, meaningful work might involve building technology that changes an industry. For another, it might mean earning enough to support their family or having the flexibility to pursue interests outside work. Neither motivation is inherently better than the other. Deloitte's 2025 survey found that 44% of Gen Z respondents and 45% of millennials had left a role they felt lacked purpose. This suggests that the meaning people attach to their work can influence their decisions about where to stay. However, purpose alone doesn't solve everything. A compelling mission cannot indefinitely compensate for poor management, unfair pay, or a lack of opportunities. People need to understand why their work matters, but they also need to feel that the arrangement works for them. For founders, this means being honest about what a company is trying to achieve and giving employees a clear understanding of how their work contributes to it. A meaningful mission is much more convincing when people can see the results of their efforts. Why some people choose the hardest path Some people deliberately choose uncertainty. They start businesses, join early-stage startups, or spend years developing skills that may not produce immediate rewards. Why would anyone choose a difficult path when a more predictable job is available? Often, the answer comes down to independence and the possibility of creating something of their own. Building a company can be exhausting, but it also gives people a level of control they might not find elsewhere. They can make decisions, test their ideas, and potentially benefit from the value they create. The same applies to people who become deeply involved in research, engineering, or other specialized fields. The work can be demanding because the problems are difficult, but that difficulty is part of what makes the experience rewarding. Of course, not everyone wants this kind of life. Some people prefer stability, clear expectations, and a reliable income. Others are willing to accept more risk in exchange for greater independence. Understanding that difference is important. The person who prefers a stable role isn't necessarily less ambitious, just as the person who starts a company isn't automatically more motivated. They may simply value different things. What this means for startups For founders, understanding motivation is useful when hiring people, building teams, and deciding how to manage them. A talented person might be looking for financial growth, while another cares more about learning or autonomy. Some want clear career progression. Others want the freedom to take responsibility for an entire project. Assuming everyone wants the same things can lead to unnecessary problems. There are a few practical lessons worth considering. Give people a reason to care about the outcome. Employees are more likely to take ownership when they understand what they're building and why it matters. Make progress visible. People need to know whether they're improving, what success looks like, and what opportunities might follow from their work. Allow room for independent thinking. Clear goals are important, but constantly controlling how every task is completed can discourage initiative. Take professional development seriously. Challenging projects, mentorship, and the chance to develop valuable skills can give people a reason to stay. Pay attention to the working environment. Poor communication, unnecessary pressure, and a lack of trust can undermine motivation regardless of how interesting the product is. For investors, these questions are relevant because a startup's performance depends heavily on the people building it. The ability to attract and retain talented individuals doesn't guarantee success, but a team that understands what motivates its members is better equipped to work through uncertainty and difficult periods. So, do people actually want to work? The answer depends on what work offers them. People want money, independence, opportunities, and a sense that their time is being used well. They want to improve their circumstances and, in many cases, build something they can be proud of. What they don't necessarily want is to spend years doing work that feels pointless, offers no room for growth, or leaves them with little control over their lives. This helps explain why someone might dislike a conventional job but happily spend twelve hours working on a personal project. The effort itself isn't always the deciding factor. The difference is what that effort means to the person doing it. As technology changes the way companies operate and AI takes over more routine tasks, understanding human motivation will become even more important. Skills and productivity matter, but so does knowing what makes people choose to commit their time and energy to a particular goal. For founders, the challenge is not simply finding people who are willing to work hard. It's understanding what makes the work worth doing for them. That is often where genuine commitment begins. Sources: Deloitte, 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. deloitte.com/us/en/insights/… Pew Research Center, Americans' Job Satisfaction in 2024, December 10, 2024. pewresearch.org/social-trend…

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