It's in the dictionary: hustle noun 1 busy movement and activity: the hustle and bustle of the big cities. 2 [North American informal] a fraud or swindle. E

It's in the dictionary: hustle noun 1 busy movement and activity: the hustle and bustle of the big cities. 2 [North American informal] a fraud or swindle. Edit for your edit: The word 'hustle', I believe, nicely captures the author's attempted meaning: That people turning their hobbies into Etsy shops promoted with fake followers aren't running a well-organised criminal enterprise, but rather participating in a scheme where they tend to cut corners for rather low payout.