Pursue entrepreneurship for your own personal and selfish aims:
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What I combat
One of the bad trends in entrepreneurship:
You feel as if you need a massive team, and billions of dollars in funding before you actually do anything or build anything.
Or even a more basic notion:
We no longer believe in solo entrepreneurship — that we as a solo (individual person) can do anything by ourselves.
The purpose of this essay is the following:
To encourage us — we as solo entrepreneurs can do much!
Eagles fly solo
“Philosophers are not made to love one another. Eagles do not fly in company. That is for partridges and starlings. Gliding above with claws is the destiny of geniuses.” – Galiani [via Nietzsche]
Consider– with a laptop and the internet, you are somewhat of a Demi-god. As an individual, you can do insane feats of strength. With blogging, websites, the internet, computer science, etc — you can build massive monuments, just yourself — SOLO!
Why solo?
One of the great things about thinking solo:
All of your successes or failures depend on you.
I wonder —
Perhaps the reason we build companies because the individual is too afraid to take extreme responsibility in their own lives.
If you’re working in a company or with others, you can always blame someone else. If you’re working solo — it all depends on you.
For your personality, do you like having 100% control? Or do you prefer to blame others? Perhaps this is what separates us solo-eagles with partridges (that fly together).
Is solo entrepreneurship a myth?
There is a new trend in which sheepish people try to denigrate the genius of individuals. For example, there was a recent Steve Jobs book in which the (most likely small-souled author) said:
Steve Jobs wasn’t as great as we thought he was — most of his successes should be attributed to others.
Of course this is true. No genius is an island — a genius attributes much of their success to their parents, their upbringing, their environment, their society, random things they were exposed to, and the technology of their times. But still — geniuses are possible. And especially now that we are in the future — I believe we should be directing more energy and effort to breeding more great individuals, instead of trying to create more billion$+ “unicorn” companies.
Perhaps we should strive to create more unicorn billion$+ individuals (the KANYE WEST YEEZY effect).
Where are the visionaries?
In today’s age, we got tons of big companies, but how many true visionaries do we got?
Well, some visionaries I admire:
- Jeff Bezos
- Elon Musk
- Kanye West
- JAY Z
- Jony Ive
- Steve Jobs (dead)
- Sergey / Larry
Why did these great visionaries build companies? My theory:
Once a great individual is so epic, they need to discharge their overflowing power into something external — which becomes a company.
Once again my theory:
Strive to build yourself to the maximum limit of your power. Once you hit that limit, then you must branch off and build a company (which becomes an externalization of your genius and ego).
When we look at great companies, don’t look at the company — think of the soul of the individual. For example, Tesla ain’t Tesla — it ain’t a car. Tesla is the steel-embodiment of the genius of Elon Musk. Yeezy sneakers aren’t sneakers– they are an externalization of the artistic genius of KANYE WEST. HAPTIC products ain’t stuff– they are an externalization of ERIC KIM’s aesthetic philosophy.
Don’t mix morals and ethics into entrepreneurship
The problem with modern society:
We only see entrepreneurship as worthy if it fulfills some sort of “good” moralistic and ethical notions of utilitarianism (for the good of the masses).
For example, a company is only seen as ‘morally good’ if it “improves the lives” of others, if it “empowers others”, or fulfills any altruistic ends.
Altruism is good, but I believe more in selfishness. Better to be insanely selfish, and let your overflowing surplus end up (unintentionally) help others.
Once again, to be clear–
The philosophy of entrepreneurship is to build something ‘beyond yourself’, because you are somehow a “good person”.
But what if you pursued entrepreneurship for personally selfish reasons? Most people would say that is “unworthy” or “illegitimate”. But if you truly desire solo entrepreneurship, then–
You must pursue entrepreneurship only for YOUR PERSONAL selfish, self-centered, and individual aims.
ERIC
Entrepreneurship 101
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‘Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship’: Create Your Own Future >
Entrepreneurship Philosophy
- My Vision of Photography Entrepreneurship
- PUT YOUR NAME ON IT
- The Desire to Transcend Ourselves
- MONEY THOUGHTS
- How to Retire
- Via Negativa Productivity
- Why You Must Make Your Own Website
- Individuals over Companies
- Build Yourself
- Success is Survival
- Why You Shouldn’t Go to Photography or Art School
- How to Differentiate Yourself as a Photographer
- Surpass Yourself
- Can You Handle Extreme Freedom?
- Boutique or Mass Market?
- Proof of Concept
- Unified Field Theory for Photography
- Build a Company You’d Never Sell
- Play the Long Game
- Entrepreneurship and Art
- What is the Source of our Strength?
- What’s the Future for Photography?
- Full-Stack Visual Artist
- Why Scale?
- What is Your Unfair Advantage?
- Substance Marketing
- Share Your Dopeness with Others
- Frugality is Freedom
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Entrepreneurship
- Don’t Follow or Predict Trends, Start Your Own Trend!
- If You’re Not Busy Growing, You’re Busy Dying
- Entrepreneurship born from Superabundance, not Need/Necessity
- Photography Entrepreneurship Philosophy
- How to Master Marketing in Photography
- Photography Entrepreneurship Tips and Ideas
- Is Hustle Sufficient Unto Success?
- Don’t do it for the money
- DIGITAL MARXISM
- Zen Entrepreneurship
- BOLDER IS BETTER.
- Streamers Shall Inherit the Earth
Photography Blogging
- Give Me a Laptop and I Shall Move the World!
- The Future is Photography Blogging
- How to Become a GREAT Blogger
- If you can’t code, blog instead!
- Daily Blog of Activities
- How to Monetize a Blog Without Advertising
- How to Publish Yourself
- How to Blog
- The future of photography publishing is photography blogging.
- Why Become a Photography Blogger?
- Why You Must Become a Photography Blogger
- Why You Should Delete Your Instagram and Start Your Own Blog
Money
Self-Empowerment
- Life is Too Short to Be Negative
- Why You Must Follow Your Passion in Life
- How to Conquer Shyness
- Don’t Ask for Permission
- Onto the Next One
- Why You Must Self-Promote Yourself
- Why You Must Conquer Your Fears in Life
Marketing and Branding
- Why You Must Become a Photography Blogger
- Why Blog?
- Why You Must Self-Promote Yourself
- Create Substance, Not Content
- Photography Marketing and Branding 101
- How to Master Marketing in Photography
- 10 Tips How to Become a More Famous Photographer
Entrepreneurship Lifestyle
- Why Hustle?
- Why Save Money?
- Ascetic is Sexy
- Why You Must Become Self-Employed
- How to Push Yourself Beyond the Limit
- Is Location Independence Overrated?
Entrepreneurship Mindset
- How to Get Discovered
- Financial Independence
- Disregard Success or Failure; Always Attempt More!
- In Praise of Stubbornness
- Success is Personal Bravery
- Why You Must Become an Entrepreneur
- How to Brand and Market Yourself as a Photographer
- How to Conquer Haters
- How to Accumulate Capital
- Why Be Different?
- How to Master Marketing in Photography
- Don’t Play it Safe
- Why Blog?
- How to Be a More Productive Photographer
- How to Hustle
- True Productivity
- What Can Only You Do?
- Love Risk
- What is Success?
- Fill a Vacuum
- Think Big
- What is Your Dream in Life?
- 8 Blogging Productivity Tips
- Why Be Normal?
- How Much Suffering Are You Willing to Endure to Achieve Your Dreams?
Photography Entrepreneurship 101
- Don’t Sit Still!
- Bitcoin for Photographers
- Don’t Be Timid
- Why Start Your Own Photography Blog?
- Fill a Void
- 1,000 True Followers: How to Build Your Own Niche in Photography
- Photography Entrepreneurship 101: Why You Must Start Your Own Email Newsletter
- TURBO CREATION: Why a Maxed-Out MacBook Laptop is the Best Investment You Can Make for Photography Entrepreneurship
Life and Productivity Hacks
- My Ultimate Productivity and Life Hacks
- Life/Productivity Hack: Write (Type on a phone) While Walking on a Dynamic Treadmill
- ERIC KIM Life, Creativity, and Productivity Hacks
How to Make a Living from Your Passion
- Digital Nomad Photographer
- Build Your Own Instagram!
- How to Be More Ambitious
- Do It Your Way
- How to Measure Your Progress as a Photography Entrepreneur + Come Up With New Ideas
- How to Make a Living From Your Passion in Photography
Put a Dent in the Universe.
- Fear Disguised as Reason
- Distraction is the Enemy
- Innovate for the Sake of Innovating!
- Reality is Malleable!
- Stoic Entrepreneurship
- Against Self-Preservation
- The Purpose of Life is to Make New Stuff!
How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur
- You Have No Limits.
- Calculated Risk-Taking
- Invest in Yourself
- The Secret of Happiness: Shoot for the Moon!
- Moonshot Thinking
- Why We Should all Be Photography Entrepreneurs
- Memento Mori Entrepreneurship
- Why it is Better to Beg For Forgiveness than Ask For Permission
- How to Become a Digital Nomad
- Why You Must Own Your Own Platform
- First Principle Thinking for Photography Entrepreneurs
- How I Became a Digital Nomad
- Better to Beg For Forgiveness than Ask For Permission!
- Spurn Pleasing Others!
- Create Your Own Niche
- How to Gain More Exposure For Your Photography
- Intense Focus
- How to Conquer Your Fears as an Entrepreneur
- Define Yourself
- Let Dissatisfaction Drive You Forward!
- It Doesn’t Matter if Someone Else Has Done it Before!
- How to Succeed as a Photography Entrepreneur: Be Extremely Resourceful
- Open Source Business Model in Photography Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship 101: Growth and Innovation Over Self-Preservation
- How to Create Value as a Photography Entrepreneur
- Why Become a Photography Entrepreneur?
- Why You Must Ignore Nay-Sayers to Succeed in Entrepreneurship, Business, and Life
The Modern Photographer: Tips, Strategies, and Tactics to Thrive as a Visual Artist in the Digital Age
Marketing, Branding, Entrepreneurship Principles For Success
MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER is your new philosophical and practical primer to succeed as a modern photographer in today’s digital world.
Business Mental Models
- How to Succeed as a Photography Entrepreneur: Be Extremely Resourceful
- Open Source Business Model in Photography Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship 101: Growth and Innovation Over Self-Preservation
How to Monetize Your Photography
- Photography Entrepreneurship 101: INFLUENCE
- Should I Monetize My Passion for Photography?
- 10 Practical Photography Monetization Strategies: Pricing, Google SEO, & Entrepreneurship
- How to Make Money From Street Photography
Why Become a Photography Entrepreneur?
Take control of your own photographic destiny:
THE MODERN PHOTOGRAPHER
- CREATIVE CAPITALISM
- How to Monetize Your Photography
- 5 Practical Photography Career Tips and Advice
- 10x Thinking
- How to Hustle as a Photographer
- How to Become Your Own Master Marketer
- The ‘T’ Technique of Success
- Go Ahead and Sell Out
- What is Your Unique Voice?
- Why You Must Self-Promote Yourself
- What is Your Unique Angle as a Photographer?
- Photography Content Marketing 101
- Why You Must Become Your Own Publisher
- The Art of Cross-Pollination in Photography
Photography Entrepreneurship Articles
- Why You Shouldn’t Trust Your Pictures to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Flickr
- How to Make Money From Your Photography
- Photography SEO and Blogging: How to Become Number One on Google
- Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
- Now is the Best Time to Be a Photographer
- PRODUCERISM
- What Is The Value of a Picture?
- Your Photographic Labor is Not Free
PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS 101
- Chapter 1. How to Make a Photography Blog
- Chapter 2. How to Price Yourself
- Chapter 3. How to Find Your Market
- Chapter 4. Why Teach Workshops?
- Chapter 5. How to Build Trust
- Chapter 6. How to Market Yourself
- Chapter 7: Why Should Someone Attend Your Workshop?
KEYS TO SUCCESS
- Why You Must Be a “Personality” in Order to Succeed
- THRIVE OR DIE.
- Impatience is a Virtue
- Create Your Own Category
- HOW TO DREAM BIG.
- Will Not or Cannot?
- Why Not?
- How to Think BIG
- How to Stay Ahead of the Curve
- How to Invest in Yourself
- The Two Camera Rule
- MEANINGFUL DIFFERENTIATION
- Advice For College Students
- How to Thrive in Uncertain Times
- CANNIBALIZE YOURSELF.
- DO AND GROW RICH
- Does Fear of Punishment Hold You Back?
- HOW TO GET MORE FOLLOWERS
- How to Innovate
- How to Build Your Own Empire
- YOU ARE ENTITLED TO HARD WORK.
- PICK YOURSELF.
- OWN YOUR PLATFORM
- 10 KEYS TO SUCCESS
Table of Contents
Learn how to make a living from your passion:
- Preface. BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHY
- Chapter 1. How to Create Value
- Chapter 2. ZEN CAPITALISM
- Chapter 3. Scarcity
- Chapter 4. How to Brand Yourself
- Chapter 5. How to Build a True Following
- Chapter 6. The Blueprint to Success in Photography
- Chapter 7. HOW TO BE BOLD
- Chapter 8. How to Sell Out
- Chapter 9. GO AGAINST THE GRAIN
- Chapter 10. EXTREME ABUNDANCE
- Chapter 11. Photography Experience Economy
- Chapter 12. Why You Should Make Money for Your Photography
- Chapter 13. How to Become a Famous Photographer
Photography Business 101
How to Make Money with Photography
- How to Charge More Money in Your Photography
- Why You Should Not Pursue Photography as Career
- Can Photography Make You Rich?
- How I Earn $200,000+ a Year From Photography
- How to earn $10,000 a month as a photographer
- Why you must be an expensive photographer
Photography Marketing 101
- Why Have More Followers?
- Why You Should Do Photography Work For Free
- How I Became an Internet Famous Photographer
- Photography Blogging Ideas
- Why You Should Promote Your Own Name
- How to Build a Following
- How to Stand Out as a Photographer.
- HOW TO GO VIRAL AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.
- How to Master Marketing
- How to Sell Yourself
How to Hustle.
- Entrepreneurial Advice to My 18 Year Old Self
- How to Become Insanely Productive.
- 5 Lessons From Hesiod on Hustling
Entrepreneurial Principles
- It is Better to Beg For Forgiveness Than Ask For Permission
- The Free Way to Become Rich
- JUST DO IT.
- 7 Steps: How to Make a Living From Your Passion
- How to Do What You Love for a Living
- How to Create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
- How to Fail Big
- How to Invest in Yourself
- How to Be Bold in Photography and Life
- Mission: Cover Your Rent and Food
- 1,000 True Fans
- The “10x Principle”: The Only Difference Between “Success” and “Failure”
- Make More Value Not Money
- We Live in a Photo Utopia
How to be a Full-time Photographer
- How to Make a Living From Photography
- The 3 Principles of Making Money With Photography
- Advice for Aspiring Full-Time Photographers
- Don’t Go Into Debt For Your Photography
- How to Brand Yourself as a Photographer
- Trust: The Most Important Thing You Need to Succeed as a Photographer
Photography Blogging
- How to become rich from photography blogging
- How to Make a Living with Blogging
- 50 Blogging Tips For Beginners
- How to Start Your Own Photography Blog
- A Photographer’s Guide to SEO, Blogging, and Social Media
How to Teach Photography
- How to Become a Photography Teacher
- How to Teach a Street Photography Class
- Why I Teach Street Photography Workshops
Social Media
- Why I Deleted My Instagram
- The Social Media Blackbook for Photographers
- Why Do You Need More Likes or Followers?
- Instagram is Going to Be the Next Facebook
- Don’t Trust “Free” Photography Social Networks