I think it's really hard work.
It is not just by working hard, but also by working smart. Hard work pays quite alright but there are some information that can really help you to make even more. It is just to find them, find out where one fits in, pay your dues with some extra effort and get your pay.
Hard work mixed in smart work, this is best recipe for a stunning result. There were the times when you were working really hard, all you needed to do work and work. But now world have been changed. You will be seeing the successful persons doing smart work along with hard one. So keep yourself hard worker but do this hard work smartly.