• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • START HERE
    • BOOKS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • HAPTIC SHOP

ERIC KIM

BLOG

  • ARS BETA
  • WHY?

Mission: Cover Your Rent and Food

Kyoto, 2016
Kyoto, 2016

What is the first mission of an entrepreneur?

Just cover your rent and food.

Don’t aim to make billions

The biggest mistake we make as entrepreneurs is that we rush to make a million (or nowadays) a billion dollars. We focus on growth, profits, and to (quickly) gain power and influence.

I feel this is a horrible way to pursue entrepreneurship. Why? Because it isn’t grounded in reality.

We should first start off by just covering our basic expenses in life. Just to cover our rent, food, and wifi connection (and of course, coffee).

Think starving college student lifestyle

A lot of entrepreneurs want to learn how to make a killing and to become wealthy. My suggestion: first try to aim to make a “living.” Think of when you were a starving college student. You were still alive then, why can’t you do it now?

You might think your children, mortgage payments, or other “serious” commitments hold you back.

But honestly, you can downscale. You can downgrade your life. You can get rid of your car, sell your expensive home (or move out of your expensive neighborhood), stop eating out, and reduce your expenses to the bare minimum.

I feel the easiest way to gain more independence, time, and money is to reduce or subtract superfluous things from our life — rather than trying to “gain” more.

First, survive.

If you’re starting off creating your own business, freelancing in photography, or whatever— just make your first mission to be covering rent and food.

Then the secret to becoming wealthy is to not die, and to not go bust, and not to go bankrupt.

Survival is first, thriving is second.

Never stop hustling,
Eric

Learn more: Entrepreneurship 101 >

Primary Sidebar

Cart

PHOTO WALLET HAS ARRIVED.

PHOTO WALLET ORANGE BORDER

 

The perfect wallet for you >

HENRI NECK STRAP MARK III

Available in PHANTOM BLACK >

MUSE by KIM

MUSE by KIM

Your new muse >

#RICOHMAFIA

ERIC KIM wrist strap mark ii

JUST SHOOT IT!


HENRI SHOULDER STRAP

Film Leica MP x Henri Shoulder Strap (CREMA BROWN)

Supreme >


Street Photography Starter Kit

street photography starter kit by ERIC KIM

Master street photography >

 

 

HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO

Henri wrist strap pro

For the pros >

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

My brand-new Udemy Course, "Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship" now live!

Seize your destiny >


Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

eric kim ultimate beginners guide to mastering photography udemy

Master photography >

STREET NOTES

The original and true STREET NOTES >


FILM NOTES

Take it back to the old school >

CREATIVE EVERY DAY

Create every day >


STREET HUNT

Never stop hunting >


PHOTO JOURNAL

Photo Journal Print Edition

Discover more personal meaning in your photography >

HAPTIC MAG

Read our HAPTIC MAGAZINE: Issue 1 “Our Story” >

HAPTIC makes creative tools to empower visual artists. From educational tools, art platforms, to camera equipment, HAPTIC is driven by a spirit of experimentation and creative collaboration. We are a majority women led, family operated industry, and have great pride in everything we make.

See the HAPTIC SHOP > (We ship worldwide from California)

See all our products on Amazon >


HAPTIC

HAPTIC MISSION: We believe in disrupting the production market for photography, art, and creative tools. We are transparent about the labor practices behind HAPTIC because we are proud and love everything we make. We support honest and beautiful work with respectful wages to our artists, artisans, and collaborators.

We are not anonymous. Our products are a story. HAPTIC products are printed, prepared, shipped from California with creative collaborators from Saigon.

Read more about our values and collaborations with artists and artisans >

See all products in HAPTIC SHOP >

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES on AMAZON >

OPEN-SOURCE