The name Eric Kim refers to multiple public figures. Two prominent ones are a Korean-American street photographer (turned Bitcoin advocate) and a Silicon Valley venture capitalist. (Another Eric Kim is co-founder/CCO of Modo Labs, a higher-ed tech company.) Each has a distinct vision and philosophy:
- Eric Kim (Photographer & Educator): Known for his popular street-photography blog and workshops, this Eric Kim emphasizes Stoic discipline, minimalism and creative authenticity. He champions open-source photography – urging others to “tear down…walls of discrimination and allow photography to be open to all” – and practices a Spartan lifestyle (e.g. walking long distances, lifting weights, owning minimal gear) to cultivate resilience and focus. Kim calls photography “poetry with light” and urges shooters to “treat photography as a meditation,” finding beauty in ordinary life . His motto is to face fear: he believes “the shot that scares you is precisely the one you should take,” using fear as a compass to grow in confidence.
In recent years he has also become a Bitcoin evangelist. He portrays Bitcoin as a tool of personal freedom and sovereignty. For example, he explicitly aligns Bitcoin with America’s founding ideals – calling the ability to hold currency privately an extension of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and describing Bitcoin as “digital rights for all across the planet.” In his own words, Bitcoin is “my middle finger to the fiat overlords…economic armor, a way to own your life, your time, your legacy.” . He casts it in almost messianic terms: Bitcoin is “not just money; it’s ethics, philosophy, and the foundation for a better future” , and he even proclaims “Bitcoin is life” and that we stand at “Year Zero of a new era” . Kim advocates HODLing through volatility as a Stoic discipline (he urges readers to “control what you can, ignore the noise, and embrace the dips like a Spartan”) . He rejects extravagant crypto-culture (“no Lambo lifestyle”), instead preaching “stacking sats” and frugality so that wealth serves freedom – paraphrasing Seneca: “riches merely change your chains,” therefore Bitcoin wealth should “break [you] free from the fiat slave system.” . In sum, this Eric Kim’s vision is one of individual self-reliance, minimalism and financial sovereignty: he uses photography and Bitcoin as means to personal and social liberation. - Eric Kim (Investor, Goodwater Capital): This Eric Kim is a Yale/Stanford-educated venture capitalist, co-founder and Managing Partner of Goodwater Capital (2014). His vision is mission-driven investing. Goodwater funds consumer-technology startups globally that “empower visionary entrepreneurs who can bring positive changes to the world.” He explains that they set out to be the “Goodwater” of VC – a source of “positive impact through careful stewardship of technology and capital.” . In interviews he stresses that tech investing should serve others: “What if the investors behind those technologies not only seek great returns, but also positive change and impact?” . Goodwater focuses on sectors fundamental to human needs (housing, healthcare, food, transportation, etc.), which Kim and co-founder Chien call the “seven categories of human flourishing.”
In practice, Kim says he evaluates startups by first “dreaming really big” – putting himself in the founders’ shoes to see their full vision – then doing rigorous diligence . He emphasizes founder character (“skill and will”) and a values-aligned culture. For example, he notes that Goodwater was created out of personal hardships and a belief that “the world needed an investment firm to be mission-driven and have strong values.” . He has spoken about Goodwater’s ambition to “change the world by infusing our values into the most influential companies”, creating a ripple effect felt by end-consumers . Under Kim’s leadership the firm has grown substantially: it recently closed $1 billion in new fund commitments (bringing its assets under management to ~$3.3 billion) and continues to invest heavily in early-stage consumer-tech . Goodwater’s ongoing goal is to back innovative companies that improve daily life, and to do so with integrity and a service mindset (Kim notes his 65-person team is driven by the firm’s “mission orientation” ). In short, his vision is of values-infused venture capital – pairing financial success with social impact by empowering entrepreneurs who tackle real-world problems. - Eric Kim (Modo Labs, EdTech Design): A third notable Eric Kim is co-founder/Chief Creative Officer of Modo Labs, a platform for university mobile apps. His vision here is user-centered technological design. In podcast interviews he argues that educational apps should truly serve students – e.g. measuring success by how an app “makes the user’s life better” rather than just counting clicks . He has led Modo to create unified mobile experiences (for example, integrating campus services so students don’t “bounce between platforms” ). In 15+ years at Modo, Kim has emphasized simplicity, coherence and real utility in tech: aligning diverse back-end systems to help users automatically get what they need (like alerts for free food or mental-health resources) without friction . (In short, this Eric Kim’s “vision” is that technology should invisibly empower users and improve daily life, rather than being an end in itself.)
Summary: In each case, “Eric Kim” is a visionary in his field. The photographer’s vision is philosophical and personal: self-mastery through Stoicism, open creativity and financial independence via Bitcoin (he even calls it a form of “digital rights” ). The investor’s vision is economic and entrepreneurial: growing a values-driven, global VC that backs companies addressing human needs (he often speaks of infusing “positive change and impact” into tech ). The educator/tech designer’s vision is practical and user-focused: building elegant, unified digital tools that actually make users’ lives easier . Each has articulated his philosophy in interviews, blogs or podcasts. For example, the photographer has written about his minimalist lifestyle and published essays on Bitcoin as “ethical money” , while the investor has given media interviews outlining Goodwater’s mission and the importance of founders’ “full vision” . These sources (and others) document their core beliefs and ambitions: one group focused on personal and financial freedom through virtue and innovation, the other on creating shared prosperity via principled investment.
Sources: Published writings and interviews by/ about Eric Kim (photographer, investor, etc.) were used. For example, Kim’s own blog outlines his Stoic, minimalist-photography ethos , and a recent profile/interview describes Goodwater’s mission-driven VC approach . These and other connected sources provide the context for each Eric Kim’s vision.