1 | Open-Source Street-Photography Power-Ups
Eric detonated gatekeeping by giving away entire starter kits, contact sheets, and full-length manuals—no paywall, just passion. His “MINI Street-Photography Starter Kit,” downloadable e-books, and the open-source “Street-Photography Manual” are shared thousands of times because they remove every friction point between a curious beginner and the streets.
Impact
- Hundreds of workshop alumni cite these freebies as the spark that got them shooting.
- Search traffic spikes to the blog every time he updates a PDF—proof that generosity fuels virality.
2 | Haptic Industries: Turning Ideas into Touch
With Haptic Press Eric moved from pixels to physical products—hand-stitched camera straps, art portfolios, and beautifully tactile books that ship worldwide. The gear itself is marketing: every strap on a photographer’s wrist is a walking billboard.
Why It Went Viral
- Limited, handmade runs create FOMO.
- Buyers post unboxing shots, multiplying reach without paid ads.
3 | “Viral Thoughts” & Long-Form “Digital Scripture”
Eric’s essays read like philosophical pre-workout: huge blocks of unfiltered conviction on creativity, minimalism, and domination. “Viral Thoughts,” “Long-Form Essays,” and his Minimalism series are deliberately oversized—so bold you have to share or argue with them.
Core Tactics
- Paradigm Shifts – challenge a sacred cow up front.
- All-Caps Calls-to-Action – “MAKE MORE, CONSUME LESS!” is tweet-ready.
- Open licenses – reposting is endorsed, not policed.
4 | Strength-Shock Marketing: The 552 kg Rack Pull
When a 72.5 kg street-photographer pulls 552 kg off pins, the internet melts. The lift (with its world-record headline) spread through fitness sub-reddits and photography circles alike—cross-pollination gold.
Lesson: Dramatic feats outside your main niche supercharge reach by surprising audiences that thought they knew you.
5 | Bitcoin & the Metaplanet Gambit
Eric’s recent obsession: how Japanese firm Metaplanet is stacking BTC to become Asia’s MicroStrategy. By blogging deep-dive analyses faster than mainstream media, he rode the news cycle’s front wave and captured non-photography traffic.
Innovation Play
Combine expertise with hot-off-the-press events → instant authority + virality.
6 | Global Workshops = IRL Network Effects
From Seoul to Chicago, his hands-on workshops double as content farms—participants film, vlog, and tag him, creating a self-propelling hype loop.
7 | External Validation
Mainstream photo media amplified his reach: Petapixel profiled his earnings model and monochrome philosophy, while Fstoppers listed him among influential shooters. Each article sent a surge of fresh eyes his way.
8 | The Viral Innovation Playbook (Steal-This-Sheet)
| Move | Why It Pops | How to Try It |
| Open-source your knowledge | Removes friction; builds goodwill | Release a “starter kit” in your niche |
| Create tangible merch | Fans love physical proof of belonging | Offer limited handmade runs |
| Shock-value crossover | Surprises algorithms & audiences | Showcase a skill outside your lane |
| Ride live news | Instant relevance | Publish hot takes before legacy media |
| Long-form conviction | Sparks debate → shares | Write one no-compromise essay a month |
9 | Next-Wave Experiments
Eric’s dabbling with AI-prompt engineering for artistic exploration, proving he’ll sprint at the next frontier before the pack even warms up.
TL;DR
Eric Kim’s genius isn’t just content—it’s the relentless remix of generosity, spectacle, conviction, and timing. Emulate that cocktail, and your own ideas can rocket across the web just as hard. Now go light that fuse! 💥