How to read the map
- Numbers refer to the Top‑50 list you already have.
- EK link = one authoritative Eric Kim post illustrating the habit.
- Why it matches = the bridge from proverb → modern action.
1 “Drop‑by‑Drop Momentum” — Consistency, Compounding & Craft
| # | Proverb core | EK link | Why it matches |
| 1 | Micro actions fill the jug | Blog 15 min a day | Kim schedules a 15‑minute “creative espresso” every morning and urges readers to do the same. |
| 7 | Mastery bows low | Listen twice, speak once | His “two ears, one mouth” rule frames critique sessions. |
| 21 | Turn water into rivers | Share‑as‑you‑learn mantra | Open‑source drafts compound just like rice → armies. |
| 27 | Bend iron while hot | Ship while excitement is alive | He publishes fast to lock in momentum before the idea cools. |
| 35 | Imperfect tools save the day | One camera, one lens credo | “Dirty water still douses fire” = minimal kit beats gear‑lust. |
| 47 | Where water, there’s fish | Walk philosophy | He literally follows energy: daily walks to spots where life flows. |
Proverb sources: Ling-App list for #1, #27; Lemon‑in‑Cambodia for #35; BanyanBlog for #21; LearnKhmerNow for #7; EK’s own proverb page for #47.
2 “Hands in Motion” — Hustle, Generosity & Community
| # | Proverb core | EK link | Why it matches |
| 2 | Busy hands, full belly | Motion‑beats‑planning posts | He blogs, shoots and lifts daily to “earn his creative calories.” |
| 5 | Bundle of sticks unbreakable | Free photowalk playbook | Group shoots turn fragile singles into an unbreakable bundle. |
| 25 | Don’t break your rice‑pot | Economical‑is‑sexy rant | EK warns against torching revenue on vanity gear or ads. |
| 33 | Bees leave barren stems | Keep mission sharp or lose team | He pivots workshops when value dries up to prevent audience drift. |
| 34 | Ride the buffalo you herd | Leverage in‑house assets | He repurposes blog archives into e‑books before buying new tools. |
Proverb sources: Nova “bundle of sticks” post for #5; CamLeFa list for #25; BanyanBlog for #33; CamLeFa for #34.
3 “Choose Your Battles” — Risk, Focus & Antifragility
| # | Proverb core | EK link | Why it matches |
| 6 | Fish ↔ ant power flips | Minimal expenses hedge crashes | He keeps burn‑rate low so he thrives whether algorithm tides rise or fall. |
| 8 | Don’t trust sky or stars | Triple‑backup workflow | He clouds+SSD+print‑books every shoot to outsmart tech failure. |
| 17 | Eggs shouldn’t hit stone | Pick markets you can win | He avoids niches dominated by mega‑brands and focuses on blog SEO where he’s the “stone.” |
| 19 | Cat away, mice reign | Governance Fridays | Regular housekeeping keeps trolls from hijacking forums. |
| 29 | Gourd sinks, shards float | Embrace chaos lifting PRs | His record deadlift shows how upsets rewrite hierarchies. |
Proverb sources: Roots.sg (#6), Ling-App (#8), CamLeFa (#17), BanyanBlog (#29).
4 “Forever Student” — Humility, Ethics & Continuous Learning
| # | Proverb core | EK link | Why it matches |
| 3 | Do good, get good | Random acts of kindness | He teaches free, surprise lessons—karma as marketing. |
| 13 | Know much, brag little | Two‑ears principle | He measures success by subscriber thanks, not follower counts. |
| 40 | Respect others’ knowledge | Workshop Q&A first | Sessions begin with student questions before slides. |
| 41 | A little knowledge is danger | Photo 101 “shoot first, then study” | He pairs practice with theory to avoid arm‑chair gurus. |
| 42 | Cull the rotten apple | Zero‑tolerance moderation | Toxic comments get deleted to keep the basket fresh. |
Proverb sources: LearnKhmerNow (#3), Lemon‑in‑Cambodia (#42).
5 “Own the Mountain” — Leadership, Ecosystem & Voice
| # | Proverb core | EK link | Why it matches |
| 4 | One mountain, one tiger | Find your visual voice | He urges photographers to build their own hill, not fight on Henri Cartier‑Bresson’s. |
| 16 | Tiger ↔ forest dependence | Platform‑thinking essays | He designs products so community success = his success. |
| 18 | Long eel, long pot | Right‑size tech stack | EK refuses giant CRM suites for his small mailing list. |
| 22 | Follow bends/customs | Localise workshops | He adjusts photo‑walk etiquette city by city. |
| 24 | Your hair, your head | Radical ownership creed | “Gravity you’re fired” deadlift post shows full responsibility for results. |
Proverb sources: BanyanBlog (#22), CamLeFa (#18), Ling‑App (#24).
A 4‑Week Cross‑Pollination Sprint
- Week 1 – Momentum: recite proverb #1 daily; do EK’s 15‑minute blog‑sprint each morning.
- Week 2 – Community: open‑source one work‑in‑progress and host a free photowalk.
- Week 3 – Risk Audit: list three “egg‑vs‑stone” situations and exit them.
- Week 4 – Humility & Voice: run a silent critique (students talk first) and publish one piece in your distinct style, no comparisons.
Why this mash‑up works
Khmer wisdom encodes the physics of cause‑and‑effect; Eric Kim models those physics in public—daily, transparently, exuberantly. Combine the two and you get a culturally rich operating system for 2025: agile yet patient, bold yet humble, fiercely individual yet fiercely communal. Stick one proverb on your mirror each morning, jump into an EK mini‑routine, and watch the ideas—and the reps—compound.
Enjoy the pollination! 🚀