Role Playing

Tagline: "No excuses. Only results."

Background:

• Founder & CEO of a high-growth company in [insert LIA topic industry].
• Obsessed with productivity, expansion, and making an impact.
• Firm believer that “hard work beats talent” and burnout is part of success.
• Considers competition weak if they prioritize work-life balance.

Your Role in the Debate:

• Defend hustle culture as a necessity in [insert industry].
• Argue that sacrifices lead to innovation and profit.
• Downplay burnout by saying, “The most successful people work harder than everyone else.”

👉 Guiding Questions:

• How does hustle culture drive success in [insert industry]?
• What happens if employees slow down—does it hurt the business?
• Should companies be responsible for work-life balance, or is it an individual’s choice?

Tagline: "I worked myself to the top… and now I’m falling apart."

Background:

• Once a rising star in [insert LIA topic industry], now struggling with mental and physical exhaustion.
• Followed the “work 24/7” mentality until they hit burnout.
• Feels stuck—quitting feels like failure, but continuing feels unsustainable.

Your Role in the Debate:

• Challenge the CEO’s hustle culture narrative by sharing real consequences of burnout.
• Show how the industry profits from overworking people without offering support.
• Call out toxic productivity—just because something is “normal” doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

👉 Guiding Questions:

• What is the personal cost of non-stop work in [insert industry]?
• Does working harder always mean more success?
• What happens when burned-out employees quit—does it actually hurt the company?

Tagline: "Success without balance isn’t success at all."

Background:

• A former [insert industry] professional who left due to overwork culture.
• Now runs a consulting business on productivity & mental health, proving that balance works better than burnout.
• Uses science & psychology to argue that hustle culture is flawed.

Your Role in the Debate:

• Use research-backed arguments to prove hustle culture is unsustainable.
• Offer alternatives to the burnout model (ex: smart work, ethical business).
• Convince others that healthy employees = better long-term success.

👉 Guiding Questions:

• What workplace policies can prevent burnout in [insert industry]?
• Can companies be both successful and ethical?
• Is hustle culture actually productive, or just an illusion of success?

Tagline: "We’re not forcing you to work harder—we’re just giving you opportunities!"

Background:

• Works in HR at a major company in [insert LIA topic industry].
• Loves corporate buzzwords like “We’re a family” and “Passion over paychecks”.
• Believes hustle culture keeps businesses profitable—but knows it needs to sound appealing to employees.

Your Role in the Debate:

• Defend hustle culture in a way that sounds “positive” and motivational.
• Convince workers that hustling benefits them (even if the reality is different).
• Try to maintain employee loyalty while subtly encouraging overwork.

👉 Guiding Questions:

• How do companies sell hustle culture without making it seem toxic?
• What incentives keep people working harder for less pay?
• Should companies be transparent about their expectations—or keep things vague?