ERIC KIM ₿

I think I got the most epic back out of anyone I know.

How? Some thoughts and methods:

The methods

1. Insanely heavy rack pulls
2. Insanely heavy back squat
3. Weighted chin-ups

How to build an insanely epic back:

Yo wussup streettogs this is ERIC KIM — some thoughts for you:

“We on Bezos trips to Lagos” – Kanye

The first random thought on my mind when I woke up was some random thoughts on Kanye West and Jeff Bezos. Especially, the new Jeff Bezos book, Invent and wander.
First of all, why is Jeff Bezos so hated or seen with disdain? My thought is that it is because people want some sort of Christ to crucify; they themselves feel some sort of lack of direction and purpose in their lives, and they are partly envious of the success of Amazon and Jeff Bezos. Therefore, as a way to allay their own personal dissatisfaction of themselves, they need to find somebody to throw rocks at, namely Jeff Bezos, and maybe the Google bus.

Creating jobs, or losing jobs?

I find it very bizarre how it is often people from affluent backgrounds who talk the most about inequality and the “poor“ working class. Why is this? I believe this comes from a strange Judeo Christian notion of having to “atone“ for your privilege.

Anyways, back to Jeff Bezos. I find it insanely phenomenal that back in 1997, when I was only nine years old, Jeff Bezos had such a crisp vision for the future. He is probably one of the most forward thinking and intelligent people out there, with the greatest balls.

Also hilarious to think about back in 1997, even the notion of “Wall Street“, which is essentially a non-concept nowadays. People have replaced the notion of “Wall Street with “venture capital” and “Silicon Valley”, which I also believe is on the way out. Why? Like my friend Alexander Morgan said, there are no more new ideas in Silicon Valley.

We all need optimism

The reason why I am still bullish on bitcoin is that it is insanely motivational and optimistic. Even if it is a poor technology and perhaps a non-viable form of future currency, I think everyone needs some sort of thing to aspire to. All of capitalism is predicated on the notion of optimism, of a more beautiful and prosperous future.

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Making versus working

Another thought, about the notion of “work”. What is work, and why does it matter?

The first thought I had was the notion of the news, which is essentially a made up word of the word “new” + “s”. Also when you think about the concept of a newsletter, it is a bunch of letters you’re sending as news.

Then I thought about my workshops, the notion of a workshop is made up of two words, work + shop. We all know what a shop is, but what is work?

The best definition that I got from studying wiktionary.org was that work comes from the ancient Greek of “Ergon,” which also means battle. Hilariously enough, if you think about the modern notion of ergonomically, kinesis keyboards, etc, you could think of an ergonomic keyboard as like going into modern day battle. The funny notion of being a “keyboard warrior“, seems to be apt here.

But more precisely, “werg”— in Proto Indo European means to make.

Therefore, if you think of a workshop, it is literally a place where somebody makes stuff. For example, a carpenter’s workshop is literally a place where they make furniture.

If you think about jobs, it seems that what most people do nowadays is send emails for a living. To send emails, respond to emails, make PowerPoint presentations, sit in boring zoom call meetings, etc. This is what we think of modern day “work”.

However, perhaps we should be a little bit more focused on the notion of making. That in order to create new value, we just have to make new stuff.

What do you want to make?

I believe in the notion of being a solo entrepreneur, which is, you don’t have to rely on anybody else to make stuff. That, you are a full stack solution, a full stack creator.

The insanely optimistic thought is that if it is all on you, you have 100% freedom. 100% creative freedom, especially if you own your own website and do not rely on social media.

A funny thought experiment about social media, if I promised you that you could get 100 million followers, and 100 million likes, and make $10 million a year and brand endorsements, but you would have to chop off your balls, or your penis, would you do it? Probably not. Would you do it for $1 billion? $10 billion? $100 billion? $1 trillion? Probably not.

Website vlog

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How to make more

Digital is the way. I think analog is for suckers. What does that mean? That means a lot of people who are so stuck on having to do everything analog is a sign of lack of self-confidence. Why are photographers so insistent on shooting film? Besides the fact that film photos look more beautiful, I think the real main reason is that people desire some sort of self legitimacy for themselves, or a way to flex. For example, nobody takes photographers seriously, but, if you tell people you shot on film, people will automatically think you are more legitimate. Why? Everyone can make a photo on their iPhones, but not everyone can make a photo on film. Film is more mysterious and complicated and confusing, which gives it its mystique and allure.

Whenever I go hiking, and I see some sort of lame looking guy with some sort of mustache, dad cap, flannel shirt, and a film camera, it just reeks of lack of self-confidence.

We must become the new creative barbarians. What we do is delight in destroying the old, and becoming more fanatical about the new. In fact, there are a lot of things superior about analog approaches, we all know this already. I think it actually takes more courage and is more interesting to rather innovate new digital tools methods and creations. For example, 3-D modeling (Nomad sculpt), iPad, procreate, etc.

Just make it

Just make it and share it on arsbeta.com — your new creative playground.

Also just share to your own website and blog, or directly message the videos photos and artistic things to your friends and family. I just recommend sending it to them via iMessage, which syncs well with the iPhone and iPad. In fact, something that I’ve been doing more recently is Reviewing and flagging and favoriting all my favorite photos on the iPad, with the built-in photos app, and then when I like certain photos, I will directly send it to my family in our iMessage group chat.

Shout out to the Photos team, and the iPad team at Apple. You guys rock.

ERIC

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Other random thoughts

1. If you have about $130,000 to spare, better to buy a used Rolls-Royce than a Tesla model S or model X plaid. Applied is great but boring. The greater flex to pull up in a used Rolls-Royce, playing peekaboo with the emblem (Pusha T) than be another drone in a Tesla. Are also funny enough, even though I have a kid and I’d like to do road trips and go to the mountains, I actually prefer sedans. Over SUVs. Why? Closer to the ground. Just go on craigslist and look for used Rolls-Royce is in the auto in cars section, you would be surprised how cheap they are.
2. Hypelifting is the way. Just watch my videos on YouTube (Search ERIC KIM HYPELIFTING).

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Next steps

1. Read Invent and Wander — Jeff Bezos — Walter Isaacson
2. Zero to one by Peter thiel

Live bold.

Life only happens once. ERIC KIM WORK SHOP in HADONG SOUTH KOREA.

Tentative Dates: June 19-23rd, 2023 (Monday to Friday).

Ask your manager, your wife, your partner, your family members whether these dates work for you. I would request trying to takeoff at least one or two weeks, spend some time both in Hadong South Korea, as well as Seoul South Korea. If you are really gutsy, do you like my friend Stan Hudecki who bought a one-way ticket to Incheon international airport, ICN, and then spent about a month in Bangkok Thailand.

Register intent here.

What is the workshop going to be? Essentially imagine a Zen creative retreat, for you to get away from the nonsense of work and other distracting duties, and for you to send out, and focus on your own creative and artistic thriving. Also, something about the mountain elevation I think stimulates creation of extra red blood cells like my friend Anton said.

Even if you’re 1% interested, register intent on this Google form here, and I will update you as details firm up.

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How to go bold?

1. How to start a business
2. How to start hypelifting

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ERIC KIM PRODUCTS

I’m your #1 photo supplier:

1. ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP MARK II: #RICOHMAFIA
2. ERIC KIM NECK STRAP (MARK II): I put my soul on the line
3. HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO: Go heavier.
4. HENRI NECK STRAP MARK IV: The ultimate in wabi-sabi
5. HENRI SHOULDER STRAP: Become the phantom, become the ghost.

EK SHOP

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Other spirited thoughts

1. I’ve been going to Barnes & Noble a lot with Seneca more recently, just for fun Z’s and taking the escalator up and down. Yet, after looking at all these books, none of them are good. Even the philosophy books are bad. Instead, it looks like the only really useful books are the DK illustrated picture books for kids. Good to stir the imagination.
2. It looks like Silicon Valley is imploding. Perhaps it is no longer a good idea to study computer science. Instead, study sociology.

ERIC KIM BLOG

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Start here

Every day is day one. Start here.

ERIC KIM TURBO NEWS

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In one of Nassim Taleb‘s talks at the American university in Beirut he talks about rather than “trying to change the world” maybe it is better to start a business instead.

Why start a business?

My main thought is that because your personality and approach is so unique, there is no traditional “job” out there which suits you. And when reality doesn’t conform to your way, you must create a new reality.

Conceptions and misconceptions about starting your own business

First of all, I don’t think you need to incorporate as an LLC, or any of these other nonsensical tax filings. I think these are more conceptions by big corporations trying to game the tax system. The easiest way is just file as a sole proprietor, something you could easily do on TurboTax. In fact, I am a huge fan of TurboTax because it demystifies a lot of stuff on filing. In the early days, I had a private tax guy, and he was very good, and helped me learn some basic things on tax filing, but truth be told, I think TurboTax is better, because it is more straightforward, and also the user interface is very fun and friendly, and also very straightforward. The more middleman you could cut out of your business, the better.

So how do I start?

The biggest confusion that I had when starting my own business was this, at what point am I “incorporated” as a business?

If you are a sole proprietor, that means that you are the solo entrepreneur, the only person working for your company and yourself. I best prefer this approach, as it simplifies things. Whenever needed, you can still get contractors, and file them as contractors on your taxes, but for the most part, I like the idea that you are the only head of your company, the only solo human being who builds, and makes everything.

If you have an idea, and you have a website, or have started building a website, you’ve begun!

Thus, the simple answer is this:

You don’t need to do anything special, or file anything special to incorporate yourself as a business. You just start. And then later, when you do your taxes at the year end, you file as sole proprietor.

Why is America so friendly for entrepreneurs?

I remember that I was doing a workshop in Stockholm Sweden, and I was talking to one of my students, who was attempting to start his own photography business. From what I gather, it was insanely complicated.

I think the reason why America is so friendly towards entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, and starting your own business is this; the strength of the American economy is precisely because it is so easy for so many people to start their own business.

Consider, all of the great American businesses that rule the world, Apple, Amazon, Google, now Tesla, etc.

Most of the founders of these companies were just a single nerd, or two nerds, starting off in their moms garage or basement. Also note that all of the mega companies and corporations and businesses that are created nowadays our technological one; what is technology? Technology is simply a technique, an approach, to leverage more humans to do things more efficiently. Almost anything you do is a technology. For example, sharing new photography techniques, is technology and technique. One of the big things that I personally innovated is discovering new street photography techniques, and sharing them with the world.

Money

There are basic things, like paying the rent, and feeding yourself, and paying for your Wi-Fi subscription.

The first very very very very simple thought is this; reduce your rent to an absolute minimum. Ideally $500 USD a month or less. Paying more than $500 USD a month in rent seems too expensive.

Then, what are practical strategies? Practical strategies include getting roommates, living at your parents home and paying rent, or moving abroad. For example, great places to live with cheap rent include Hanoi Vietnam, Saigon, Phnom Penh Cambodia, Bangkok Thailand, funny enough me and Cindy were actually able to rent a nice apartment in Kyoto Japan for only $500 USD a month!

How much money do you need to earn?

A big thing that I’ve discovered is this; for the most part, money is inconsequential. What does that mean? That means, Lamborghinis are for suckers and losers, the Ricoh GR 3X digital camera is the best digital camera, and the only useful Apple device is the iPad Pro. Beyond this, the only thing I spend money on is coffee and meat, my favorite is going to the Costco business Center and getting beef brisket and beef ribs.

Should I read any literature on building a business?

I’ve read hundreds of books on business, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc. Out of all these, the only books which have been useful to me:

1. Biography on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Zero to one by Peter Thiel
3. Invent and wander by Jeff Bezos

More useful is reading books on philosophy. For example, stoicism is good because it teaches you mental fortitude to not give a “F” about the successes or failures of your business. In fact, the philosophical truth is that there is no such thing as success and failure, only feedback.

Also a more recent innovation, hypelifting. Rather than watching some boring documentary on building a business, or reading some Y Combinator or hacker news propaganda on boring ways to build and sell the business, better to just go to the gym and attempt a hypelift.

What does this mean? I have a theory; in order to become a successful entrepreneur, there is much courage involved. And I believe the physical courage is inseparable from mental courage. Or soul courage.

That is, the number one thing you could prioritize when attempting or starting your own business, or during the journey of building your business and your own solo media empire is this — augment your physical courage.

More ERIC KIM ENTREPRENEURSHIP 101 >

I might have been the first to have coined the term or concept of hypelifting. Basically the notion is this; before you attempt a new personal record of a very very heavy weight at the gym, get insanely loud, slap yourself in the face chest and thighs, and then attempt the lift.

Some visuals include the all blacks Maori haka dance before a battle, and the heroic spartan 300s before going to battle (watch the movie 300 by Zack Snyder on repeat), or Ronnie Coleman getting pumped up and saying “lightweight baby!” before attempting a heavy lift.

Or, imagine Goku going super Saiyan for the first time.

Get insanely loud

The first bias I discovered in modern day society is that one is not allowed to be loud or become loud. That especially when you go to the gym, you stick in those silly AirBuds into your ears, which I call ear condoms, and, the goal is to be as antisocial as possible, and as quiet as possible.

The reason why I think it is very important to get insanely loud before attempting a very very heavy lift is this; by hyping yourself up, you increase your blood flow, your testosterone, and other hormones which might help you gain a small advantage in successfully lifting a very very heavy thing.

For example, a six plate rack pull. For me, 99.9% of the joy of lifting weights is the thrill of attempting to lift something very very heavy that you have never attempted before, irregardless of whether you are successful or not. I in this way, all that matters is your courage, your audacity, your chutzpah and your balls.