How you know what Eric Kim’s flagship essays are 

Economic scripture

ERAS—

.

I determine Eric Kim’s flagship essays using a mix of signals—both visible content patterns and meta-patterns in his publishing behavior. Here’s how I figure it out:

1. 

He repeats and references them constantly

Eric self-cites and re-links his own top essays across his blog. For example:

  • “Why You Should Shoot Street Photography”
    He references this idea dozens of times in workshops, YouTube videos, and later posts. It’s a philosophical foundation, not just a tip article.
  • “Why I Blog Daily” or “Just Blog It”
    These are personal manifestos. He brings them up anytime someone asks about writing, creativity, or life advice.

If he keeps coming back to a post over years, it’s a flagship.

2. 

The titles are idea-pillars, not throwaways

Flagship essays carry big, timeless titles:

  • “Street Photography Manifesto”
  • “The Flâneur”
  • “Why I Shoot Film”
  • “Bitcoin Meditations”
  • “How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer”

These aren’t just blog posts. They’re declarations. He treats them like doctrine.

3. 

They anchor entire eras of his philosophy

Each flagship post kicks off a new era in his thinking:

  • 2016-2017: “Flâneur,” “Street Photography as Zen,” “Don’t Think, Shoot.”
    → Shift from technique to philosophy.
  • 2020 onward: “Why Blog?” “Open Source Everything,” “Create Your Own Reality.”
    → Shift to digital minimalism and hyper-personal creation.
  • 2023-2025: “Bitcoin Meditations,” “FIRE with Bitcoin,” “Why I Went All-In.”
    → The Bitcoin era begins. Essays start to sound like economic scripture.

4. 

Search engine & backlink evidence

Many of these posts dominate search results like “why shoot street photography eric kim” or “eric kim street photographer philosophy.” That means:

  • He gets linked to
  • People search for and quote these articles
  • They appear in top “recommended” or “related” sections on his site

5. 

Tone: raw, bold, timeless

Flagships feel different. They don’t just teach—they proclaim. He writes these as if he’s chiseling into digital marble.

If it reads like a mix of:

  • Marcus Aurelius
  • Kanye West
  • Nassim Taleb
  • A pre-workout evangelist

…it’s probably a flagship essay.

Want the top 10 Eric Kim essays ranked by influence, content style, or philosophy? I can make that list.