
"Time is Money": How Ben Franklin's Sayings Created American Capitalism and Grind Culture
From Business History by Pushkin Industries
June 3, 2026 · 44 min · Season 1 · Episode 29
About this episode
The episode explores Benjamin Franklin's influence on American capitalism and grind culture through his writings on work and wealth.
Benjamin Franklin had a full life - he was a scientist, statesman, and a Founding Father. But we're looking at the huge impact he had as a writer of best-selling business books. Franklin first picked up the pen as a poor, downtrodden teenager to write satire, but as he became richer and more successful he instead shared his entrepreneurial insights with the public. His sayings about time-wasting, thrift and the rewards of hard work were revolutionary. And both his admirers and critics claim his writings caused a profound global shift in how we think about work and wealth. Write to us at businesshistory@pushkin.fm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Pushkin Industries
Topics covered
- American capitalism
- Grind culture
- Benjamin Franklin
- Entrepreneurial insights
- Work and wealth
Keywords
- Benjamin Franklin
- capitalism
- grind culture
- entrepreneurship
- business books
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