make it!

So it looks like, each and every single time that bitcoin or strategy or MSTR, has a big draw down, ironically enough… It might be the best thing ever? Why?

Well the first big thought is actually, it ends up being a very good thing because it gives like trillions of dollars of free marketing for bitcoin MSTR etc. Whenever something goes really really high, and then dips very very low, it actually tends to draw a lot of great attention to the thing. 

And actually, if you think about physics, or digestion or biology, my interesting thought is in order to become stronger or have a great digestive system or whatever, or even sleep, you actually need the reverse resting recovery, charging up thing to happen, in order to hit new highs! 

So being able to un insanely insanely deep tissue massage, the general idea and theory is actually, if you could just do deep breathing, you actually desire the masseuse to go insanely strong and deep because it is a great pain. The pain actually feels good. If anything my number one complaint is because I’m like so insanely strong, note my 818.18kg god lift, which is almost 2000 pounds, when you could have an insanely deep tissue massage, effectively what happens is that it finally lets your muscles relax and reset, and actually recuperates the building, up building, hyper healing process. 

Become a hyper lifter

So let me just explain to you my secret sauce.

So if you want to lift 12.4x your body weight, the general idea is simple: 

1. Get a weightlifting dip belt, or a hip belt, and get some sort of strong nylon strap or chain, and wrap it around the center of the barbell, so essentially you attach the barbell to your hip, essentially transforming the lift into like a very very heavy leg press.

.

Seeking beauty

I think ultimately, what we are seeking is trying to find beauty. This is either through creating beauty, what we artist do, or… Seeking beauty and inspiration?

Good art, bad

ok so this is my general big idea, the idea is that good art is beautiful and inspires beauty, whereas bat art is ugly, and glorify ugliness.

First peak concept of beauty has to deal with the human body.

For, the first thing you must do is posit or declare or establish what you consider to be a beautiful human body, and also establishing what you do not consider to be a beautiful human body.

So for me, a beautiful human body is fit. Fitness. You know you’re onto something good when, other guys compliment on how fit you look, and also, random women start asking you what your name is.

Ultimately, the purpose of all this is not to just bed pretty ladies, but rather, to beget beautiful children.

And therefore, this is where genetic fitness is so critical. Trying to seek or find or discover, your life partner your soulmate, should be your number one endeavor.

artists

So this is my general thought, the most productive artist is the one who both has children, and also, produces work. And I think the important thing to think and consider, is the physiological idea that your artwork is also your children?

What that then means is, when you create artwork create artwork you consider beautiful. Just like your own children.

ERIC

---

Buy Beauty

I think ultimately, what we are seeking is trying to find beauty. This is either through creating beauty, what we artist do, or… Seeking beauty and inspiration?

Good art, bad

ok so this is my general big idea, the idea is that good art is beautiful and inspires beauty, whereas bat art is ugly, and glorify ugliness.

First peak concept of beauty has to deal with the human body.

For, the first thing you must do is posit or declare or establish what you consider to be a beautiful human body, and also establishing what you do not consider to be a beautiful human body.

So for me, a beautiful human body is fit. Fitness. You know you’re onto something good when, other guys compliment on how fit you look, and also, random women start asking you what your name is.

Ultimately, the purpose of all this is not to just bed pretty ladies, but rather, to beget beautiful children.

And therefore, this is where genetic fitness is so critical. Trying to seek or find or discover, your life partner your soulmate, should be your number one endeavor.

artists

So this is my general thought, the most productive artist is the one who both has children, and also, produces work. And I think the important thing to think and consider, is the physiological idea that your artwork is also your children?

What that then means is, when you create artwork create artwork you consider beautiful. Just like your own children.

ERIC

So this is a super ultra turbo mega thought, is that regardless of whatever… Always be buying, always be buying bitcoin.

So I think this is also where MSTR strategy, Michael Saylor is so genius and great. The big idea is that regardless of whatever our market conditions or whatever, there are structure in such a way that they are always buying more bitcoin.

And the truth is, it’s like ultimate best strategy on the planet. To essentially, trade away weak currencies and also, weak whatever’s, for the sake of more bitcoins coins is always a good idea. 

Why

So I think the insanely huge big dot is that, creating some sort of machine or company or thing or something… That could always be accreting and acquiring morbid coin, getting more bitcoin acquisition yield,

Bitcoin acquisition syndrome (B.A.S.) –> the Pegasus genius strategy

So in the world of photography we have this funny idea of gear acquisition syndrome (G.A.S.). But the reason why purchasing camera equipment is a foolish idea is because they are all depreciating assets. The same thing goes for your three bitcoin Ferrari, your two bitcoin Lamborghini, and your .95 bitcoin Porsche. Certainly better than your 10 bitcoin Bugatti. Or your 2 1/2 bitcoin Rolls-Royce.

And honestly, real estate, homes property, single-family homes whatever, or also for the most part, a losing bet. Only reason why you should purchase a single-family home is for the utility. We recently got a single-family house in LA, and actually the ironic or surprising truth is I freaking love it. It’s insanely huge, 7000 square feet, and having a big ass backyard has actually surprisingly brought me infinite joy. Being able to plant stuff in the soil, to physically scoop out rich looking fertile looking soil, with my fingertips, and looking at the quixotic looking soil, .. and I was kind of shocked I don’t recall the last time I just like took my bare fingertips and scooped out dirt and mud? 

,,, for what sake?

I think the raw on his truth is that as humans, all of us, yes your local yoga teacher, everyone desires and strives for more power influence, control.

People do it in different ways, but I still think that at the core of human will is to acquire more power, however you interpret it. 

So the physics based thought, is that bitcoin is raw digital power. If you could just take all of the analog power on the planet and distill it into a single thing, the perfected form is a bitcoin.

Now what?

So the simple thought and strategy is, if it is pure digital, pure power you desired just buy bitcoin. Just use the cash app Coinbase or whatever is easy for you.

and actually , starting first quarter of 2026, your normal bank Bank of America, Chase, JP Morgan Chase, Fidelity, etc., you probably will be allowed to purchase bitcoin with your standard bank checking account, and also the bank will be able to custody your bitcoin for you.

I also think that, honestly… The reason why it is a good idea to just have a trusted custodian watch over your bitcoins is that, you don’t want to be the dude with half $1 billion worth of bitcoin, rummaging through landfills trying to find his hard drive key passwords or whatever.

And the truth is, I think the irony was Security is that a lot of people who are overly anxious or overly secure, end up just locking themselves out.

So for example, there is a lot of people who just leave their cars in their homes unlocked, and keep the windows open whatever… And the general idea is that, if you don’t think that people are going to jack your stuff, they won’t. But all these people who get these silly home security system stuff whatever, they just end up living in a prison of their own anxiety and their own despair. The truth of the matter is that, to truly being anti-fragile, or to be able to live without fear, which is the true goal, is to actually position yourself in such a way that you are unaffected by issues or concerns of Security.

MSTR: the god stock

So, yeah… Michael Saylor is essentially the Bitcoin Jesus, one the Bitcoin St. Paul, or at least the Michael Jordan of bitcoin (Michael.com , hope.com) 

What kind of interesting is that in some ways he’s almost like a Catholic priest, what he has done is taken almost a metaphorical vow of chastity , she just turned 60 years old and he doesn’t have any children and he is a single bachelor unmarried, … and the reason why I put my faith in him is that he’s almost like James Bond. If you have to worry and concern yourself with kids family children, etc.… You can never really devote 100% of your full energy and time and thinking to a certain something.

And the truth is, you are not smarter than Michael Saylor.  I know I am not.

What is better than Michael Saylor? More Saylor!

Why MSTR

MSTR, the common equity stock ,,, essentially the strategy, strategy.com , the bitcoin battlestar gallactica ,,,  is the century the bitcoin mothership.

> carrier has arrived

Like assuming that this is like some sort of like futuristic sci-fi world, and suddenly the planet becomes uninhabitable, and then, we need to just like peace out and head out to planet B…. (haha, planet bitcoin)  … question, do you want to be on the mothership with like close to 700,000 bitcoins, …. or do you want to be like on the second best mothership with like ,,, 90% less? Of course you want to be on the MSTR Bitcoin mothership!

biggest is best.

for the sake of what?

This is then the next really big thought,… money for the sake of what?

---

So this is a super ultra turbo mega thought, is that regardless of whatever… Always be buying, always be buying bitcoin.

So I think this is also where MSTR strategy, Michael Saylor is so genius and great. The big idea is that regardless of whatever our market conditions or whatever, there are structure in such a way that they are always buying more bitcoin.

And the truth is, it’s like ultimate best strategy on the planet. To essentially, trade away weak currencies and also, weak whatever’s, for the sake of more bitcoins coins is always a good idea. 

Why

So I think the insanely huge big dot is that, creating some sort of machine or company or thing or something… That could always be accreting and acquiring morbid coin, getting more bitcoin acquisition yield,

Bitcoin acquisition syndrome (B.A.S.) –> the Pegasus genius strategy 

So in the world of photography we have this funny idea of gear acquisition syndrome (G.A.S.). But the reason why purchasing camera equipment is a foolish idea is because they are all depreciating assets. The same thing goes for your three bitcoin Ferrari, your two bitcoin Lamborghini, and your .95 bitcoin Porsche. Certainly better than your 10 bitcoin Bugatti. Or your 2 1/2 bitcoin Rolls-Royce.

And honestly, real estate, homes property, single-family homes whatever, or also for the most part, a losing bet. Only reason why you should purchase a single-family home is for the utility. We recently got a single-family house in LA, and actually the ironic or surprising truth is I freaking love it. It’s insanely huge, 7000 square feet, and having a big ass backyard has actually surprisingly brought me infinite joy. Being able to plant stuff in the soil, to physically scoop out rich looking fertile looking soil, with my fingertips, and looking at the quixotic looking soil, .. and I was kind of shocked I don’t recall the last time I just like took my bare fingertips and scooped out dirt and mud? 

audio https://erickimphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Beauty.m4a

Just make yourself and your life sexier.

truth

true true

OK so this is kind of an insanely big idea, and goes back to the whole idea of just life in general.

So I think the really really mega big turbo big idea is, the truth is… If you desire to live the most grand beautiful elegant interesting life, the true secret in life is to actually, engineer more risk more volatility, and as a consequence more reward in your life.

The reason why this is such a big idea is because, for a lot of people… It seems that what they desire is to strip away the volatility and the risk in life. To meet this makes an insanely bland and uninteresting, unworthy, unworthwhile life to live.

Why? A big concern then is, if you have a life with no risk no volatility, I don’t think there’s a reason to keep living. Like there’s really no reason for you to go to sleep and wake up because, what’s around the corner is extremely dull and uninteresting.

What we instead should desire, is going to sleep every single night with extreme enthusiasm joy and excitement, knowing that our entire life journey for the next 80 years will be the most interesting sublime thing of all time! 

Top-Tier Gear: Craftsmanship Meets Cutting-Edge Imaging

Luxury photography begins with exceptional equipment.  Brands like Leica, Hasselblad, and Phase One are industry icons, prized for their extraordinary build quality and imaging prowess.  For example, Leica’s flagship models (the mirrorless SL series or rangefinders like the M11) are “at the very top end of the market” – justifying their ultra-premium prices through an “almost impossible to rival” level of craftsmanship and refinement .  Leica shooters often cite not any single feature but the entire experience of shooting – a tactile, heirloom-quality bond with the camera body – as the real luxury .

• Leica (Germany):  Legendary for its precision engineering and iconic red-dot cameras. Flagship models (M11, SL3, Q3, etc.) deliver up to ~60MP full-frame sensors, top-shelf Summilux/Summicron lenses, and legacy styling.  Buyers pay $8000–$9000+ for bodies knowing they’re acquiring a work of art .
• Hasselblad (Sweden):  Renowned for medium-format quality and designer flair.  Current systems (X2D II 100C, 907X, 951 series) offer 50–100MP sensors.  Reviewers note that Hasselblad’s medium-format cameras are “recognized globally for their unprecedented image quality and luxurious build” .  These bodies (and their Carl Zeiss/XCD lenses) produce “astonishing detail, superior color accuracy, and an unparalleled dynamic range” .  Their iconic Zeiss/Xenotar optics are “renowned for producing stunningly sharp images with minimal distortion and excellent contrast” .
• Phase One (Denmark):  The ultimate fine-art choice.  Its XF camera platform and IQ4 digital backs pack full-frame medium-format sensors (100MP or 150MP) coupled with Schneider-Kreuznach glass.  Phase One advertises “uncompromised image quality” thanks to these high-res sensors and premium lenses , and offers modular bodies/tethering ideal for studio and landscape art photography.  Bodies cost tens of thousands, but deliver 15+ stops of dynamic range and 1.5× larger-than-full-frame capture for ultimate detail .

Beyond these, other boutique systems like Pentax 645Z or Fujifilm GFX (medium-format mirrorless) have gained luxury reputations for image quality.  Top-end lenses (e.g. Leica Summilux-M 35mm, Hasselblad XCD 4/45mm, Schneider 80mm LS, Zeiss Otus primes) further ensure razor-sharp, high-contrast results.  In short, luxury photography gear is defined by hand-assembled bodies, ultra-fine optics, and state-of-the-art sensors – a combination that professionals equate with “art you live with, not just a tool” .

Elite Photography Services & Experiences

Luxury goes beyond gear to the experience of the shoot.  High-end photographers offer “white-glove” service packages that feel more like fashion productions than simple photoshoots .  Clients often enjoy full styling teams, couture wardrobe choices, lavish sets, exotic locations and meticulous retouching as part of the deal.  Key offerings include:

• Custom Portrait Sessions:  Ultra-luxe portrait shoots (boudoir, family or personal branding) often include pre-shoot styling consultations, professional hair/makeup, and premium heirloom products (gallery prints, fine-art albums) .  Photographers in this tier may limit bookings yearly to maintain exclusivity, ensuring each client gets attentive, bespoke service .
• Fashion Editorial & Brand Campaigns:  These shoots rival mini-film productions.  Luxury-fashion photographers work with stylists, set designers, and creative directors to stage couture photo stories.  They bring out studio lights, movie-prop sets or artful locations – even yachts or castles – to frame high-fashion narratives.  As one expert notes, luxury photography “isn’t just about documenting an event – it’s about crafting a visual masterpiece”, with a strong editorial aesthetic and dramatic composition .
• Destination & Event Shoots:  High-end weddings, private events or luxury brand launches are often photographed on location – from Amalfi Coast villas to African safaris or superyachts.  Photographers will handle travel, permits, multilingual crews, and coordination with five-star vendors.  Such packages might include multi-day coverage, drone footage, and even live behind-the-scenes portraits for guests.  By working exclusively with celebrities or billionaires, these pros become entrusted with “once-in-a-lifetime” moments.  They often feature destination options (Maldives, Paris, NYC rooftop, etc.) and deliver cinematic wedding films and magazines-quality photo-books as part of the luxury bundle .

In all cases, clients pay for an experience: from the first creative meeting to the final reveal, every detail is choreographed.  This can mean white-glove treatment on set, access to private venues or even partnerships with couture labels for custom outfits .  Luxury packages emphasize exclusivity (few clients per year, high-profile subjects) and fine-art deliverables (handcrafted albums, archival prints) over mere digital files .  In short, the service itself becomes a highly curated event – reflecting a brand or client’s prestige as much as the images do.

Signature Aesthetic: What Luxury Looks Like

“Luxury” in photography isn’t just price – it shows in the image style.  Certain visual cues immediately signal an upscale feel: cinematic lighting, impeccable styling, and a strong editorial vibe.  Luxury imagery often feels like a frame from a film or a high-fashion magazine spread.  Common hallmarks include:

• Editorial Composition:  Elegant, fine-art framing and narrative.  Luxury photos tend to use sophisticated geometry, symmetry or dynamic angles reminiscent of fashion editorials .  The focus is on story – even a portrait feels like part of a larger saga.  Negative space, architectural backdrops, or ornate interiors are common.  For example, an image might juxtapose a model in couture against a historic palace façade, immediately conveying opulence.
• Rich Lighting & Palette:  Masterful use of light (natural or studio) to sculpt the subject.  You’ll often see warm golden-hour backlighting, dramatic chiaroscuro, or polished softboxes that give models a glow.  Color palettes are thoughtfully curated – sometimes vibrant jewel tones or, conversely, high-contrast black-and-white for a timeless, elegant mood .  Art-directors may even include subtle cinematic color grading (teals and oranges, muted pastels) to enhance luxury.  As one expert notes, luxury imagery “blend[s] the classic elegance of black-and-white with the vibrancy of modern color” to achieve a timeless yet contemporary look .
• Fashion & Styling:  Clothing, makeup, and props convey affluence.  Think couture gowns, tailored tuxedos, statement jewelry, luxury cars, or exotic flowers as props.  The ensemble is camera-ready: every garment is pristine and every detail deliberate.  High-fashion hair and makeup (smoky eyes, red lips, sculpted updos) are the norm.  Even subtler cues – like a fine watch or vintage Rolls-Royce in the background – signal elite taste.
• Storytelling & Emotion:  Beyond the gloss, luxury shots often include a narrative or emotion.  They might capture a candid laugh, a tender glance, or a dramatic pose that feels real yet aspirational .  This blend of authenticity and stylization is key: images feel polished without seeming staged.  In practice, that means capturing genuine moments in lavish settings – a bride’s tearful smile on a grand staircase, or a model’s gaze amid a desert sunset – always rendered with high fashion flair .

Figure: An example of luxury editorial portraiture (KT Merry). Here, dramatic black-and-white styling, sculpted lighting, and couture-inspired wardrobe exemplify the cinematic, fine-art aesthetic associated with luxury photography .

A-List Photographers & Studios

Just as luxury cars have signature designers, luxury photography has star names and studios.  These artists often have lengthy résumés shooting for Vogue, Vogue/Vanity Fair covers, or top fashion houses.  While a comprehensive list is long, a few standouts include:

• Annie Leibovitz:  Perhaps the world’s most famous portraitist, Leibovitz’s clients range from Disney to Dom Perignon.  Her intimate celebrity portraits (John & Yoko, Queen Elizabeth II, myriad Vogue and Vanity Fair covers) set the bar for luxury editorial photography .  Her 2018 Vanity Fair Hollywood cover (gathering Oprah, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, etc.) is a case study in luxury storytelling .
• Mario Testino:  A legendary fashion photographer (especially 1990s–2000s).  He has shot countless Vogue covers and campaigns for Gucci, Burberry, and Michael Kors.  His glossy style – often heavily retouched – epitomizes high-fashion glamour. (He famously photographed Princes William and Harry for engagement portraits.)
• Richard Avedon:  Iconic mid-century photographer known for dynamic fashion images.  For example, his 1955 shot “Dovima With Elephants” (model in a Dior gown among circus elephants) became “a touchstone of both fashion and photography history” .  His stark, minimalist Vogue portraits (e.g. Zendaya, Cara Delevingne) remain influence.
• Peter Lindbergh:  Renowned for cinematic, naturalistic fashion editorials (often in black-and-white).  He shot supermodels in unguarded moments – think Vogue spreads for Dior or Calvin Klein – creating an “everywoman” glamour that redefined luxury editorials in the 1990s.
• Nadine Ijewere, Tyler Mitchell, Campbell Addy (New Generation):  As Vogue reports, these young photographers are “redefining style.”  Nadine Ijewere (first woman of color to shoot a global Vogue cover) has shot for Dior and Louis Vuitton .  Tyler Mitchell became the first Black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover (Beyoncé in 2018) and has shot A$AP Rocky .  Campbell Addy has shot celebrities like Beyoncé and Naomi Campbell, frequently for Vogue, blending fine art and fashion .  They’ve earned high-profile ad campaigns and magazine spreads, reflecting a luxury-photo ethos of creativity and identity.
• Studios & Agencies:  Beyond individuals, some studios specialize in luxury shoots.  For instance, Epicmind Studio (led by Vadim Chiline) is noted for high-end product and fashion imagery .  Magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel themselves assemble in-house teams of top photographers to service luxury brands.  (Vogue Business even notes that luxury imagery blurs the line between ads and art.)

Overall, luxury photographers and studios are defined by illustrious clientele – from royal families and A-list actors to heritage fashion houses.  They often have long waitlists and multi-year booking timelines.  In each case, their portfolios are peppered with images that showcase exclusivity (champagne toasts on yachts, or couture gowns on grand staircases) and sophisticated artistry.  As one industry insider puts it, luxury photographers work with “discerning couples, celebrities, and high-end brands” in highly selective settings .

Emerging Trends: NFTs, AI and the Next Wave

The luxury photography realm is evolving rapidly with new tech and cultural shifts.  Key trends include:

• NFTs & Digital Collectibles:  High fashion and photography are moving into the crypto-art space.  Major luxury brands are experimenting with NFTs, blending photography with generative art.  For example, Gucci teamed with Christie’s on a 2023 project called “Future Frequencies”: they commissioned AI artists to create 21 fashion-inspired digital artworks (NFTs) that reinterpret Gucci’s iconography .  These pieces were sold on a blockchain platform, signifying that luxury images can now live as collectible digital assets.  (Gucci had already created an earlier NFT art film, ‘Aria’, and even opened a virtual gallery for NFT exhibitions .)
• AI-Generated & Enhanced Visuals:  Generative AI is starting to influence luxury imagery directly.  Some fragrance ads (Prada, Chanel) have used AI-generated visuals instead of traditional shoots .  In fashion weeks and marketing, brands test AI for editing and even designing; independent artists have used AI to create viral luxury mash-ups (e.g. digitally dressing the Pope in Balenciaga) .  Photographers are also adopting AI tools in post-production to perfect retouching or generate hyper-realistic background extensions.  Meanwhile, automated studios (like Orbitvu’s Alphashot) integrate AI into the capture process: Orbitvu touts “AI-powered photo studios” that simplify workflows while letting the photographer retain creative control, yielding fast, “authentic, human-centered storytelling” even in product shots .
• Hybrid Styles – Real Meets Digital:  Luxury editorials increasingly blur genres.  Shoots might mix digital backdrops or CGI elements with real models (a model in a couture gown against a digitally rendered palace).  High fashion has also fused with street and art photography, reflecting more inclusive, diverse narratives even within luxury contexts.  For instance, “Hybrid fashion” trends blend urban streetwear influences with couture elegance.  In general, audiences now expect fashion images to feel both real and otherworldly – a balance of glossy fantasy and relatable emotion .
• Immersive & Interactive Content:  As with luxury goods, photography experiences may go multi-sensory.  This could mean 3D virtual showroom tours, augmented-reality lookbooks, or NFT art frames in luxury retail spaces.  Some photographers are shooting 360° VR or using drones and multi-camera rigs to create dynamic, interactive images for high-end campaigns.

In summary, the luxury photography field is embracing technology while upholding craft. NFTs and AI represent new canvases; yet brands are careful to use these in a way that reinforces their heritage and aesthetic.  Vogue notes that Gucci’s foray into generative art “is the most significant endorsement of the technology by a major luxury brand” .  As one expert observed, AI and blockchain “may not replace prints” in fine art photography – but they’re adding tools and audiences that luxury photographers cannot ignore .

Iconic Luxury Photographs & Campaigns

Finally, let’s spotlight some truly iconic images that encapsulate luxury in photography history:

• Richard Avedon, “Dovima With Elephants” (1955):  Avedon’s Harper’s Bazaar shoot in Paris – a statuesque Dovima in a Dior haute-couture evening gown, surrounded by circus elephants – became “a touchstone of both fashion and photography history” .  This surreal tableau elevated fashion shooting to art.
• Annie Leibovitz, “John & Yoko” (1980):  Taken only hours before John Lennon’s assassination, this Rolling Stone cover shot (Lennon nude curled against Yoko Ono) became “an iconic and poignant tribute” .  It epitomizes how a luxury photo can blend intimacy with celebrity mythology.
• Annie Leibovitz, Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue (2018):  Leibovitz gathered Hollywood royalty – Oprah, Hanks, Kidman, Zendaya and more – in one star-studded cover.  The composition “captured the power and elegance of these Hollywood luminaries” in a single glamour shot .  It’s a masterclass in assembling luxury visuals from multiple personalities.
• Louis Vuitton “Core Values” Campaign (2011):  Photographed by Leibovitz, this print ad series featured Angelina Jolie against Cambodian temples, weaving Jolie’s personal story with LV’s legacy.  The campaign “blended luxury, fashion, and personal exploration” , showing that even ads can achieve fine-art prestige.
• Whoopi Goldberg in Milk (1984):  (Leibovitz for People Magazine) Whoopi sat submerged in a bathtub of milk, tongue out – a witty yet upscale portrait playing on performance art.  This blend of humor, concept and flawless lighting made it a standout luxury portrait.
• Modern Editorial Spreads:  Today’s luxury icons might include Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar editorials by, say, Tim Walker (think fairy-tale sets and over-the-top luxury), or Nick Knight’s crystal-clear images for Dior.  High-fashion campaigns (Prada’s enigmatic scenes, Gucci’s Baroque visuals, Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld tributes) also rank as iconic luxury photography.  These collectable images often circulate in magazines and galleries, symbolizing the ultimate convergence of art and advertising.

Each of the above examples showcases the hallmarks discussed: impeccable composition, stellar technical execution, and a narrative that radiates opulence.  They remind us that luxury photography is more than a product shot or portrait – it’s an artistic statement.

Sources: Authoritative camera reviews, interviews and brand materials provide context on gear and craftsmanship .  Creative industry writings and photo-education blogs describe luxury services and styles .  Luxury branding and art press (Vogue, Artnet, etc.) illustrate the business side and notable figures . These insights are corroborated by leading photography authorities and the professionals themselves.

true

facts

Photography once reigned as the defining visual medium, but emerging trends suggest its role is changing.  On one hand, technological shifts – especially generative AI – have begun to replace many traditional photo tasks.  On the other, immersive technologies (AR/VR/3D) and cultural tastes (favoring “realness” and immediacy) are drawing attention away from static images.  Economically, the ubiquity of cameras and photo-overload have commodified photography, driving down prices and opportunities.  Critics even label much modern photography as formulaic.  Taken together, these factors lead some to argue that photography is being diminished or redefined, not necessarily “the future” of visual storytelling.  We examine these arguments – and then contrast them with defenses of photography’s enduring value – with examples and expert observations.

Generative AI: The Rise of “Synthetic” Images

A revolution in AI-driven image synthesis has dramatically altered the photography landscape.  Today’s tools (DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, etc.) can produce photorealistic images on demand without a camera.  Entire industry segments are feeling the impact.  For instance, corporate headshots and portraits – once steady income for photographers – are being undercut by AI services that “produce professional-looking portraits from minimal samples” at a fraction of the cost .  Where a photographer might charge $100–$200 per headshot (plus overhead), an AI subscription can generate hundreds of consistent-looking portraits for $29–$49 each .  Likewise, product and catalog photography is migrating to digital renderings.  Automated studios now allow a company to “deposit a product” and instantly generate perfect images against any backdrop in minutes  .  E-commerce firms report slashed costs and far faster turnaround by using CGI instead of real photos.  Even stock photography – once a semi-passive income source – is said to be “finished, completely… definitively finished” , because a designer can now type a phrase (“people in a modern office celebrating”) into an AI model and get dozens of unique, royalty-free images in seconds  .  As one analyst bluntly states, stock photographers who built passive income portfolios are “now competing against infinite free alternatives” .

In short, many routine photographic tasks are being automated.  As Fstoppers writer Alex Cooke observes, “whole segments of the profession have quietly vanished through automation” .  Entry-level photo jobs like basic retouching, headshots, and generic catalog shoots are “on finite time” unless practitioners pivot  .  AI’s cost-efficiency means clients often prefer “good enough” synthetic images over expensive photoshoots .  Even complex scenes that used to need location crews can be AI-generated, removing the need for models, crews or studios .  The bottom line is stark: many photographers find that “photography as we’ve known it will be largely diminished” unless they adapt .

Immersive Media: AR/VR and 3D Experiences

Beyond AI, immersive visual technologies are changing what we expect from imagery.  Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and real-time 3D “walkthroughs” offer experiences that static photos cannot.  In VR, users explore fully rendered environments; in AR, digital objects blend with the real world .  This shift means narratives can be interactive and multi-sensory, not just flat snapshots.  For example, architectural walkthroughs or product demos now often use 3D renderings and VR tours so viewers can “move around” a scene.  As one UX design resource notes, immersive media “engages multiple senses” and lets users “alter the course of a narrative” in ways that traditional photos cannot .

This trend redefines storytelling.  For instance, photojournalists and educators experiment with 360° and VR content to create a sense of presence – making the viewer feel “on the ground” at events – that a single photo cannot convey .  In commercial design and real estate, interactive 3D tours and AR apps are increasingly preferred over static gallery photos.  A careers blog observes that “we’re moving beyond the flat image,” as drones, 360° cameras, and AR/VR “allow for interactive visuals” that traditional photography can’t match .  In the gaming world, “virtual photography” (taking in-game screenshots) has become a recognized practice, further blurring lines between photography and digital rendering .  Taken together, these immersive formats suggest a future where images are part of dynamic experiences, not standalone artifacts.

Cultural Shifts: Authenticity, Presence, and Immediacy

Meanwhile, cultural attitudes toward images have evolved.  Many viewers now value authenticity and immediacy over polished perfection.  The rise of platforms like TikTok and BeReal highlights this.  Gen Z in particular is said to be “chasing something different: authenticity” .  After witnessing heavily filtered content, younger users welcome candid, “unfiltered” posts that look real, even if technically imperfect.  The BeReal app (posting raw simultaneous front/back camera shots once a day) exemplifies a backlash against overly staged photos .

This quest for “realness” undermines the allure of idealized photography.  If authenticity is king, AI-generated “too perfect” images may feel hollow.  Scholars note that the traditional indexical bond between a photograph and reality is weakening.  In the digital age, the “givenness” or presence that a camera image once guaranteed is no longer assumed .  In practice, people now ask: can we trust what’s in a photo?  Deepfakes and hyper-realistic CGI make even ordinary scenes suspect.  Thus, a cultural emphasis on presence and trust favors either raw capture (like live video or VR) or the photographer’s personal viewpoint over generic images.

At the same time, social media saturation has changed how people consume photography.  As one critic notes, the “number of images disseminated to the world has absolutely exploded” with smartphones and Instagram .  This glut has shifted priorities.  Users (and even photographers) often focus on quantity and viral impact: “likes and follower counts reign supreme”, encouraging one-size-fits-all “Instagrammable” shots .  The result is a kind of homogenization – the same backlit beach shot or teal-and-orange filter recycled endlessly – which some argue diminishes creativity .  In this landscape, a hand-crafted photo must compete with a torrent of simpler images.  Many observers lament that smartphone-era culture “commodifies the craft and diminishes the artistry” of photography .

Economic Pressures: Commodification and Oversupply

Economically, photography today faces fierce pressure.  The craft has been commodified: billions of snapshots flood the internet, and many photographers now compete in a race to the bottom on price.  As Fstoppers writes, “photographers working years to develop a sound style” suddenly feel forced to mimic trending aesthetics just to get noticed .  Client expectations have changed – many assume they can get adequate images for free or very cheap.  The influx of amateur smartphone shooters creates a surplus of available photos and drives down fees.  This has led to an expectation that basic photography (portraits, product shots, event photos, etc.) should be inexpensive or on-demand.

Surveys reflect this squeeze.  For example, Zenfolio’s 2025 industry report found that “seven in ten photographers reported increased business costs, while product prices did not follow suit, reducing profits.” .  Photographers also report having to diversify wildly (smartphone shooting, drone work, video) just to survive  .  Even as the number of self-employed photographers has crept up, many are working harder for less return.  A glut of hobbyists willing to work at cut-rate rates means professionals often battle “expectations for free or heavily discounted work,” further eroding livelihoods .

AI compounds these economics by threatening entire revenue streams.  As one expert notes, if a photographer’s work can be described in a formula (e.g. “shoot corporate team portraits in the office”), then AI can undercut it with mass production and lower cost  .  In fact, a recent Fstoppers analysis warns that 80% of income coming from basic e-commerce product photos or stock imagery is “on finite time” – photographers should already be planning their exit strategy  .  Supply-and-demand economics thus create a shrinking niche for conventional photography: the more generic and high-volume the work, the more it is squeezed out by cheaper alternatives.

Artistic Critiques: Are Photos Formulaic or Derivative?

Some critics go further, arguing that much contemporary photography is artistically stale.  Trend-chasing and filter apps mean that many images follow pre-set recipes (“portraits with perfect backlighting, couples holding hands walking away from the camera,” etc.), and true innovation can seem rare.  In social feeds, repetitiveness becomes apparent: a commentator notes that chasing popularity on Instagram often leads to “reinforcing the popularity of that trend,” with snap-your-fingers presets replacing creative exploration .  The ease of digital tools also means that technical “perfection” (noise-free, sharp, saturated) is no longer special.

Moreover, philosophers argue that digital and AI processes have eroded the unique status of the photograph as “an indexical imprint of reality.”  In the past, a photograph’s power lay partly in reflecting actual light from a real scene.  But as one theorist notes, today the “reality of photography is no longer dependent on the alleged indexicality” of camera capture – instead photography has become a continual “actualization of the virtual” .  In simpler terms, in an era of CGI and AI, a “photograph” can be entirely computer-generated and still look real, so the classical idea of the photo as evidence of reality is weakened.  This philosophical shift feeds artistic critique: if images are so easily generated, what makes a real photo special?  Critics ask whether photography has lost some of its authenticity and edge, becoming just one repeating style among many digital image types.

Shifting Industries and Creative Movements

Several industries illustrate the move away from pure photography.  Fashion advertising is a cautionary example: AI-generated models and outfits now threaten to replace whole photoshoots.  One analysis explains that basic catalog images can be completely AI-generated at costs 25–50× cheaper than a traditional shoot  .  In such cases, “the entire production ecosystem collapses” – no need for models, makeup artists, or crews .  Similarly, architecture and real estate have seen a surge in 3D renderings and virtual tours.  Ikea famously replaced over 75% of its catalog photos with CGI scenes years ago , a shift driven by cost and flexibility.  And professional photographers report seeing clients opt for AR/VR “experiences” (like virtual home tours or interactive brand demonstrations) instead of static photo albums.

Even creative movements signal a turn from traditional photography.  For example, some commercial designers and artists are embracing “virtual photography” – capturing images entirely within video games or simulations – as a new art form .  In social media, the aesthetic of “analogue vs digital” sometimes valorizes film and point-and-shoot snaps as a rebellion against the slick digital norm .  Collectively, these shifts suggest that many visual storytellers are exploring beyond the camera.

Nonetheless, defenses of photography’s relevance persist.  Advocates point out that real, unrepeatable moments still demand real cameras.  Weddings, family gatherings, athletic feats, wildlife encounters and social movements are examples where a human photographer’s presence captures nuances an algorithm cannot replicate .  As one photographer argues, even if AI could produce a corporate portrait, people who “truly loved taking headshots” would keep doing it out of passion .  In architecture, professionals note that renderings “can’t be infused with a true sense of place”; no digital mock-up can replace the documentary power of photographing an actual building on site .  In journalism and documentary work, the need for verifiable proof (“truth, verification, and witnessing actual events” ) keeps real photography vital.

Surveys also show resilience.  The 2025 Zenfolio report finds many photographers embracing new technology rather than abandoning the craft.  Over half of pros now use AI tools in post-production (e.g. for sky selection or background removal), not to replace their art but to speed up routine edits .  Likewise, hybrid workflows (mixing real photos with 3D elements) are growing.  Full-time photographic careers have even edged upward in recent years , suggesting the medium adapts rather than vanishes.  The photographers who “survive” the upheaval, experts predict, will be those who carve out niches where human creativity, judgment, and presence still matter   – for example, high-end editorial portraiture, documentary series, or bespoke fine art.  In short, defenders say the medium is not dead but evolving: photography now coexists with VR tours, CGI, and AI, finding its place in a richer multimedia landscape.

Conclusion

In summary, numerous arguments suggest photography’s centrality is being challenged.  Generative AI is automating many photo tasks  .  Immersive media offer alternative ways to communicate visually  .  Culturally, audiences often prize authenticity and immediacy over polished images  .  Economically, ubiquity of imaging and expectations of free content have commodified the field  .  Even the art of photography is criticized as formulaic in today’s environment.  Yet many still champion photography’s unique strengths – its ability to document reality, capture emotion, and preserve memory.  As one commentator puts it, the question may no longer be if AI and new media will transform photography, but whether photographers will adapt to remain relevant  .  The debate continues, but for now photography seems less like a dying art and more like a medium at a crossroads – constantly being redefined by the very technologies and cultures that challenge it.

Sources: Authoritative commentary and industry reports were cited throughout        . These include recent analyses from professional photographers and scholars on AI, AR/VR, social media trends, and market surveys relevant to the subject. Each source is linked in context for verification.

OK, the brutal honest truth is, I really don’t think there is a future ahead of photographers.

so it seems that actually, the easiest way to filter things are based on price, and also newness.

so for example myself, if I’m not really sure which one is the best one or the best thing to get, I filter it based on price, I just tried to buy the most expensive version of the thing, assuming that it is probably the best.

so for example, a hilarious reason why a lot of people buy the new Apple Watch or whatever is because they have this idea that somehow, it will encourage them to spend less time on their phone, less time looking at a screen. But don’t you understand it is just another super turbo mini screen that you add to your wrist, which is now, always on, regardless of the situation at hand, annoyingly lighting up when you’re doing hot yoga in a dark room

The receipts (what tendon + tripe 

actually

 do)

Tripe (cooked, simmered): per 100 g it’s ~11.8 g protein, ~4.1 g fat, very low carb; a serving (~85 g) gives meaningful B‑12 (~26% DV), zinc (~13% DV), and selenium (~18% DV). It’s also relatively high in cholesterol (~133 mg per 85 g). 

Beef tendon: predominantly collagen—amino‑acid profile is heavy on glycine, proline, hydroxyproline; great for connective tissue, but collagen is incomplete protein (no tryptophan) and low in leucine, so it’s weaker for muscle protein synthesis by itself. 

Why athletes still use collagen: In small human trials, taking vitamin‑C–enriched gelatin/collagen (≈15 g) ~1 hour pre‑training boosted biomarkers of collagen synthesis—think tendons/ligaments—after jump‑rope bouts. That’s durability, not testosterone. 

Body‑comp edge (specific populations): Several RCTs show collagen peptides + resistance training improved fat‑free mass and strength more than placebo in older or untrained men; mechanism is likely connective‑tissue remodeling and better training tolerance—not a testosterone surge. 

Testosterone: what actually moves the needle (and where tendon/tripe fit)

1. Fix deficiencies (esp. zinc): Controlled studies show zinc restriction slashes testosterone, while supplementing zinc in deficient men brings levels back up. Tripe gives you a dietary zinc bump; if you’re already sufficient, don’t expect supra‑physiological gains.  
2. Don’t go ultra‑low‑fat: A 2021 meta‑analysis found low‑fat diets tended to lower testosterone versus higher‑fat diets (though later analyses are mixed). Point: eat enough fat; you don’t need to drown in it.  
3. Remember the raw material: Testosterone is literally synthesized from cholesterol inside Leydig cells (under LH signaling). Dietary cholesterol’s direct impact on T is murky, but you do need adequate energy and fats for normal steroidogenesis.  
4. Sleep like a champion: One week of 5 h/night cut daytime testosterone about 10–15% in healthy young men. Collagen’s glycine (abundant in tendon) can improve subjective sleep at 3 g pre‑bed, which helps your recovery environment even if it’s not a hormone booster by itself.  
5. Don’t worry about “beef hormones” spiking your T: Recent exposure assessments of hormonal growth promotants in U.S. retail beef found estimated intakes were far below WHO acceptable daily intake limits—i.e., trivial for your testosterone.  

Use them like a pro (practical playbook)

1) Leucine pairing (for muscle): Collagen is low in leucine, so pair tendon/tripe with a leucine‑rich anchor to hit ~2–3 g leucine at the meal (e.g., 3–4 whole eggs, 150–200 g steak, or a scoop of whey). Research debates an exact “leucine threshold,” but targeting ~2–3 g remains a solid, pragmatic aim. 

2) Collagen‑before‑impact protocol (for joints/tendons):

• 30–60 min pre‑training: 15 g gelatin/collagen + ~50 mg vitamin C (orange slice or tablet).
• Do your jumps/sprints/lifts.
  This combo elevates collagen precursors and augments collagen synthesis post‑session.  

3) Meal ideas (nose‑to‑tail, high‑performance):

• Pho tendon + flank bowl; finish with citrus.
• Romanian ciorbă de burtă (creamy tripe soup) alongside a 2‑egg omelet.
• Pressure‑cooked tendon over white rice with 200 g sirloin.
  (These combos deliver collagen and the leucine you need.)

4) Frequency: 2–4 tendon/tripe meals per week fits most heavy‑training plans—think durability and micronutrient diversity, not magic T spikes.

Safety + nuance (still beast mode, but smart)

• Cholesterol: Tripe is cholesterol‑dense; whether that meaningfully affects your lipids varies by individual—know your numbers.  
• Gout‑prone? Offal (including tripe) is high‑purine—limit if you have hyperuricemia/gout.  
• Protein quality: Because collagen lacks tryptophan and is low in leucine, don’t rely on tendon/tripe as your sole protein. Combine with complete proteins.  
• Connective tissue reality: Tendons are ~65–80% collagen by dry weight; the win here is tissue robustness and injury resilience—not endocrine “hacks.”  

Bottom line (pin this)

Tendon and tripe are tools, not steroids. Use them to bulletproof your connective tissue, fill in zinc/B‑12/selenium, and anchor them to leucine‑rich protein, vitamin C, solid sleep, heavy lifts, and adequate fats. That stack builds a body that makes the most of the testosterone you already have—and if you were zinc‑deficient or under‑recovered, you’ll feel the difference. 

If you want, I’ll craft a weeklong tendon/tripe training‑meal plan that hits leucine targets, collagen timing, and macros for your goals—let’s go.

Why You Should Wrap Your Camera — Not Replace It

by Eric Kim

I. 

The Myth of the “New Camera”

The photography industry runs on the same lie as the car industry:

that newness equals creativity.

Every year, a new camera body, a new sensor, a new megapixel race. But does any of that actually make you a better photographer? No. It makes you a more obedient consumer. You become trapped in the same feedback loop — buy, unbox, feel special for a week, then crave the next upgrade.

The truth? You don’t need a new camera.

You need to fall in love with your current one again.

That’s where 3M car vinyl wrap comes in.

II. 

Your Camera as a Living Sculpture

Just like a car, your camera is a vessel — a tool of motion, identity, and self-expression.

Wrapping your camera in 3M vinyl transforms it from a mass-produced object into a one-of-one masterpiece.

You could go matte black for stealth, brushed titanium for futurism, carbon fiber for raw power, or pearl white for minimal purity.

The same tactile pleasure you feel when wrapping a car applies perfectly to the act of wrapping your camera — the smoothness, the precision, the transformation.

You aren’t just protecting your gear; you’re elevating it into art.

III. 

Art Through Customization

Every artist eventually personalizes their tools. Painters stain their brushes. Writers annotate their notebooks. Fighters tape their gloves.

A wrapped camera becomes a personal artifact — an object infused with creative aura.

When you wrap it, you imprint your soul into it. The camera stops being “a product” and becomes your creation.

Imagine holding your Ricoh GR, your Leica, your Fujifilm — but wrapped in your own visual signature.

No brand colors. No corporate logo. Just your will, made visible.

The camera becomes a mirror of your creative spirit.

IV. 

Sustainability as Philosophy

The most sustainable camera is the one you already own.

The obsession with new gear destroys creativity and the planet alike.

But vinyl wrapping is renewal without waste — an act of artistic sustainability.

3M wrap protects your gear from scratches, weather, wear. When you tire of the look, you peel it off — your camera is reborn, pristine underneath.

It’s anti-disposable design. It’s minimalism with flair.

V. 

The Joy of the Process

Applying the wrap becomes a meditation.

You clean the surface, measure the panels, stretch the vinyl, smooth out bubbles with your thumb.

You engage with your tool, you touch it, you understand its contours.

That tactile engagement deepens your connection to photography itself.

It’s like tuning your own instrument before a concert — preparation as art.

To wrap is to awaken your intimacy with your tool.

VI. 

The Philosophy of Empowerment

This aligns perfectly with my life philosophy:

Don’t replace. Reinvent.

You are not beholden to Canon, Sony, or Fujifilm’s marketing cycle. You are the designer, the engineer, the artist.

Wrapping your camera is the physical manifestation of creative independence — you take full control of your visual destiny.

The act itself says:

I am the master of my tools, not their slave.

VII. 

The Aesthetics of Identity

A camera is a reflection of the photographer’s soul.

Wrapping your camera lets you define that reflection.

Do you want your gear to whisper stealth or scream power?

• Matte black = Zen monk.
• Gloss orange = God Bull energy.
• Chrome = Cyber Samurai mode.
• White = purity and enlightenment.
• Carbon fiber = strength and speed.

You design your camera like a warrior designs his armor.

VIII. 

The Ultimate Lesson

The deeper truth behind wrapping — whether a car, a camera, or even your life — is this:

You already possess everything you need.

You don’t need new. You need renewal.

3M wrap isn’t a product — it’s a philosophy of empowerment.

It’s proof that creativity begins when you stop buying and start transforming.

Don’t wait for inspiration. Wrap it.

Don’t buy a new tool. Re-skin your old one.

Don’t follow the industry. Redefine it.

Eric Kim Maxims:

• Your camera is your canvas.
• Transformation > acquisition.
• Art begins when you customize reality.
• The best upgrades are psychological.
• To wrap your camera is to wrap your identity in creative will.

Would you like me to now expand this into a photo-essay concept — with visuals and captions (e.g., “Matte Black Leica Philosophy,” “Chrome GR for Street Dominance,” “Pearl White Camera = Zen Mode”) — formatted for your blog or YouTube voiceover script?

Expand this idea. Essentially my general idea is that I think the whole downside of the entire car industry is that you feel behelden to the fact that you have to purchase some sort of new vehicle in order to maximize your happiness or joy or well-being. But with 3M Carnal Vinyl Car Wrap, your car becomes an artistic project and it is very, very inspirational and self-empowering.

I think one of the blessings and joy is being married having a kid etc., and there are certain things that you share with your wife and your family like your car etc. Things which are communal and shared, give it a yin yang philosophy, but things which are truly 100% yours, keep it yours.

The Allure of New Gear vs. The Reality

It’s easy to believe the next camera or lens will instantly elevate your photography. The excitement of unboxing new gear can feel like progress – a rush of dopamine that makes you think you’re becoming a better photographer . Psychologists describe this as a form of retail therapy or even a “hedonic treadmill,” where each purchase gives a short-lived high but soon returns you to your baseline satisfaction . In truth, many find that after the honeymoon period, those nagging creative problems remain unsolved . As one blunt article put it, “someone struggling with muddy lighting won’t suddenly produce luminous portraits just because they bought a 50mm f/1.2… Tools magnify strengths, but they don’t substitute for skills.”

Empirical evidence backs this up. In one illustrative experiment, photographers could not reliably tell apart images from a high-end camera versus a basic one in blind tests, undercutting the obsession with incremental gear “specs” . And while new gear can offer technical advantages, research on happiness suggests we rapidly adapt to those improvements. You might be “on top of the world” right after upgrading, but a day later realize your photos are no better because “your skill still remains at the same level.” Your initial euphoria crashes, and you’re left exactly where you started . In the long run, investing in skill beats investing in gear – progress in craft is gradual and harder-earned, but far more enduring than the instant (and fleeting) gratification of a new toy .

Skill, Vision and Creativity Outweigh Equipment

What actually improves your photography? Mastering fundamentals – composition, lighting, timing, storytelling – matters infinitely more than the name on your camera. “No one cares what knife the chef used to make dinner, except other chefs,” as one analogy goes . The same is true in photography: viewers respond to an image’s impact, not the gear it was shot on. World-renowned photographers emphasize that vision and technique trump tools. Fashion legend Richard Avedon said it succinctly: “It’s not the camera that makes a good picture, but the eye and the mind of the photographer.” Michael Kenna advises newcomers to “get over the camera equipment questions… the make and format of a camera is ultimately low on the priority scale when it comes to making pictures.” In other words, a great photographer can create compelling work with almost any camera, whereas a poor photographer will still take poor photos even with the best gear.

This principle is echoed by countless professionals. Yousuf Karsh, famed portraitist, noted that “memorable photographs have been made with the simplest of cameras using available light.” Nick Knight observed that “the instrument is not the camera but the photographer.” And as visionary educator David duChemin often reminds us, “Gear is good, but vision is better.” Your creative choices – how you see a scene, the story you want to tell, the patience and curiosity you bring – are what truly define an image . A new lens might give you slightly sharper corners or creamier bokeh, but it cannot compose the frame for you, find the emotion in a moment, or infuse meaning into a photograph .

Iconic Images Made with “Outdated” Gear

History proves that extraordinary photographs can be made with ordinary equipment. In fact, “most of the great photographs in history were made with gear that is downright primitive compared to what you own.” Consider the legends of photography: Henri Cartier-Bresson captured timeless street moments with a simple Leica rangefinder – no autofocus, no burst mode, no high ISO – yet his work is celebrated for its composition and timing, not technical perfection . Ansel Adams, whose landscapes still awe viewers, used large-format film cameras with none of today’s automation. His mastery of exposure and light – not a high-tech sensor – produced those sublime images . Robert Capa’s D-Day invasion photos were taken under fire with a modest camera; they came out grainy and blurred (the result of a darkroom accident), but are iconic because of the raw emotion and storytelling they convey .

Every era’s greats worked within technical limitations far below what modern entry-level digital cameras offer, yet their images endure. This underscores a powerful truth: The “fundamentals of photography – vision, creativity, and emotional impact – remain paramount” regardless of gear advances . A compelling subject, skillfully seen and captured, will shine through even if the file is a bit noisy or the camera is old. As one photographer quipped, “A photographer with 10,000 hours of practice and a $100 camera will beat a photographer with 100 hours of practice and a $10,000 camera any day.” Great photographers are remembered for their creative vision, not for the camera in their hands .

It’s telling that even in today’s world, we see stunning work made with smartphones and decades-old film cameras. The Art in photography has never been about having the latest gear – it’s about the imagination and skill behind the lens. Or as Ansel Adams famously put it, “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” In short: it’s the photographer’s eye, heart, and mind that make the photograph, not the camera .

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS): The Trap of Gear Obsession

The compulsive desire to keep buying equipment – known in the community as Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) – is a well-documented pitfall. GAS is often driven by the illusion that one more piece of kit will finally unlock better photos . Marketers and review culture feed this by pushing new releases and fueling FOMO. But as one in-depth analysis noted, “the ultimate cost of gear obsession is the neglect of craft. Time spent arguing on forums or watching endless reviews is time not spent shooting, editing, reflecting, or learning.” Every hour obsessing over the latest specs is an hour not spent practicing your lighting or refining your composition.

Psychologically, GAS can become a coping mechanism. Uncertainties in the creative process cause anxiety, and buying new gear offers a quick hit of reward and a sense of control . Neuroscience writers have explained how acquiring gadgets fires up the brain’s dopamine circuits – literally giving a buzz of pleasure – which can turn into a cycle of craving . However, that “dopamine hit from a purchase is fleeting, but the satisfaction of realizing one’s potential is forever.” Chasing gear can thus lead to constant dissatisfaction: you’re momentarily happy with a new camera, then disappointed when your images are the same, then you crave another upgrade . It’s a treadmill that never resolves the real issue.

Beyond the personal, there’s also a social feedback loop. On photography forums and social media, posts about shiny new gear get tons of attention (likes, envy, discussion), whereas the quiet dedication needed to improve one’s craft gets little fanfare . This can reinforce the false notion that buying stuff equals progress. In reality, growth comes from deliberate practice and learning, not from unboxing another lens. As one satire of this syndrome put it: “Buying gear feels like growth… it’s easier than confronting the hard, invisible work of improving composition, refining editing, or building a sustainable creative process.” We end up equating spending with advancing, which is a dangerous mindset.

The brutal truth is that new gear often just extends what you can already do; it rarely transforms what you cannot do. If you haven’t mastered lighting on your current camera, a new one won’t magically fix that. “When gear becomes the stand-in for progress, growth stalls even as the credit card bills climb.” And ironically, the more money you sink into equipment, the more you might twist your photography around using those expensive toys (to justify them) instead of focusing on creative vision . It’s telling that clients and viewers rarely ask what camera you use – they care about the image itself . Obsessing over gear is largely an internal trap within the photography world, one that can even damage your confidence and reputation if you’re not careful .

Hard Truths and Inspiring Wisdom from the Masters

To shake off gear obsession, it helps to heed the frank advice of seasoned photographers. Here are a few especially spicy truths and inspirational gems that put gear in perspective:

• “Buying a Nikon doesn’t make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner.” – Anonymous. In other words, owning an expensive camera is not an accomplishment; making great photos is. Being a great cook isn’t about owning a fancy oven, and being a great photographer isn’t about owning a fancy camera.
• “Amateurs worry about equipment, professionals worry about time, masters worry about light.” – Anonymous proverb. This reminds us that as one progresses in craft, the focus shifts from what you are shooting with to how and why you are shooting. Light, timing, and vision become the priorities.
• “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” – Robert Capa. While not directly about gear, Capa’s famous line underscores that the photographer’s approach (getting physically and emotionally closer to the subject) matters more than having a powerful zoom or high-end kit.
• “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams. A powerful reminder that creating an image is an active, creative process. The camera doesn’t make the photo; you do, through choices and vision .
• “Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.” – Yousuf Karsh. The real “lens” that shapes a photo is your perception and thought, not the glass on the camera .
• “It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart, and head.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson. Here the master of the “decisive moment” dismisses the notion that the camera itself creates the image . It’s your eye for the moment, your heart for the emotion, and your mind for the story that create great photographs.

Such quotes hit hard because they come from giants who achieved legendary results with very humble tools by today’s standards. They encourage photographers to stop fetishizing equipment and start cultivating vision, patience, and skill. As photographer Ernst Haas joked, “The best zoom lens is your legs.” – meaning, move your feet, change your perspective, engage with your subject, rather than relying on gear gimmicks. All these perspectives reinforce a common theme: photography is about the photographer.

Refocus: Practice and Vision as Your Upgrades

So what truly will “fix” the core problems in your photography if not a new camera? The answer lies in education, practice, and creative experimentation. The path to mastery is paved with time and effort: taking thousands of photos, learning from mistakes, studying light and art, and developing a unique voice . Every great photographer you admire got there through iteration and intentional growth, not because they found a magic camera.

Instead of pouring money into gear, consider investing in experiences and knowledge – workshops, books, travel, or simply more time shooting. As one guide on overcoming GAS put it, stop upgrading your camera until you’ve “squeezed everything” out of your current one and upgraded your knowledge first . When you hit real technical limitations (e.g. you absolutely need a certain feature for a specific kind of work), you’ll know, and then gear can be acquired deliberately to serve your vision . But until then, your current camera is more capable than you think – likely more capable than the cameras that shot most of the world’s famous photos!

Remember that no camera can teach you to see. A new lens won’t automatically give you better compositions; a new body won’t suddenly find better light. Those come from you. Legendary war photographer Don McCullin once said, “I can’t claim to have taken any picture with my new camera that I couldn’t have taken with my old one.” The lesson: changing cameras doesn’t change who you are as a photographer. Only learning and pushing yourself creatively can do that.

Finally, keep perspective on why we do photography. It’s not to have the most toys – it’s to express, to tell stories, to capture moments, to create art. Chasing gear for its own sake can distract from that purpose. As a wise voice noted, “getting that shot you wanted is far more satisfying (and cheaper) than purchasing another piece of gear.” When you nail a photograph – one that resonates, that you’re proud of – the specs of the camera fade away. The fulfillment comes from knowing you made that image, not what camera you used.

Inspiration and growth come from passion and practice, not purchases. So the next time you find yourself thinking a new camera will solve your plateau, pause and consider: is it really the gear, or could it be your skills and creative approach that need the upgrade? The greatest investment in your photography is within you, not in your bag. As the saying goes: when asked what equipment he uses, a wise photographer answered, “My eyes.” Focus on seeing, learning, and creating – those are the “core problems” worth fixing, and no credit card required.

References: The insights and quotations above draw from a wide range of photography experts, studies, and thought leaders. Key sources include professional articles on Fstoppers highlighting the overrated impact of gear and the “cult of gear” in photography , psychological analyses of Gear Acquisition Syndrome , and inspirational interviews with master photographers in venues like Popular Photography and Photogpedia . Historical anecdotes about Cartier-Bresson, Adams, Capa and others underscore that iconic work has long been created with basic equipment . Even community voices from Petapixel and DIYPhotography stress that craft trumps tech – a truth backed both by empirical tests and the hard-won wisdom of experience . The consensus is clear and empowering: your vision is the ultimate gear. No camera purchase can replace the photograph you see in your mind and heart – only you can develop that. So pick up whatever camera you have, and go make something amazing with it. Your future portfolio will thank you, not for the gear you bought, but for the stories you told with it. 

— Medium Format Mindset, Maximum Presence —

1. THE STREETS DESERVE REVERENCE

Street photography isn’t about snapping — it’s about seeing.

It’s not about catching fleeting “moments” — it’s about engraving eternity into pixels.

The GFX forces you to slow down.

To breathe.

To wait.

To listen to the city breathe back.

When you walk with the GFX, you’re not a tourist — you’re a seer.

You don’t hunt the street — you become the street.

Medium format transforms every corner, every reflection, every passing stranger into myth.

The world becomes cinematic. The mundane becomes monumental.

2. PRESENCE OVER SPEED

The GFX isn’t fast — it’s inevitable.

Each shot feels like fate.

While others spray 100 frames per minute, you wait.

You align geometry, shadow, soul — and you press once.

That single image carries the weight of ten thousand casual snaps.

Slow is smooth.

Smooth is divine.

Medium format is the philosopher’s pace of photography.

3. THE SILENCE OF THE SHUTTER = INVISIBLE MONK MODE

The leaf shutter of the GFX is a whisper.

It lets you move through crowds like a ghost monk of light.

You blend in. You disappear. You become energy.

You can photograph humans in their rawest, truest, unfiltered essence — because they don’t sense you as predator.

They sense you as presence.

4. COLOR LIKE MEMORY, TONALITY LIKE EMOTION

The GFX renders the world like a dream you once lived.

FUJIFILM color science turns Los Angeles sunlight into gold dust,

Tokyo neon into liquid emotion,

Paris rain into cinematic melancholy.

The tones are not “accurate” — they are poetic.

Street photography isn’t documentation.

It’s alchemy.

The GFX turns light into nostalgia, motion into mythology.

5. WHY SIZE IS GOOD — THE STREET AS STAGE

Most think a big camera is a disadvantage.

They’re wrong.

The GFX commands respect.

When you raise it, people know something important is happening.

The street becomes a stage,

and every subject, from a dog walker to a street vendor, stands taller —

as if they subconsciously know they are entering the archive of eternity.

The GFX has gravitas.

It’s not stealth — it’s sovereignty.

6. GFX = COMPOSITION MEDITATION DEVICE

The massive viewfinder is a portal.

You’re no longer looking through glass — you’re inside the scene.

You see lines you never noticed before.

Light behaves differently.

You compose like a painter, not a sniper.

Every shot feels deliberate, sacred, monumental.

This is not street photography — this is street architecture.

7. THE NEW PARADIGM: DIGITAL STOICISM

The GFX embodies a new ethos: Digital Stoicism.

Fewer photos, deeper meaning.

Slower process, eternal results.

Less “content,” more truth.

In the age of the algorithm, shooting GFX is the ultimate rebellion.

It’s saying: I will not rush. I will not pander. I will see.

8. FINAL LAW — THE ERIC KIM GFX STREET COMMANDMENT

“In every crowd, there is one truth waiting to be seen.

Medium format reveals it.”

Street photography is not about chasing chaos — it’s about distilling cosmos.

And the FUJIFILM GFX is the philosopher’s stone that turns chaos into order, pixels into presence.

TAGLINE:

The streets don’t need more photos. They need prophets.

TAGS / KEYWORDS:

ERIC KIM, FUJIFILM GFX, Street Photography, Medium Format, Philosophy of Vision, Urban Zen, Slow Photography, Color Science, Digital Stoicism, Presence, Cinematic Streets

Would you like me to write the follow-up essay —

“The GFX Street Manifesto: How to Walk the City Like a God Monk”?

That would push this vision into a hyper-spiritual, field-manual form.

Why? In a world in which obviously the AI’s can do everything better than you… Then it just comes down to it — we just do it because we like doing it? 

bitcoin has 100% up time, whereas Amazon Web services only has 99.9%

For example, if you want to be faithful to your wife you cannot like be faithful to her 99.99% of the time, it has to be 100% or nothing.

So this is a big problem with Amazon web services, I wonder if actually, bitcoin because it’s 100% up time forever,  it will eventually surpass Amazon Web servers 

Do you want to dominate the AI game and become the ChatGPT power user everyone looks up to? This high-energy guide will show you how. ChatGPT already has over 180 million users worldwide , but only a bold few are unlocking its full potential. By mastering ChatGPT across productivity, creativity, coding, marketing, education, and entrepreneurship, creating your own custom GPTs, and building a personal brand around AI, you can go from casual user to unstoppable force. This blueprint lays out clear steps, insider tips, and growth hacks to help you claim the #1 spot in all things ChatGPT. Let’s dive in!

Harnessing ChatGPT effectively can skyrocket your productivity and creative output.

1. Master ChatGPT as Your All-Purpose Power Tool

To be #1, you must master using ChatGPT in every area of your life and work. ChatGPT is your multitool for productivity, creativity, coding, marketing, learning and more. Here’s how to level up your usage in each domain:

Productivity: Work Smarter with AI

Leverage ChatGPT as a tireless assistant to streamline your daily workflow. Have it draft email responses, meeting agendas, or report outlines to save time. For example, use it to write a quick introduction or summary for an email or blog post – just provide details and let the AI do the first draft . It can also translate text instantly or condense long documents so you get information faster . Automate routine tasks: ask ChatGPT to generate to-do checklists, schedule templates, or even set reminders (via plugins or integrations). One power move is using ChatGPT to plan your day or prioritize tasks – treat it like a personal organizer. The result? You free up time for high-value work while ChatGPT handles the busywork 24/7 without breaking a sweat.

Pro Tips: Be specific about what you need (e.g. “Draft a polite 3-paragraph email asking for project updates, in a casual tone”). Set context like your role or audience so ChatGPT can tailor outputs appropriately. Also, keep separate chats or personas for different projects to maintain focus – for instance, one chat for project A and another for project B. This way, each conversation stays on-topic and ChatGPT maintains the right tone and context . Power users even create custom GPT personas for recurring tasks (more on that later), which keeps your productivity pipeline organized and efficient.

Creativity: Unleash Ideas on Demand

Tap ChatGPT as your brainstorming partner and creative muse. Stuck on a problem or facing writer’s block? Fire up ChatGPT to generate a cascade of ideas. For instance, if you need campaign ideas or product names, prompt ChatGPT with the background and ask for a list of imaginative options. It excels at content ideation – whether it’s suggesting plot twists for your story, concepts for a painting, or topics for your next blog post. In a meeting and need fresh input fast? Open ChatGPT in another window to brainstorm solutions or talking points in bullet form . You’ll get a rapid list of ideas to build on.

To supercharge creativity, role-play with ChatGPT: tell it to act as a witty poet, a marketing genius, or a game designer, depending on your task. By assigning it a creative persona, you get responses in that voice which can spur your own imagination. Always remember to add your personal touch – use ChatGPT’s suggestions as a springboard and refine them with your unique perspective. The combo of AI’s infinite idea generation and your judgment creates magic. No more staring at blank pages – ChatGPT keeps the creative juices flowing.

Coding: Develop Faster with an AI Pair Programmer

Make ChatGPT your coding co-pilot. It can generate code snippets, algorithms, or even entire functions on command, acting like a seasoned developer who’s always available. Use it to brainstorm solutions: describe the programming task in detail and ask for an approach or pseudocode. ChatGPT can outline the steps before you even start coding. Stuck on a bug? Paste the error message or problematic code and let it debug or suggest fixes. It will explain what might be wrong and how to fix it, saving you hours of frustration. In fact, many developers report that GPT-4 has become shockingly good at coding help  – often catching mistakes and proposing optimizations that speed up development.

For best results, craft your prompts like you’re talking to a senior engineer. Provide context about the code’s purpose, and even request a certain style. For example: “You are an expert Python developer. Write an efficient function to sort a list of dictionaries by a given key.” By assigning ChatGPT an expert persona and clear task, you’ll get higher-quality, well-structured code . When debugging, ask it to explain step-by-step – this helps you learn and verifies the logic. Another power feature is ChatGPT’s built-in code execution: with Advanced Data Analysis (formerly Code Interpreter), it can run Python code in a sandbox . This means you can have ChatGPT write and execute code to test it or analyze data on the fly! For instance, you can upload a dataset and let ChatGPT’s Python skills generate insights or charts for you. Always double-check the outputs and do your own testing (AI can make mistakes), but used wisely, ChatGPT will dramatically accelerate your coding workflow. You’ll be shipping projects faster than ever, effectively working with an AI pair programmer who writes, reviews, and refactors code alongside you .

Marketing: Scale Your Reach and Creativity

In marketing, ChatGPT is the ultimate growth hack. It can ideate and produce content at scale, giving your campaigns a creative edge. Use it to generate social media posts, ad copy, blog ideas, and more in seconds. For example, if you need a week’s worth of Twitter content or Instagram captions, prompt ChatGPT with your topic and brand voice – it will spit out a batch of catchy posts ready to refine. Brainstorming a campaign? ChatGPT can act as your creative team, pitching slogans, angles, even storyboards. Marketers also use it for rapid A/B testing of copy: ask for 10 variations of a headline or CTA, then pick the best . It can generate dozens of email subject lines or product descriptions on the fly, injecting fresh ideas into your marketing materials .

ChatGPT isn’t just a content mill – it’s also a strategist. You can have it analyze your target audience or even perform a quick market research summary. For instance, ask “What are current trends in [your industry], and how can a new entrant stand out?” and it will outline key trends, customer pain points, and possible differentiators. It won’t have live data, but it’s great for synthesizing known information. It can even help with competitor analysis by comparing marketing approaches (just feed it what you know about competitors). By automating content creation and getting strategic insights, you’ll execute marketing tasks in a fraction of the time. 51% of marketers are already using generative AI like ChatGPT , so to be #1 you need to go beyond. Use ChatGPT to do what others do faster and then add your own creative twist that machines can’t. The result: more content, more campaigns, and more engagement – achieved with less grind. (Just remember to keep your content human-reviewed so it truly resonates!)

Education: Learn and Teach with an AI Tutor

ChatGPT is a game-changer for both learning new things and teaching others. As a learner, treat it as your on-demand tutor. You can ask it to explain complex concepts in simple terms, or even “explain like I’m 5” for a ultra-basic breakdown. For example, if you’re grappling with a difficult topic (say quantum physics or advanced economics), prompt ChatGPT to give a step-by-step explanation or a real-world analogy. It will patiently walk you through the concept as many times as needed, without any judgment. You can also have it quiz you: “Create a 5-question quiz to test my understanding of this concept, and then provide the correct answers and explanations.” This turns studying into an interactive session. Learning a new language? Use ChatGPT to practice by having simple conversations or asking it to explain grammar rules and give examples. The AI’s knowledge is vast, so you have a tutor for any subject at your fingertips.

For educators and content creators, ChatGPT can dramatically speed up prep work. Use it to draft lesson plans, lecture outlines, or educational content tailored to any level. Provide the learning objectives and audience (e.g. “Create a lesson plan about photosynthesis for 8th graders, 30-minute class”) and let ChatGPT produce a structured plan with activities and discussion points. Many teachers have found that ChatGPT can generate detailed lesson frameworks in seconds – one study showed teachers saved about 25 minutes per week (a 31% reduction in planning time) by using AI for lesson prep . It’s like having a teaching assistant who can whip up worksheets, quiz questions, or even simplify complex text for different reading levels. When communicating with parents or students, you can draft emails or announcements with ChatGPT’s help, ensuring professionalism and clarity (just infuse your personal tone in a final edit).

Important: In an education setting, always review and verify AI-generated content for accuracy and appropriateness – use ChatGPT as a starting point, then apply your expertise. When you master this balance, you’ll provide high-quality education materials faster than ever, establishing yourself as a forward-thinking educator. Whether you’re a student or teacher, integrating ChatGPT into learning means continuous improvement at lightning speed, helping you stay ahead of the curve.

Entrepreneurship: Innovate and Lead with AI

For entrepreneurs and business leaders, ChatGPT is like having a consultant, analyst, and intern all in one. It can boost nearly every aspect of your business. Use it for big-picture thinking: for instance, ask ChatGPT to conduct a SWOT analysis for your startup idea or existing business. Feed it details about your business and market, and it will outline strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats – a great way to uncover angles you hadn’t considered . It won’t know your business intimately, but by providing context you’ll get a solid strategic overview to refine with your team. ChatGPT can also help with market research and competitive intel. Prompt it with information about a competitor and ask what their next moves might be, or have it summarize trends in your industry. While you should verify with real data, the AI’s analysis can broaden your perspective and prepare you for strategic decisions .

On an operational level, leverage ChatGPT to streamline business processes. You can generate draft business plans, investor pitch decks (outline the sections and content, then polish the wording), and even customer support scripts or FAQs. Many small business owners use ChatGPT to outline SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) or first drafts of training manuals. For example, ask it: “Outline an employee onboarding process for a new hire at a software company” – it will produce a step-by-step onboarding plan which you can then customize. This saves tons of time in creating internal documents. In fact, incorporating ChatGPT into employee training programs can provide instant Q&A for trainees and create new tutorials or quizzes on the fly . It’s like an interactive handbook available to your team 24/7. Additionally, use ChatGPT to improve your internal and external communication. It can translate technical jargon into plain language for a non-technical team, draft memos or announcement emails, and ensure your message is clear and engaging .

When it comes to innovation, treat ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner for product ideas or improvements. Challenge it with problems you’ve observed (“Customers hate waiting in line”) and ask for creative solutions – it may suggest service tweaks or product features that spark your next big pivot. Bold entrepreneurs even use ChatGPT for scenario planning: e.g. “What might happen if a new competitor enters my market with XYZ approach, and how could we respond?” The AI will outline possible scenarios and responses, helping you mentally rehearse challenges and opportunities. By integrating ChatGPT deeply into your business strategy and operations, you’ll move faster and smarter than the competition. You’re essentially adding an AI brain to your core team – one that can generate ideas, content, and analysis on demand. The result is a massive acceleration in your ability to plan, execute, and adapt in your business, positioning you (and your company) as a dominant force in the market.

Insider Insight: Throughout all these domains, the key to mastery is iterative prompting and feedback. Don’t settle for the first answer if it’s not spot-on. Refine your prompt, or ask ChatGPT to adjust the output (“Please make it shorter and more casual” or “Give me 3 more options with a humorous tone”). High achievers use ChatGPT in a loop – they prompt, review, clarify or tweak, and prompt again – effectively training the AI to produce exactly what they envision. Also, always apply your human judgment. ChatGPT can sometimes produce incorrect information or odd suggestions. Always double-check crucial facts and numbers (your reputation depends on accuracy) . Think of ChatGPT as an immensely capable assistant: it will do 90% of the grunt work in seconds, but you provide the critical 10% finesse and oversight that makes the output truly top-tier.

2. Create a High-Performing Custom GPT (Be the Builder, Not Just a User)

True ChatGPT masters don’t just use AI tools – they build their own. OpenAI’s platform now lets you create Custom GPTs (your personal AI chatbots with specific skills and personalities). Imagine having an AI you designed, under your brand/name, that others use and love. That’s a fast track to being #1 in the ChatGPT ecosystem. Here’s how to craft a top-performing GPT that could even hit the “Top GPTs” Explore page:

The ChatGPT “Explore” page allows creating and browsing custom GPTs (user-built AI assistants). You can design a GPT for any specific purpose or niche.

Understand the Opportunity: OpenAI introduced user-made GPTs in Nov 2023, allowing anyone to create custom versions of ChatGPT with tailored instructions, knowledge, or tools . Since then, thousands have been built – by end of 2024 there were over 159,000 public GPTs published . However, only a small fraction gain significant traction (most have few users). This is your chance to join the elite ranks by building a GPT that stands out. Whether it’s a StudyBuddyGPT that aces homework help, a CodeMentorGPT specialized in debugging, or a fun RecipeGuruGPT for foodies – a successful GPT can get millions of uses and cement your status as a top creator. The key is to identify a real need or brilliant niche idea and execute it well.

Step 1: Pick Your Niche & Value Proposition. Start with a clear purpose: what will your GPT do, and for whom? The most popular GPTs solve specific problems or offer unique experiences. Perhaps you’ve noticed a gap – e.g., entrepreneurs need better financial planning help, or gamers want an RPG story generator. Maybe you have expertise (legal, medical, etc.) and can encode that into a GPT. Choose something you’re passionate and knowledgeable about, because you’ll refine this GPT to perfection. The idea should be valuable (saves time, entertains, educates, etc.) and ideally something that generic ChatGPT doesn’t do out-of-the-box. Bold move: Aim high – design your GPT as if it could replace a basic job role or become the go-to assistant in its category (e.g., “Social Media Post Generator”, “Personal Fitness Coach GPT”, etc.).

Step 2: Use the GPT Builder – No Coding Needed. OpenAI’s interface makes creation simple. Go to the Explore page in ChatGPT and click “Create a GPT” . This opens the GPT Builder, which has two parts: Create (a natural language setup) and Configure (fine-tuning settings). In the Create tab, you’ll start by describing in plain English what your GPT should be. For example: “An AI financial advisor that gives budget planning and investment tips to young professionals.” The builder will often ask a few questions to help flesh out the idea. After that, head to Configure to tweak the details .

When configuring, you’ll define key elements: a Name (make it catchy and clear), a Description (this is what users will see in the GPT store – sell it in one line), and most importantly, Instructions. Instructions are essentially your GPT’s brain – you’ll input system-level guidelines for how it should behave and what knowledge it should use. Write instructions that are as detailed and specific as necessary. Include the scope of what it can do (e.g., “You are an AI tutor specialized in high school math and science. You can access formulas and explain concepts step-by-step…”), the tone or style it should have (friendly, formal, humorous, etc.), and formatting preferences for answers if any. Essentially, transfer your expertise and desired behavior into these instructions so the GPT consistently delivers the experience you envision  .

Step 3: Add Knowledge and Skills. This is the secret sauce that makes your custom GPT powerful. Beyond its base AI model, you can upload reference content or enable tools to give it superpowers . For example, upload PDFs or text files containing relevant knowledge (company manuals, textbook chapters, product catalogs, your own writing, etc.). These become the GPT’s private knowledge base it can pull facts from – massively reducing hallucinations and improving accuracy. If you’re building “FitnessCoachGPT”, you might upload workout guides or nutrition tables so it has credible info to cite. Next, toggle on any built-in tools that fit your GPT’s purpose. You can allow web browsing, so the GPT can fetch current info (great for newsy or research GPTs). You can enable Code Interpreter (Advanced Data Analysis) so it can run code or do math – useful for data-heavy or analytical assistants  . You might enable image generation (DALL-E) if visuals are relevant (e.g. an interior design GPT that suggests room layouts and generates example images). Choose tools that genuinely enhance your GPT’s utility. Many top GPTs integrate web search or specific plugins to extend what they can do beyond a vanilla chatbot  .

For truly advanced functionality, you can even add custom Actions (API integrations) – essentially like creating your own plugin. This requires linking an external API via an OpenAPI spec. For instance, if you build a “CryptoGPT” you might connect it to a live crypto prices API so it can give real-time quotes. The GPT builder lets you add such actions by providing the API details . This is optional, but a killer feature if your GPT needs external data or the ability to perform transactions (imagine a GPT that can place orders or book appointments via an API!). It’s how you give your GPT unique capabilities that few others have . If you’re not a coder, you can skip custom APIs – you’ll still have plenty of power with knowledge uploads and built-in tools.

Step 4: Test and Refine for Excellence. Before sharing your GPT with the world, rigorously test it. Treat it as a product in beta. Try a variety of questions and tasks to see how it responds. Does it stick to its specialization? Are the answers accurate and helpful? If you find weaknesses – e.g. it gives a wrong answer from outdated data or it doesn’t follow the desired tone – go back into the instructions or add more knowledge to correct that. Iteratively refine the prompt and settings. You might need to adjust the system message to handle edge cases (like “If asked something outside your domain, politely refuse” to keep it focused). Also consider the user experience: are the responses too verbose or too terse? You can adjust that in instructions (e.g. “Give answers in 2-3 short paragraphs maximum.”). Aim for a balance of accuracy, clarity, and personality – top GPTs often have a bit of flair (a catchy assistant persona) while delivering solid value. If possible, have friends or colleagues try it out and give feedback on quality.

Step 5: Publish and Promote. Once you’re proud of your GPT’s performance, hit Save/Publish. You can choose to keep it private (just for you or your team) or make it public on the GPT Explore page for the community . To climb the ranks, public is the way to go – but only do this when your GPT truly shines. A polished GPT with a clear name and description will attract users in the Explore listings. The ranking algorithm isn’t public, but it likely factors in usage and user ratings. In the early days, GPTs with tens of millions of conversations and tens of thousands of upvotes dominated . Now, newer GPTs can rise if they get rapid engagement. Encourage people who try it to leave a good rating if it helped them. A surge of happy users gives your GPT momentum.

Don’t just wait for organic discovery – promote your GPT externally (more on this in the next section). Share the direct link on social media, in relevant forums, or with communities who would benefit. For example, if you built a coding helper GPT, post about it on a programming forum or in a developer Slack group. Not only will you get users, you’ll build your reputation as the creator of that cool GPT. Keep an eye on usage stats (OpenAI may provide some analytics for your GPTs) and feedback. Continue updating your GPT to improve it – treat it like a living product. This commitment to quality will show, as your GPT maintains high ratings and usage over time.

Aim for the Top: To be a widely used GPT, yours should ideally do something measurably better than the default ChatGPT. Either it’s more knowledgeable in a niche, more convenient for a certain task, or more fun. Study the current top GPTs for inspiration: you’ll find examples like “ScholarGPT” for academic research, “HackerNews GPT” for news summaries, “Travel Guide” GPTs, etc. Notice what they do well and where you can differentiate  . Perhaps your GPT combines skills in a novel way (e.g. a “Language Tutor GPT” that can teach Spanish with images, quizzes and conversation practice – using a combo of tools and persona). Innovate and don’t be afraid to push the envelope. Being #1 means you set the trend. Who knows – your custom GPT might become the next big thing on the platform, with thousands of users relying on it daily. That not only boosts your cred in the ChatGPT world, but if you attach your name/brand to it, it’s a massive personal branding win too.

3. Maximize Your Visibility and Reach

It’s not enough to build skills and great custom GPTs – you need to get noticed. To truly become #1, you must build an audience and community around your ChatGPT expertise and creations. This section is all about growth hacks, promotion, and networking to amplify your reach:

Become a Recognized Expert in Communities

Join and actively participate in AI and ChatGPT communities where enthusiasts and professionals gather. The more you share and engage, the more you’ll be seen as a go-to person. Start with Reddit – r/ChatGPT (with 1.8+ million members) is the biggest hub for prompt engineering discussions . Share useful tips, answer newbie questions, and humbly showcase cool things you’ve done with ChatGPT (a clever prompt you designed, or results from your custom GPT). There’s also r/PromptEngineering for more specialized prompt craft talks, and subreddits for specific domains (e.g. r/Marketing, r/Entrepreneur) where you can drop nuggets of how you use ChatGPT to solve problems in those fields. Be genuine and helpful – no spam. Over time, people will start recognizing your username and expertise.

Dive into Discord and Slack communities as well. OpenAI has an official Discord server with channels for discussions, and other popular Discords like FlowGPT (one of the largest prompt-sharing communities) or Prompt Engineering Hub are goldmines for networking  . Attend community-run events, prompt contests, or hackathons (some communities host prompt battles or “build-a-GPT” competitions). By collaborating and competing, you’ll sharpen your skills and get your name out there.

Don’t overlook platforms like Stack Exchange (the AI section) or Quora – people ask many ChatGPT-related questions there. Provide insightful answers (with your own twist or example) and you can attract followers outside the core tech crowd. Consistency is key: make it a habit to contribute regularly. When you release something cool (like a new GPT or a guide), these communities will be the first to amplify it if you’ve built goodwill. Essentially, you’re planting seeds in every community – soon, you’ll be known across subreddits and Discords as “that ChatGPT guru who always has great advice.”

Share Your Work and Give Value on Social Media

Leverage the power of social networks to increase your visibility. Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube – find the platforms where your target audience hangs out and establish a presence there, showcasing your ChatGPT journey. For example, on Twitter/X you could share daily prompt tips or interesting use-cases (“ChatGPT hack of the day…”). These bite-sized tips can go viral in the tech and productivity circles. LinkedIn is great for more professional storytelling: write posts about how you solved a business problem using ChatGPT or a case study of implementing an AI strategy. This attracts entrepreneurs, execs, and recruiters who might seek your expertise.

Show, don’t just tell. People love seeing results. Did you use ChatGPT to write a 1000-word article in 15 minutes? Maybe post a before-and-after snippet. Did your custom GPT hit 10k users? Share that milestone and what users are saying. By celebrating your wins (and even lessons from failures), you demonstrate credibility. Also, consider starting a dedicated “ChatGPT Mastery” blog or newsletter. You can do this on Medium, Substack, or your own website. Write deep-dives on prompt engineering techniques, or “How to use ChatGPT for X” guides. Over time, this content will draw an audience (it’s great for SEO too – many people search for ChatGPT tips). Citations and evidence of your claims (like saving time or boosting productivity) will make your content stand out as trustworthy.

A high-leverage move is creating video content. YouTube is the #1 social traffic source for ChatGPT-related interest , meaning people flock to YouTube to learn about AI. Start a YouTube channel where you give prompt tutorials, or demo your custom GPTs in action. For example, a screen recording showing how your “TravelPlannerGPT” builds a full itinerary in 2 minutes can captivate viewers. You don’t need fancy equipment – clear audio and screen sharing of ChatGPT is enough. If you’re comfortable on camera, even better: let people see the person behind the expertise. You could also do quick TikTok or Instagram Reels: “3 ChatGPT tricks in 30 seconds” – these can reach a huge audience quickly due to shareability. As you create content, always include a call-to-action for viewers to try your GPT or follow you for more tips. Over time, these channels compound your reach and funnel more people into your circle of influence.

Collaborate and Network to Amplify

To expand your reach further, collaborate with others in the AI and tech space. Appear on podcasts or webinars talking about ChatGPT mastery (many tech YouTubers and podcasters are looking for AI experts to interview – you can pitch yourself once you have some content to show). Guest post on popular blogs or publications – for example, write an article for a marketing blog about “Top 5 ChatGPT Hacks for Marketers” (plugging your own insights and GPT in the process), or an entrepreneurship site about “How AI can accelerate startup growth”. This exposes you to new audiences and builds credibility through association.

Joining or forming a mastermind group with like-minded AI enthusiasts can also help. You share each other’s content, cross-promote on social media, and keep motivated. If you build a really useful GPT, consider partnering with a brand or community to get it out there – for instance, a coding forum might feature your CodeGPT if it helps their members, or a language learning community might adopt your translation GPT. Think outside the box: you could offer to run a free workshop or live demo for a community (e.g., a live Q&A where you show how to solve audience problems using ChatGPT in real-time). This not only helps people (instant value) but also showcases your expertise in action.

Key tip: Always provide value first. Instead of “Please use my GPT!”, frame it as “Here’s something that will save you 2 hours – I built an AI tool that…”. When people benefit, they’ll naturally share it. Also, be responsive and engage with your growing audience. Reply to comments, thank people for feedback, and keep improving your offerings. This human touch in a world of AI content will set you apart. People follow individuals who are not only skilled but also authentic and helpful.

Optimize Your Presence on the ChatGPT Platform

Within ChatGPT itself, ensure your contributions are easily discoverable. If you have public GPTs, optimize their title and description with keywords so users can find them via search. For example, if someone searches “email writer” in the GPT store, your GPT named “Email Assistant – Polished Business Emails” will rank higher than something with a vague name. The description should clearly state what it does and any special features. Keep it concise and compelling – this is effectively ad copy to convince someone to try it.

Encourage satisfied users to leave positive reviews/upvotes for your GPTs. High ratings and usage will push your GPT up the popularity lists. If your GPT is solving a genuine need, don’t be shy to ask: e.g., a simple note like “If you found this GPT helpful, please give it a thumbs up so more people discover it!” can boost engagement. Also stay active on the OpenAI forum and feedback channels. Often, top GPT creators are invited to share insights or even collaborate on improvements. By being at the forefront, you might get early access to new features that can give you an edge (imagine being the first to integrate a new API or use a new 32k-token model in your GPT).

Lastly, track what works and double down. If you notice one particular blog post or tweet got massive engagement, analyze why and do more of that. If a certain community is super receptive to your content (say, a Facebook group for educators loved your “ChatGPT for Teachers” guide), continue contributing there and build your reputation in that niche. Over time, these pockets of influence combine, and your name will become synonymous with ChatGPT excellence.

Consider Monetization (Optional but Powerful)

While your primary goal is mastery and reach, monetizing some of your ChatGPT-related work can both earn income and elevate your status. Examples: create a premium course or e-book on advanced ChatGPT techniques. By 2025, many are willing to pay to learn AI skills – if you are truly #1, people will want to learn from you. Platforms like Udemy, Gumroad, or Teachable can host your course. Even a short PDF guide of “100 Proven ChatGPT Prompts for Entrepreneurs” could sell well. This not only makes money but cements you as an authority (someone selling expertise is perceived as an expert, and success stories from your students will further bolster your reputation).

You can also freelance or consult using your ChatGPT skills. Offer services like AI prompt engineering consulting or ChatGPT workflow automation for businesses. Early adopters in various industries need guidance to implement AI – you can be the expert they hire. Imagine being “Head of AI Enablement” for several companies on a contract basis, where you train their staff and set up ChatGPT systems for them. Not only is this lucrative, but each successful engagement is a case study you can publicize (with permission) to gain more clout.

If your custom GPTs are particularly valuable, you might charge for access or usage through OpenAI’s system (when that becomes available). For example, a specialized legal advisor GPT could be offered as a paid service. Or you integrate your GPT into a simple web app and put a subscription on it. This crosses into entrepreneurship, but it’s the ultimate flex: you’ve built something with ChatGPT that people will pay for. Few others reach that level, putting you firmly at the top of the game.

Remember: Visibility is compounding. The more people see your name attached to high-quality content and tools, the more doors open. Keep delivering value, stay authentic, and your influence in the ChatGPT world will skyrocket.

4. Leverage ChatGPT for Brand and Business Dominance

This final piece of the puzzle is about translating your ChatGPT mastery into long-term personal brand authority and business dominance. It’s where you go from being a skilled user/creator to an industry leader supercharged by AI. Here’s how to make ChatGPT an integral part of your brand and strategy:

Establish Your Personal “AI Brand”

By now, you’ve likely carved out a niche – whether it’s “the person who uses ChatGPT for marketing like a boss” or “the developer who builds amazing GPT tools”. Reinforce this branding in all your channels. Update your bios on LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., to reflect your ChatGPT expertise (e.g., “AI Prompt Engineer & Top ChatGPT GPT Creator”). When someone thinks “Who can help me implement AI in my workflow?”, your name should spring to mind.

Continue sharing success stories of how you or others benefited from your ChatGPT skills. Perhaps write a full case study on a major achievement (e.g., how you used ChatGPT to grow a startup’s sales by 30%, or how your custom GPT got 100,000 users). Publish it on your blog or LinkedIn article – these stories both inspire others and function as portfolio pieces demonstrating your capabilities. Speaking engagements can also massively boost your personal brand: apply to speak at industry conferences or webinars about AI. Even local business events or online meetups are great; many organizations are looking for experts to demystify AI for their audience. You could present “The Future of Work with AI – How I became 10x more productive with ChatGPT” or similar. Public speaking not only cements your authority but often leads to new connections and clients.

Stay updated on the latest from OpenAI and the AI world (which you likely do as an enthusiast). When new features drop (like a GPT-5 model, or new plugin capabilities), be among the first to experiment and comment on them publicly. This makes you a thought leader on the cutting edge. For instance, if GPT-5 launches with new abilities, write a quick analysis or do a video that day on how it impacts your field. Early insights get shared widely. As you build this thought leadership, your personal brand evolves from “ChatGPT expert” to “AI innovator and leader”.

Integrate ChatGPT Into Your Business or Startup (and dominate)

If you run a business or are starting one, ChatGPT should be woven into its DNA to give you an unbeatable edge. Use it internally to scale your operations efficiently – we discussed making SOPs, handling support drafts, etc. The more you automate via ChatGPT, the leaner and faster your business can move compared to competitors. For example, if competitors take a week to produce content or analyze data, but you do it in a day with ChatGPT helping, you can outpace them consistently. Emphasize in your business narrative that you leverage cutting-edge AI – this is attractive to investors, clients, and partners, as it signals you’re forward-thinking and efficient.

Consider offering AI-enhanced services. Whatever your business does, think how AI can add value for your customers. If you’re a marketing agency, use ChatGPT to provide clients with instant content drafts or AI-powered campaign ideas (they’ll love the fast turnaround). If you’re in consulting, use it to crunch data or simulate scenarios live during meetings. By delivering results faster and perhaps even cheaper (since AI saves time), you’ll start pulling ahead in customer satisfaction and capacity. You can take on more projects without more staff, scaling your revenues.

Moreover, position your business as a leader in AI adoption in your industry. Publish insights not just under your name but as company whitepapers or blog posts (“How [Your Company] uses AI to deliver better results”). This helps in PR – media might feature you as an example of innovative AI use. Awards or recognition may follow, further establishing dominance.

If you’re still solo or just building your venture, treat ChatGPT as your startup team. It’s like having marketing, finance, and engineering assistants on call. You can brainstorm product ideas, write code prototypes, draft pitches, all with AI’s help, meaning you can iterate rapidly. This lets you punch above your weight and compete with larger players. Many new startups in 2025 are “AI-first” – by being #1 in ChatGPT, you already have that advantage built-in.

Maintain High Standards and Ethics

Dominance isn’t just about volume and speed – it’s also about trust and quality. As you leverage ChatGPT widely, maintain a high standard of integrity. Always verify critical information in business contexts (financial figures, legal advice, etc.) before acting, to avoid AI-induced errors. Incorporate human review in your processes where needed. When you produce content or tools with AI, ensure they are accurate and fair. This will distinguish you in a landscape where some may cut corners by blindly trusting AI outputs.

Be transparent (to a reasonable degree) about your use of AI. Clients and audiences appreciate honesty that some content was AI-assisted when appropriate. For example, if you auto-generate parts of a report, you might mention that you used an AI tool you developed to gather initial data, and then you validated it. This openness can enhance your credibility – you’re not just using AI, you’ve mastered it to a point where you even discuss it confidently.

Also, consider the broader impact: as a top figure in the ChatGPT space, you’ll be seen as a representative of AI’s potential. Uphold ethical use – don’t engage in shady prompt hacking, plagiarism with AI, or misuse of the tech. Champion responsible AI use (for instance, discouraging cheating in education or respecting privacy when using user data with AI). This will make your brand respected and trusted, not just famous. In the long run, trust is what sustains dominance. People will prefer to work with and follow someone who consistently demonstrates wisdom in using powerful tools.

Scale Your Influence and Offerings

You’ve built a brand, integrated AI into what you do, and things are humming. Now think scale. Could you create a team or community around your methods? Perhaps hire or mentor juniors to use ChatGPT under your guidance, extending your capacity. You might start an official online community or forum where people share success stories and tips inspired by your approach. This community can have your branding (like “[YourName] AI Innovators Club”). As it grows, it feeds a cycle: more success stories attributed to you, more content to share, more business referrals, etc.

Look for partnerships. Maybe co-create a course with a well-known platform, or partner with a software company to integrate your GPT or prompts into their product. For example, if you made a fantastic copywriting GPT, a content platform might integrate it (with attribution). These partnerships can dramatically increase your reach to user bases you’d otherwise not touch.

Keep innovating. The AI field evolves quickly. Stay not one, but two steps ahead. Experiment with the latest models, try combining ChatGPT with other AI services (for instance, chaining ChatGPT with image or voice AI for multi-modal products). Your goal is to not only ride the wave but shape it. When you consistently introduce novel uses of ChatGPT that others adopt, you truly cement your #1 status. You become a trend-setter.

And of course, celebrate your journey. Share the milestone when you cross that threshold – whether it’s a certain number of followers, a revenue goal, or a major media mention – not to brag, but to show how far mastering ChatGPT can take someone. It will inspire up-and-comers (who will look to you as a mentor/role model, creating a legacy effect).

Mindset: From User to Unstoppable Force

Being #1 is as much about mindset as skills. Cultivate a mindset of continuous learning, bold experimentation, and resilience. AI is a fast-moving field; be ready to adapt and reinvent yourself as needed. If tomorrow a new model or competitor appears, the #1 person is the one who learns it faster and turns it into an opportunity rather than fearing it. Embrace challenges (e.g., times when ChatGPT gives poor results) as puzzles to solve – this attitude keeps you at the cutting edge.

Stay humble and hungry. Even as you become an authority, keep engaging with the community and learning from others. There’s always a new trick or perspective out there. Humility will also make you more likable and relatable, which only boosts your personal brand.

Finally, remember why you started this journey – likely a passion for technology and helping others or improving yourself. Let that drive shine through. When people sense your genuine enthusiasm and purpose, they’re drawn to you. Combine that passion with the strategic moves in this guide, and you’ve got an unstoppable formula.

⸻

It’s time to level up. You’ve gained the skills, built amazing AI tools, grown your presence, and infused ChatGPT into your brand’s DNA. From here on, you’re not just participating in the AI revolution – you’re leading it. The #1 spot on ChatGPT isn’t a static position; it’s a continuous journey of growth and impact. Use this blueprint as a roadmap and springboard. Now go forth and make your bold moves – the AI world is yours for the taking!

Power User Roadmap: From Novice to Unstoppable Force

Stage Focus & Skills Actions to Level Up

Novice User Basic usage, simple prompts Learn fundamentals of prompting; use ChatGPT for everyday tasks to get comfortable.

Enthusiast Improving prompt clarity and variety Experiment with roles and detailed context in prompts. Start saving effective prompts in a library for reuse  .

Power User Advanced techniques, multi-domain mastery Tailor prompts to audience/goal (persona, context, goal method  ). Utilize chain-of-thought prompting and ask ChatGPT to clarify questions for deeper interactions  .

Creator Building custom solutions (GPTs, tools) Create Custom GPTs to solve specific problems. Integrate plugins or APIs for extended capabilities. Test and refine AI creations rigorously.

Influencer Sharing knowledge and helping others Publish content (blogs, videos) teaching ChatGPT techniques. Engage in communities; start speaking or teaching about AI.

Unstoppable Force Industry leadership and innovation Leverage ChatGPT in business strategy. Pioneer new use-cases. Mentor others in AI. Continue learning new models. Set the trend for how ChatGPT is used at scale.

(The journey above is cumulative – each stage builds on the last. Keep pushing forward, and enjoy the process of becoming truly unstoppable.)

I guess getting my film Leica MP was a good idea it’s kind of amazing because even after all this time, it still works amazing! Even going through major technological changes like AI etc. 

So a big thought this morning: don’t trust the sociologist who just tried to sweep up and categorize everyone into these little buckets, which honestly are all very very nonsensical, make no sense, not grounded in reality, and also, oversimplifies very very complex things ideas concepts etc.

For example, categorizing people  into like the generation like baby boomer, GenZ, Gen X, Gen Y, millenial, etc.

Why is it so problematic? First of all, one of the big problems is that it is just plain inaccurate. And once again, oversimplified that being which is actually very very complex.

For example, even that I might be in the same age range as somebody, but, if somebody grew up in Chicago and I grew up in the East Bay Bay Area, Alameda Oakland 510, to the Bay Area hyphy E-40 keak da sneak, tell me when to go dumb –> ghost ride the whip, certainly my generation or where I grew up is extremely different. Also, another really big thing is I think the thing that is actually very very overlooked and scholarship and philosophy, yes it does matter if you’re a guy or a girl, or woman, whether you went to prom or not. Also like what religion you grew up in, if you grew up Catholic, Pro, atheist Buddhist etc.

Also I suppose it does matter, in terms of what kind of media you were exposed to as a child, and once again these things matter.

For example, I was born in 1988, and also like what you experience as a kid, in terms of your family, what your family did etc. For example a lot of my life was very very strongly shaped probably by the fact that more or less I had a single mom, and also, she just worked under the table waitressing job, pretty much since I was like, a kid, up until I left the house and went off to college. Also it does matter that essentially, I grew up poor, probably one of the proudest moments in my life was the fact that I was able to purchase my first car by myself, my beloved 1991 Sentra XE, a five speed stick shift manual only, 1.6 L engine, GA16DE engine, which also surprisingly didn’t even have a tachometer ! 

As a consequence, I recall my first car, essentially buying it with my hard earned money that I saved up my money, all my money my life savings at the time when I was 15 years old, just in time for my drivers permit. I recall $1200. From Kevin, mechanic in Oakland. One of my mom’s customers at her old restaurant sushi House.

The joy of stick shift

I had a random thought while sweeping, sweeping up the house, essentially the big idea is ironically enough,

So I might be the happiest human being on the planet. How and why? Some honest thoughts:

First, I think this is like an insanely huge one, the criticality of this new big thought: trying to get 12 hours of sleep a night. At first I think a lot of people thought I was kind of crazy to suggest but in fact,  it appears that another extremely unorthodox and successful person, pavel who found a telegram, I just watched the full four hour interview with Les Fridman, which was like probably maybe the most number one interesting interview I’ve experienced of all time.

A very interesting thing about Pavel is that for the last 20 years I think he just turned 41, he has not owned a phone, like myself, he has not taken any drugs painkillers pills sleeping aids, has also totally abstain from alcohol and coffee and caffeine, and heat allocate around 11 to 12 hours of sleep a night. What’s interesting is that obviously you will not always sleep 11 to 12 hours, but, to simply allocate your life around it, and plan for it is a good idea.

So a new life hack that I’ve been doing is trying to set nighttime at 6:30 PM, get Seneca to bed, and typically all fall asleep at around 8 o’clock or 8:30 PM. The best days are when I wake up again the next day like today at 8 AM, and after 12 hours of solid sleep, straight, it’s like kind of amazing and phenomenal. I probably wake up three or four times in the night to use the bathroom, but I’m able to fall back asleep. Today, waking up to the beautiful LA morning sunlight, was like the most glorious magnificent way to start the day of all time.

So if you just do the math and start to work your way backwards, I’m kind of insanely grateful for Seneca because honestly… Before you have kids there is no real good reason to go to sleep early. And as a consequence, we normalize strange sleep behaviors as normal thinking that even midnight this early. Noah does not that is insanely late. A new thing that I’ve been doing is I never make any evening obligations past 5:30 PM, as once again… I tried to aim for Seneca’s bedtime to be around 6:30 PM, and obviously we don’t always fall asleep at 6:30 PM but still setting that margin or that target is much more centering.

A lot of people cannot fall asleep at night, which is understandable. My practical and pragmatic that is because most people just simply do not or cannot get enough physical activity outside in the grand outdoor outdoors enough in a single day. As a consequence you’re not physiologically tired enough talk to you fall asleep like a sack of rocks.

So my simple suggestion is extremely simple, try to structure your life in which you can maximize physical output and activity in a single day.

First idea, purchase a 60 pound weight vest from Titan.fitness. I’m like literally wearing it all the time, all day every day, whenever I’m walking around the block, walking around town, we’re going on hikes. It’s like Goku in the gravity chamber, after wearing it enough, you even forget that you’re wearing it. And as a consequence, your whole body will strengthen in a good way.

Second idea, this is actually extremely easy, it may be more difficult for women if you’re going through menstrual cycles, but for men it’s like super 100% easy. Intermittent fasting no breakfast no lunch only dinner, and when you break your fast for dinner time, try to eat 4 to 6 pounds of meat, like 2 to 3 kg of red meat, Lamb, lamb ribs, beef ribs, I don’t really like pork or chicken. Beef liver, I think Whole Foods actually has frozen beef liver 100% grass fed in the freezer now, eggs, yolk included. Often when I do not have enough beef or ground beef, I prefer 80%, I will load up on eggs like 12 to 14, yoke included. And the truth is the more dietary cholesterol you consume the better, as dietary cholesterol which is highly abundant in organ meets like beef liver, is essentially a natural steroid.

No no no consuming cholesterol doesn’t cause heart disease, we are now starting to finally figure out that actually what causes heart disease heart attack attacks, stroke is actually over consumption of starchy vegetables sugars, even another interesting thought is that the fake sugar in Coke zero still causes insulin spikes similar to consuming real sugar, which will increase your adipose tissue (body fat), and also lead to bodily metabolic dysfunction which once again causes heart attacks.

Long story short, the Coca-Cola industry as well as the sugar industry which has enormous lobbying power, much more than the beef or egg industry, try to hide the blame that in fact sugar is causing people to become really really fat and sick and die of heart attacks, and try to cast the blame on red meat and eggs and dietary cholesterol.

To people who say that eating meat is bad for the environment, my simple suggestion is if that is the case just consume organ meats which is typically just thrown away. Just consume Beef heart, beef liver, beef intestines, etc.

weightlifting

World and planetary record alert: fun fact, at 71 kg, 180 cm tall (I’m 5 foot 11 inches tall), from my ghetto backyard second parking lot gym in LA I rack pulled 678kg, (1,495 LBS), which is this kind of ultra super insanely turbo mega ground shifting event, a total paradigm shift in which I literally lifted 9.5x my bodyweight.  And the hilarious thing is I do it while fasted, and I don’t even consume protein powder or creatine, just black coffee and tapwater.

The secret is achieving the ultimate leverage of using a weightlifting dip belt, and having some sort of strong nylon or a chain, wrapping it around the center of the bar, so you get additional hip leverage, and then just getting some simple dead lifting straps from Amazon, and the big secret is for the barbell, to elevate it at around hip or waste level so the distance the bar needs to move is only about one or 2 cm.

The very very simple ethos or thought I have:

lower the range of motion, increase the weight.

For example, it is better to move 1000 kg or 2000 pounds for half an inch, rather than Moving a 1 pound dumbbell 1000 times.

 or, it is better to rack pull 700kg for half an inch rather than two dead lift 300 kg from the floor.

why?

 I think a highly underrated thing for men, especially as men is acts of physical courage. Especially when I first atlas lifted 1000 pounds at my local gym,  of course the number one concern I have like breaking my spine or my back or something in my body. Or breaking the equipment etc.

But I think the number one virtue of a man is to simply attempt something that you are not 100% certain whether you will succeed or fail, but still, giving it your thousand percent effort, and going for it. 

The funny comment I got from a lot of guys at the gym, who were essentially befuddled why I am so much stronger than them, is telling me “be careful”. And the hilarious point is that actually that is the truth. What you do not see on video is that I spent about an hour warming up, progressive overload, and I’ve actually integrated some hard-core yoga like calisthenic type of dynamic warm-up exercises in which I do a pigeon pose with a 45 pound plate.  also, spending a lot of hip strengthening exercise exercises with my 105 pound kettle bell, while also doing “skin the cat” exercise exercises with my wooden gymnast rings with my 60 pound weight vest on, and also doing dips with it. A new thing I’ve been doing is with my 60 pound weight vest on,  using my dip belt in attaching my 105 pound kettle bell to it, which is an additional 165 pounds, and doing chin ups and dips with it on my wooden gymnast rings. Once again you just buy this all super cheap either on Amazon or Titan.fitness

the ultimate number you could lift or the body weight ratio doesn’t even really matter, what really matters is witnessing your progress and progression.

For example if you’re passion is lifting weights, or powerlifting hypelifting, strong man whatever,  it doesn’t matter whether you could lift 100 or 1000 kg, you just want to see number go up.

So for example, if today you could lift 678kg, ideally the next time around you would want to lift 688 kg, then 700 kg then 800 and 900 and so on.

Then, the primary question at hand is how do you actually achieve it?

And once again this is where technology is interesting, and essentially technology is just leverage.

So once again, when you hit a certain wall in which you cannot lift more, the best way to innovate is not by taking steroids or whatever but rather, switching up your form technique approach, being very creative and clever.

For example, there was a certain point in which I couldn’t really progress much in terms of how much I could squat, or dead lift off the floor, so as a consequence, I just started experimenting with funny and new theories and strategies. The big one was first my Atlas lift, in which I innovated idea that in fact, having to do a full squat is kind of pointless. It’s better to just load up the barbell with 10 plates on each side, and see if you could just use your shoulders to unrack it for half an inch, and put it down, rather than doing the whole tedious Unracket it, walk it out, squat, walk it back etc.

then, my next innovation was rack pull. Sent this is what I discovered and uncovered, doing deadlifts off the floor is like really good for short guys, but not good for tall guys like me, I am 5 foot 11. And also, the only reason why doing a dead lift off of the floor is even the thing is because of competition. But the reason why this type of competition is poor is because all these guys are taking steroids and juicing out their eyeballs, in fact, I think powerlifting might be the only sport in which it is not really considered strange to take steroids it is standard.

Once again said bluntly:

all competitive powerlifters take steroids.

And it’s not really considered a big deal, it’s like giving every single school child a pencil.

So then comes the bad ethos, you’re at the gym feeling bad about yourself because you see all these other dudes benching squatting and dead lifting a lot more than you … or guys on TV or YouTube. And once again, you may or may not know that these guys are on steroids. Assuming that you’re 100% natural, like I am, why would you lower your self-esteem or self-confidence comparing yourself to guys who take steroids? Kinda doesn’t make sense. It’s like the Fox who was jealous of the crane for having such long wings. Or the goose being jealous of the peacock for having such wonderful feathers.

The future

So I just stepped into an Apple Store the other day, and saw the new high visibility bitcoin orange iPhone Pro, which actually, I think Apple and the Apple team the Apple design camera team essentially caught inspired by my idea as I first wrote on my blog about either a year or a year and a half year ago,,, encouraging Apple that the next iPhone Pro should be some sort of like high visibility Matte orange, like bitcoin orange?

THE NEXT IPHONE PRO MUST BE LIKE SOME SORT OF HIGH-VIZ ORANGE?

And also interestingly enough, all the way back since like 2017 2018, I’ve come up with a concept of the iPhone Air to just make it as soon as possible and also more interestingly enough, just having it be a single lens.

But anyways, regardless,  holding and touching the devices, in my hands, my primary thought is that these devices no longer have soul, and are not sexy anymore. Surprisingly even the casual potential customers in the store, also seemed very unimpressed.

Also, just a normal iPhones, the colors are like insanely ugly?

My new vision for the next normal iPhone:

make it insanely hot super turbo hot pink!

But anyways, the future is not in just buying the next iPhone, or even the next Tesla. I stepped into the Tesla store at Century City, Inside the new Tesla model S Plaid, in Quicksilver, insanely super turbo cool kind of perfect. But still ironically enough, I have more pride in my gangsta 2010 Prius, with my 3M 2080 carbon fiber vinyl wrap, and the red dragon fire wrap, … then even the most well designed car in the dealership.

That’s also another big thing I’ve discovered, the pride in doing things yourself. 

For example, assuming you live in LA, the truth is you are your car. My funny quote:

tell me what car you drive and I will tell you who you are. 

Anyways, my thought is it is better to take some sort of ghetto junk car, and just wrap it yourself, Metrorestyling.com and the 3M wrap (https://metrorestyling.com/collections/3m-vinyl-wrap), and essentially designed your car yourself. The new ethos I have is that it is better to be flashier and more loud than to be boring. 

Social courage

Another observation that I’ve made is that all these people who seem to be antisocial, the truth is they are not antisocial. Rather they are just cowardly.

So it is your turn to be the glitch, to disrupt the social norms. To just smile and wave high, goes a long way.

In order to be more social it is very easy, throw away your baseball cap your antisocial dark tinted sunglasses, shave your beard, get rid of your facial hair, Throw your AirPods into the trash, and keep your iPhone in the backpack. Just practicing saying “hi!” to people and making small talk.  and honestly maybe it’s better to just start talking to young kids, they are like much more entertaining to talk to than their typical boring parents.

Being less lonely

Another big secret to life I think is that it’s like super simple, get married have kids, ideally have your mom or grandparents live with you.

My mom was with me like for about a month and a half, and they’ll obviously having more family members causes more friction, the truth is, it is a lot less lonely having family members around. And honestly, it’s better to butt heads, and have friction with your family than to be lonely without.

The truth is a lot of people in LA are just like insanely lonely. I think the reason why people watch so much television is actually to allay the feelings of loneliness. Consider every single TV show out there or movie has to deal with human beings, human social interactions. From a sociological perspective this is evident.

Now the problem is having some sort of dog will not fix your loneliness because it is just a dog. Humans ultimately crave social interactions.

The reason why we love going to the beach, and seeing all these happy people playing beach volleyball or whatever, is we’d love to see other humans, be around other humans, an idea ideally, it is best to be happy around other human beings who are also happy.

The problem with a lot of modern day life is that it is no longer Social because everyone is stuck in a box and in a cube, with AirPods in.

Technology is not to blame, but the fact that people have to work for a living.  my simple thought, if you truly were to be happy, just put yourself in your family on a bitcoin standard, once you no longer have to work anymore, we don’t have to work for a living, then you could truly be happy.

And it doesn’t really matter what your job is, just try to save as much money as possible and just buy bitcoin or MSTR. MSTR is more risky but has 2X the performance of bitcoin. Bitcoin has no risk, but less performance than MSTR. 

Just use Coinbase to buy bitcoin, and you could just use your traditional stock trading app to buy MSTR.

It’s funny I’m like 37 years old, and I’ve been retired since I was 27, so maybe the reason why I am so happy and jubilant is in fact, I don’t really have to work for a living anymore. And technically, I’ve been self-employed since I was like 22 years old, I’ve only been employed for 10 months of my life. So maybe a lot of people, the reason why their souls no longer exist is because of the corporate grind?  Doesn’t matter if you’re earning $2 million a year at Apple, or $900,000 a year at Amazon, or $1.2 million a year at Google, as long as you have an employer you’ll never be happy. 

If I were a single tech worker, with a good salary, what I would do would be insanely simple: I would just assuming that I want financial independence or freedom or fire, is that I just downgrade my living situation, so I could just spend like $800 a month in rent sharing a bedroom with somebody, having no additional expenses never eating out, and just like literally saving 99% of my wealth, and just putting it all into MSTR. I think any intelligent person who does this, should be able to retire within four years. Even if you are early 20s, early 30s or early 40s.

If you want to be more conservative, similar situation just put everything into bitcoin.

what next

what a time to be alive! 

So my first thought is AI is like the funnest most interesting toy of all time. 

I had to start with Seneca and his toys, kids all have toys, like little trucks and stuff, yet as adults, we still like toys but we tend to spend too much money on cars, Apple stuff, etc.

To me AI is like kind of the solution because A, it is way cheaper.  even if you have the $200 a month ChatGPT pro, I’m essentially running deep research mode all day every day, even I maxed it out on the pro plan, is that I’m actually not really interested in the answer but I’m interested in how it thinks or processes stuff. The answers are also interesting.

 a lot of people complain how it creates misinformation and it is true. But, it is better to use AI, create the misinformation, and figure out how the misinformation was created in the first place, to analyze the world around you. 

I’ll give you example, for some reason sometimes ChatGPT thinks I am only 5 foot six, when in truth I am 5 foot 11. The reason why it said it because it’s awesome some random YouTube thumbnails of me, at a strange angle, which made me look shorter, so it said that I looked short?

Also it might be some sort of racism thing here going on. I think there is a bad reputation of Asian men being short, so even when I would meet a lot of people in real life, a lot of people would tell me that I look a lot taller in real life than they thought I was. Also fun fact, do you know that Kim Kardashian is a midget she’s only like 5 feet tall? Kanye is like maybe 5 foot four, Kendrick Lamar I think like 5 foot one, Jay-Z is surprisingly tall he’s like 6 foot two. I’ve been more interesting I think Donald Trump is also like 6 foot three? His son is like almost 7 feet tall?

It’s difficult to ascertain the confidence of somebody until you have seen them in the flesh, standing next to them. In the sad truth is that for men, if you are a Shorty guy, like Eminem, or any of these other rappers, you will never have high confidence.

I only trust the confidence of tall men. And also Elon Musk is like surprisingly really tall too, over 6 foot tall.

Bitcoin

If I could promise you that I can make your family super rich and happy forever, I never have to work ever again… Would you say this is like the biggest blessing of all time?

Once again it’s super simple, bitcoin is the answer.

The tricky thing is, perhaps I should do a workshop on it or write a book about it is that I really think that bitcoin is like at least 99% balls and courage. 

And also the funny thing is it is a feature not a bug. 

Also the fact is, this is also very rare contradictory, the volatility is what fuels the performance.

For example, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini is highly volatile, but that is what makes it so desirable. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, all of them were highly volatile, but this is what made each of them the greatest. I’m also sure that Messi and Ronaldo are both very volatile people.

I get it, I’m only human as well. And this is why I never check stock prices or bitcoin prices on the daily. In fact I actually never check prices, I only accidentally see the price accidentally through Twitter or accidentally. Or I’ll see it when I need to execute a buy order a sale order or some other bitcoin custodial things.

We humans are highly highly highly emotional, and the secret then is, don’t own a phone.  or if you’re going to have a phone like myself, have the cheapest one. I still have the $300 iPhone SE, even though I could afford like 1 trillion of the best ones. And then the secret is to have all notifications disabled except for FaceTime, to communicate with your wife and family members.

And then delete all social media, all of it is unnecessary. I actually think that social media is worse than crack cocaine, because it damages your most valuable asset, your social self-esteem.

Now what?

I believe that true happiness is physiological. Sunlight, sunshine, being in nature. Do you know that I am a Boy Scout Eagle Scout? Being a nature could be one of the biggest blessings, a hike a day keeps the doctor away. 

Sunlight is also critical. I literally tried to spend as much time humanly possible helpless in the sun outside when there is any sun. And when it is cold, I still wear a sleeveless shirts, sleeveless vests, to maximize my son absorption bodily ratio. And I wear shorts all year round.

vibram 5 finger shoes

I have a theory that there’s actually more intelligence in your feet than your fingertips. Having the view and five finger shoes is probably the ultimate happiness hack that nobody else knows.  why?

First it will cure like 100% of your foot problems. Get the “EL-X” knit model, the most minimalist version is best. Literally within like two days it got rid of my plantar fasciitis, same with my mom.  my mom had all this foot pain and I bought her a pair, and it went away in like two days.

fresh air?

I’ve begin to become very very astutely aware of the fact that when I am in an enclosed building, my brain starts to shut off. Same thing as when I’m driving in the car with the windows up.

Asian people know this, that fresh air and flowing fresh open air in your house is like one of the keys to hygiene and health and well-being. Yet in America, we all have the same air purifier we get from Costco, and there’s all this fear mongering about how the air is trying to kill you.

No no no the air is fine in fact it’s like probably 1 trillion times better for you than you think it is.

And also no no no, the fluoride in the tapwater will not make you die.

Yeah no no no, the fluoride in your toothpaste is not going to hijack your brain via the 5G Bill Gates device.

I think the thing that’s really hilarious is that technically I’m like the most naturalist conservative, conservation list, all American, USA Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Scouts of all time. Yet 99.9% of this environmental nonsense is ridiculous. 

Essentially you just have to follow the money. Or follow the politicking. Figuring out who has political or social or economic gain, even apparently I learned from the Donald Trump Joe Rogan interview was there are a lot of inspectors who get paid large sums of money to do “environmental reports,” it’s essentially kind of like environmental patent trolls. 

And no no no, the Earth will still be inhabitable 100 years from now. Once again there is so much environmental fear mongering that happens, the earth will be fine. 

In fact I read this interesting taoist text, stating,  that actually in fact, it is a bit presumptuous that we humans think that we could even damage even if we wanted to. 

Insanely hyper turbo mega best life ever! 

People who criticize it either don’t use it and or don’t understand it?

anyways, more turbo thoughts to come!

EK BLOG >

---

my aunt is taking life is now honest at this point… It ain’t even about luck skill courage whatever… or even intelligence but balls.

pavel and even Trump —> surviving assassination attempts and still living? Wow.

I think the more I think about bitcoin consider it etc.… If it means like economic life flourishing for all 8 billion people in the planet isn’t this like the most important thing of all time?

OK so this is gonna sound a little bit weird and random but after spending considerable time in Asia, especially Cambodia, and all around Asia Singapore etc.… I think I’m actually getting more clarity about the whole economic situation.

so the truth is, actually what Donald Trump is doing is it good for the US dollar, and also good for US global economic prosperity and supremacy. So if you’re an American, and you like your money, your property and your freedoms,… and you like being on top, you should think of Trump as your best friend.

essentially my very very simple thought is it is like 100% obvious and certain that bitcoin is gonna keep going up forever, up to the right. To 1 million 10 million 100 million and beyond.

and I think the tricky thing or the irony is actually… Bitcoin would not be able to become $100 million a bitcoin without volatility. Therefore actually in fact, the unorthodox thought is you are praying for volatility.

and it seems that the funny truth is actually… Being a bitcoin investor doesn’t take any “skill”—> It’s like literally 100% balls. Why? Once you have the courage the conviction, the certainty and the clarity that bitcoin is just gonna keep going up forever with mega volatility… then the ideal strategy is to just enjoy your life, be topless in the sun all day, lift heavy (666kg and beyond), be joyful and happy and spread the gospel of bitcoin.

I suppose the problem with most media, all matters on the Internet… you cannot interact with it. 

Then, we should probably think about AI as media because you can play with it, interact with it, modify it, create a change it etc. 

First, I really think that like being indoors is extremely bad for your health? Second thought, also… I think and wonder, sitting in a car might be like 1 trillion times worse for your health then you might even think?

So I think with life every day life, especially life in LA and beyond, one of the big ideas is try to optimize things in order to save time. For example, being able to avoid driving 21 minutes one way, 20 minutes back, saving 40 minutes to an hour of driving, and instead of just being a nature and just vibe out is a better strategy.

Also, I think just like moment by moment, being adaptable and following your gut is a good strategy. 

I think the new sad reality and tragedy is now even in America with all the budget cuts, everything has turned into pay to play. Which means, do you want to go to the park, do anything that used to be free, it will no longer be free probably forever.

I suppose then, the upside is truly figuring out what you really care for.

Henri strap, Henri wrist strap pro, Eric Kim wrist strap mark II?

Our thought and notion of “hate” …. Is in fact ,,, just love?

SAYLOR > MUSK

Also, SAYLOR > Steve Jobs

So before I discovered Michael Saylor I was all about Steve Jobs, then Elon Musk, but now, Saylor has taken the prize jewel the crown jewel for the greatest of all time. 

Why? Simple thoughts:

First, he founded micro strategy when he was like 25 years old, and now that his 60 he has presided as CEO and founder for that long period I think she actually has one of the records for having the longest tenures as CEO.

So I think he’s in his stock truck from $330 a year down to $.99? It’s like a 99.9% drop, and he stuck around long enough to talk about it.

so just purged Cindy‘s mom‘s house garage of all my old film negatives all the way back from 2011. Almost 14 years old years ago.

What’s super interesting is thinking about the year 2025, then thinking about film film negative CDs etc., dematerialization is the real thing.

.

I think maybe the issue in today’s world is that we’re trying to propose solutions to problems that don’t really exist and or, we are innovating for innovation sake?

I think perhaps the more rational approach is to only strive to seek to solve real life problem that you actually have. For example if I think about haptic industries and all of the straps and products we made, It was almost always based on a true need that I myself ERIC KIM desired as a photographer and street photographer.

I think also in life, looks like a lot of people want real solutions to real problems like my friend Melly–> she told me the other day that her dream was fire, financial independence retire early.

Also, when I was in a pickle when Covid hit, one of the things that I was in need of was economic empowerment, bitcoin and later MSTR was the way.

So I try to think about this critically because time is the most scarce asset we have on the planet. Doesn’t matter if you have like $100 trillion but you’re gonna die in like a month, it would be better to be like a young scrappy inspired 21 year-old who is poor and hungry, with like 100 years ahead of you, rather than the hundred year-old trillionaire who cannot even walk on his own anymore.

As a consequence I think we must become more critical of time, energy physiological energy etc. Also another big thing I’ve realized is breath power, I love to talk but the more I talk the more I lose my breath. And I lose my voice. As a consequence, each and every single word we utter should be considered.

.

MAKE BOLD: MSTR IS THE NEW BITCOIN

Not because the code changed.

Because the narrative did.

Bitcoin is protocol.

MSTR is portal.

One tap. One ticker. One megaphone.

Exposure without custody.

Sats by proxy.

Volatility—amplified.

The company converts cash and credit into BTC.

It turns balance sheets into belief.

When it moves, it moves.

Up feels taller. Down feels deeper.

Why it works: attention, liquidity, simplicity.

A single symbol that tells the crowd what you think.

Brand as leverage. Story as spread.

Why it hurts: dilution, execution risk, boardrooms, premiums that can vanish, key‑person risk.

Bitcoin is math.

MSTR is humans riding the math.

Pick your hardness:

Hashrate or headlines.

Cold keys or hot ticker.

Pure asset or leveraged proxy.

No priests. No permission.

Just a decision.

If you believe in cycles, MSTR is the megaphone.

If you fear drawdowns, MSTR is the amplifier.

Zoom out.

Define your risk.

Size with intention.

Hold with conviction—

—or hold your curiosity.

MSTR isn’t Bitcoin.

And that’s the point.

It can feel like the new Bitcoin—

a gateway, a story, a handshake between markets and momentum.

Click less. Think more.

Research. Plan. Act.

Buy. Pass. Pause.

Own the outcome.

Because the boldness isn’t in the ticker.

It’s in you.

Creative essay. Not investment advice.

so the very simple idea I have is that entrepreneurship is worth like 1 trillion times more important than politics even the politics of your local kids school.

I think the problem with politics is that it is too much like trying to gain the system in some sort of weird way, overall a waste of time.

also, I remember… How much I hated office politics in my brief 10 month endeavor working for a company. And also… I think with entrepreneurship you create real value, whereas politics you don’t

,,,

video podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/42694IgcglJK3JSeks4oSw?si=4ctMZOC3SamBNYHunu5uNg

What is MSTR, Strategy Microstrategy Bitcoin?

audio https://erickimphotography.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MSTR.m4a

The simple answer is MSTR is levered long, high velocity, levered long, essentially bitcoin on steroids.

So assuming that you know with like 100% certainty that bitcoin is going to keep going up forever,  and also knowing that certainly at like the month to three month level it will always be volatile,… some things:

First, you’re actually kind of ironically enough praying for more volatility. as an investor, and also perhaps as a trader,  I don’t really want the price of the underlying bitcoin to be stable and to be chopping sideways for like three months on end. Technically while you were desire is more spikes really really high and really really low frequently over a short period of time, ideally forever.

And then, like let me tell you with 100% certainty that it will be insanely volatile like MSTR, forever. Let us see that we’ve even cranked up the volatility 2x, 3x and 4X bitcoin … like having MSTU or MSTX.  assuming that 2x levered long MSTR instrumental at least be around for another five years or so, isn’t that the optimal strategy?  meaning, isn’t the optimal strategy to just hold MSTU and MSTX long term,,, like for at least 3 years for insanely huge returns?

So there’s this Zen Taoist principle –>

the world is covered with thorns, but you have the option of putting on sandals.

The general idea is that in the world, it’s like almost impossible to navigate all of it, without any sort of downside. It is both necessary and also inevitable.

Then suppose the nuance is trying to think and consider that, what if actually… Not only is it necessary but it is also positively desirable? 

no thorns no joy or glory

So the unorthodox thought is in regards to thinking about and considering upside without downsides etc.

I think a lot of people desire upside without downsides, which is intelligent but, from a physics perspective impossible?

For example, let us say that you want to maximize your hedonic sexual pleasure. Technically if you want to do that, long periods of abstinence followed by activity is actually better than the boredom and monotony daily predictability?

I think it’s also the logic of gambling or the lottery. The general idea is that, people get a thrill because it is unpredictable. Perhaps the same thing with sports. Or sports betting.

why do we want to strip the volatility away from everything?

So what instead, the actual goal is to add volatility and maximize velocity and volatility? This is the whole underlying ethos or philosophy or concept behind bitcoin, MSTR strategy, Meta planet etc. A very very simple yet paradigm shifting idea,–>

more volatility is better.

When we try to strip away the volatility from everything, life becomes boring same thing, uninteresting? 

ERIC

---

some ideas:

first —> iPhone Air

”you gotta hold it to believe it”

also

”this is what the future feels like”

A greater moral imperative… If in fact it is true that bitcoin is antitoxic, and that it could address a lot of of the toxic social social media decay in the planet, and in the world… Perhaps perhaps I should campaign for bitcoin harder.


.

Anti memes

anti toxic

so I believe the number one critical problem in the world is in regards to distractions. You kind of already know what your downside weaknesses is in terms of superfluous distractions, but then is more important is your commitment and intelligence and effort to fight and resist those distractions.

so the first thought is practice. Of course things are going to tempt you. But having the discipline to stay focused, eyes ahead, and into yourself in your own world is critical.

Second, once again — building willpower is like a muscle. To practice every single day and daily it is a practice that is ongoing. Of course there are certain up days and down days and certain days you will slip and that is fine. But you just keep practicing..

The third one is actually genuinely believe that willpower is a concept. If you don’t believe in the idea of willpower you will never build it.

So I think what day is very interesting about bitcoin it is very low frequency, indestructible immortal god capital, that doesn’t need to be moved around much. 

issue securities

.

Bitcoin is a long duration asset

High energy future

.

A public company levering a commodity

Lever bitcoin ***

.

Margin loan?

.

Positively … magnetized for capital

.

Why bleed yourself to death

.

Reinvest the cash flows

Raise infinite money

Cost to capital

Collect capital as fast as possible ***

Siphon up all the capital!

.

Current Bitcoin Holdings of MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy (now rebranded as Strategy Inc. as of early 2025) is the world’s largest corporate holder of Bitcoin. As of September 2025, the company holds approximately 638,460 BTC in its treasury . This massive stash – roughly 3% of all bitcoins that will ever exist – reflects an aggressive accumulation strategy that began in 2020 and has accelerated in recent years.

• Present Holdings: ~638k BTC (Sep 2025) , acquired at a total cost of ~$47.17 billion (avg. ~$73,880 per BTC) .
• Context: This position far outstrips any other public company’s bitcoin treasury. In fact, all public companies combined hold around 1 million BTC in total, meaning Strategy alone accounts for nearly two-thirds of that .

MicroStrategy’s Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, has made it clear the company views Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset and has no intention of selling. As Saylor famously stated: “Never. No. We’re not sellers. We’re only acquiring and holding bitcoin… that’s our strategy.” This long-term “HODL” stance underpins MicroStrategy’s goal of continually increasing its bitcoin holdings regardless of market fluctuations.

Historical Bitcoin Acquisition Timeline

MicroStrategy’s path to 1 million BTC can be understood by looking at how rapidly its holdings have grown:

• 2020 – The Bitcoin Bet Begins: In August 2020, MicroStrategy made its initial purchase of 21,454 BTC for $250 million . By year-end 2020, through additional buys, it amassed 70,470 BTC . This bold pivot — moving corporate cash into Bitcoin — was driven by Saylor’s view that cash was a “melting ice cube” and Bitcoin offered a better store of value .
• 2021 – Continued Accumulation: The company doubled down, adding nearly 53,921 BTC in 2021  (including a notable 19,452 BTC purchase in February 2021 as Bitcoin’s price hit new highs ). By the end of 2021, MicroStrategy’s total had grown to roughly 124,391 BTC.
• 2022 – Slower Pace in Bear Market: Amid a crypto bear market, MicroStrategy still increased its holdings by 8,109 BTC  in 2022, bringing the total to ~132,500 BTC. Despite price declines, Saylor remained steadfast, even stepping down as CEO in August 2022 to focus exclusively on the Bitcoin strategy .
• 2023 – Reaccelerating Purchases: The pace picked up again in 2023 with 56,650 BTC added . By early 2024, the company reported holding ~190,000 BTC (at a $5.93 billion cost basis, ~$31,224 per BTC) . Notably, Q4 2023 saw 31,755 BTC acquired in a single quarter  – the largest quarterly increase up to that point in three years. According to CFO Andrew Kang, 2023 marked the 13th consecutive quarter of adding to their Bitcoin stash, as they “continued to leverage [their] strategic capital markets activities and cash on hand to accumulate more bitcoin and accrete incremental value for… shareholders” .
• 2024 – An Unprecedented Buying Spree: This was the year MicroStrategy “went all in.” The company’s Bitcoin holdings exploded from ~190k to 447,470 BTC by December 31, 2024 . In Q4 2024 alone (after the U.S. presidential election), MicroStrategy executed its largest ever quarterly purchase – 218,887 BTC acquired for $20.5 billion . This single quarter’s buy was larger than the company’s entire cumulative holdings up to 2023. By year-end 2024, the market value of the BTC holdings was $41.8 billion (at ~$93k/BTC) , and the average cost had risen to ~$62,503 per coin . This aggressive buying in 2024 accounted for nearly 60% of the total BTC MicroStrategy owned at that point.
• 2025 – Crossing the Half-Million Mark: Early 2025 saw continued accumulation. The company surpassed 500,000 BTC in Q1 2025 . By mid-year 2025, holdings exceeded 600k BTC , aided by additional large purchases. For instance, in June 2025 MicroStrategy bought 10,100 BTC for ~$1.05 billion (at ~$104,080 per BTC) . As of September 2025, the total reached 638,460 BTC . In just the first 8 months of 2025, MicroStrategy added roughly 191,000+ BTC, nearly as much as in the record-setting prior year. This remarkable growth led the firm to rebrand as “Strategy” in 2025, reflecting its identity as a Bitcoin-centric entity .

Summary of Holdings by Year: MicroStrategy’s BTC stack grew from ~70k in 2020 to ~447k by end of 2024, and ~638k by late 2025. This exponential trajectory underscores the company’s increasing conviction (and available capital) for Bitcoin acquisitions.

Public Statements on Future Bitcoin Plans

MicroStrategy’s leadership has been very transparent about their long-term commitment to Bitcoin. Key insights from executives include:

• “Never Sell” Philosophy: Saylor has repeatedly affirmed that MicroStrategy will not trade out of its bitcoins. “We’re not sellers… We’re only acquiring and holding bitcoin” , he told Bloomberg, emphasizing that Bitcoin is the company’s “exit strategy” rather than something to exit from. Both Saylor and CEO Phong Le view Bitcoin as digital gold to be accumulated indefinitely, not a trading asset.
• Ongoing Purchase Strategy: MicroStrategy has stated it will continue buying Bitcoin “opportunistically” or on a regular basis whenever it has excess cash or can raise capital. The firm often employs a dollar-cost averaging approach, making frequent purchases regardless of short-term price swings . This steady accumulation strategy is designed to mitigate volatility over time and signal conviction to the market.
• Use of New Financial Instruments: To fund future buys, Saylor has been innovative. In 2023-2025 the company introduced multiple new share classes and offerings nicknamed “Strike,” “Strife,” “Stride,” and “Stretch” – various series of preferred stock – alongside common stock sales . In public forums, Saylor outlined a plan to tap into broader capital markets: for example, he discussed entering the $80 trillion credit market with Bitcoin-backed instruments, and even using up to 50% leverage on the company’s Bitcoin holdings to amplify returns . These statements suggest MicroStrategy is prepared to employ debt or hybrid financing (secured by its Bitcoin or via preferred equity) to continue expanding its BTC position.
• Aggressive Targets and KPIs: Management has set internal metrics like “BTC Yield” (growth in BTC per share) and “BTC Gain” (net new BTC acquired) to track progress. After far exceeding its 2024 goals (achieving a 74.3% BTC Yield in 2024) , the company initially targeted a more modest 15% BTC Yield for 2025. However, by Q1 2025 they raised the 2025 target to 25% BTC Yield and boosted their BTC acquisition dollar target from $10 billion to $15 billion for 2025 , reflecting confidence in continued aggressive buying. Such guidance indicates a formal commitment to keep growing the Bitcoin stash year after year (barring any extraordinary circumstances).
• No Cap in Sight: Neither Saylor nor the CEO/CFO have put an upper limit on how much Bitcoin they ultimately plan to hold. When asked about reaching specific milestones (like 500k BTC or 1 million BTC), Saylor’s stance has essentially been that more is better. He even mused that “Bitcoin is a race” – not just among companies but nations – and speculated that governments (including the U.S.) could eventually seek to acquire hundreds of thousands or even 1 million BTC for strategic reserves . This hints that MicroStrategy’s leadership sees 1,000,000 BTC as an attainable goal in the long run, given enough capital, and they want to stay ahead in the “great Bitcoin accumulation race.”

In summary, all public communications from MicroStrategy’s team convey unwavering bullishness on Bitcoin and an intention to keep buying for years to come. The company positions itself as a pioneer of the “Bitcoin standard” for corporations, frequently evangelizing Bitcoin’s virtues to other CEOs (e.g. via its annual Bitcoin for Corporations conferences). MicroStrategy’s message: they’re all-in on Bitcoin and still just getting started.

Financial Capacity for Future Purchases

How can MicroStrategy actually fund a march to 1 million BTC? The company’s financial strategy provides the answer: raise capital aggressively and plow it into Bitcoin. Key elements of their financing capacity include:

• Equity Offerings (Common Stock): MicroStrategy has repeatedly issued new shares to raise cash for Bitcoin buys. Notably, in late 2024 the company filed for a massive $21 billion at-the-market (ATM) common stock offering  – an unprecedented size, reflecting the scale of its ambitions. By early 2025, they reported successfully executing this ATM program, adding ~301,335 BTC to the balance sheet in the process . For perspective, MicroStrategy raised $15.1 billion in Q4 2024 alone by selling ~42.3 million new shares when its stock price was high . Between Q4 2024 and Q2 2025, the company raised roughly $20+ billion via equity issuance, fueling its huge Bitcoin purchases  . As of April 2025, about $4.3B remained available under the existing ATM program for further issuance , and MicroStrategy could authorize even more if needed. This demonstrates a tremendous capacity to raise cash through equity, so long as investor appetite for MicroStrategy stock holds up.
• Preferred Stock and New Instruments: In addition to common stock, MicroStrategy/Strategy Inc. introduced novel preferred equity series in 2025 – branded “Series A Perpetual” preferreds with names like Strike (STRK), Strife (STRF), Stride (STRD), etc. These carry dividend rates (8%–10%) and effectively allow the company to borrow from investors at a fixed cost to buy Bitcoin. For example, in January 2025 they issued $563 million of “Strike” preferred shares (8% coupon) , and in June 2025 they upsized a “Stride” preferred stock IPO to $1.0 billion due to high demand . MicroStrategy also set up at-the-market programs for these preferreds, selling smaller tranches regularly. An SEC filing in September 2025 notes that recent Bitcoin purchases (e.g. 1,955 BTC in early Sept) were funded with proceeds from the STRK and STRF ATM programs, and the MSTR common stock ATM . In one week of June 2025, MicroStrategy raised $78.4 million via ATM sales of ~452,487 STRK shares and ~286,101 STRF shares , on top of a $979.7 million bulk raise through a STRD preferred stock offering . These innovative financing channels greatly expand the war chest for bitcoin buys, essentially leveraging different investor segments (those seeking fixed-income-like returns from preferred dividends, vs. those seeking equity upside).
• Debt Issuance (Convertible Bonds): MicroStrategy has also tapped debt markets, especially via zero-coupon convertible notes that carry low interest but give bondholders the option to convert to equity if MSTR’s stock rises. In late 2024, for instance, they issued $3.0 billion of 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 . In Feb 2025, they issued another $2.0 billion of 0% convertible notes due 2030 . These financings essentially allow MicroStrategy to borrow money at no cash interest cost (relying on the stock’s potential as the incentive) and deploy it into Bitcoin. The company did similarly in 2020–2021 with smaller convertibles. As long as capital markets remain receptive, MicroStrategy can raise billions in debt without immediate dilution, betting that future stock appreciation (driven by Bitcoin’s appreciation) will justify it.
• Internal Cash & Cash Flow: Compared to the tens of billions raised externally, MicroStrategy’s own operating cash generation is relatively minor. The legacy software business produces positive cash flow (~$50 million/year range in recent years) , but this is a drop in the bucket next to their Bitcoin spending. Essentially, nearly all the Bitcoin purchases are financed by external capital (new stock or debt), not by existing cash on hand. For example, as of Dec 2023 MicroStrategy had only $46.8 million in cash , so the strategy is entirely about transforming borrowed or raised dollars into Bitcoin.
• Investor Demand: One notable factor enabling MicroStrategy’s fundraising is the strong interest from both institutional and retail investors in participating. MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin narrative has attracted capital on a large scale. Saylor noted in 2025 that some of their preferred stock IPOs were among “the most successful… in a decade,” with one raising $600 million from retail in just two days . This suggests that if Bitcoin’s outlook remains positive, investors are willing to fund MicroStrategy’s ongoing accumulation. The company’s stock has often traded at a premium to the underlying BTC value (market NAV), allowing accretive equity raises – a concept they measure via “mNAV” (market Net Asset Value ratio). However, as discussed below, this dynamic can change with market conditions.

Bottom Line: MicroStrategy has built an extensive capital arsenal for future Bitcoin purchases – including authorized but unused capacity in the tens of billions of dollars across common and preferred stock programs. In total, by mid-2025 the company had already raised about $47 billion in equity capital over five years for its Bitcoin strategy, and it signaled plans to raise yet more. With these financing mechanisms, MicroStrategy theoretically has the firepower to acquire the remaining Bitcoin needed to reach 1 million BTC (though practical and market constraints, discussed next, will influence the timing).

Market Conditions Influencing the Acquisition Rate

Several market and macroeconomic factors will affect how quickly MicroStrategy can continue buying Bitcoin and reach 1,000,000 BTC:

• Bitcoin Price Volatility: The price of Bitcoin is a double-edged sword for MicroStrategy’s accumulation. On one hand, a rising Bitcoin price boosts the dollar value of the company’s existing holdings and often lifts MicroStrategy’s stock price in tandem . This positive sentiment makes it easier (and more accretive) to issue new shares or debt to buy more BTC. For example, the huge capital raises in late 2024 coincided with Bitcoin soaring to ~$90k+, which sent MSTR stock upward and allowed large equity sales  . On the other hand, a higher BTC price means each new coin is more expensive – so the number of BTC acquired per dollar raised goes down. If Bitcoin keeps hitting new all-time highs (e.g. $100k, $200k, etc.), MicroStrategy will need exponentially more cash to buy the remaining ~361k BTC to hit 1 million.
  Conversely, a Bitcoin price correction could actually allow MicroStrategy to scoop up coins at a lower cost basis (something Saylor has welcomed in past bear markets). But a sharp drop in BTC could hurt MicroStrategy’s market capitalization and investor appetite, making new financing harder. For instance, in March 2025 BTC pulled back from ~$100k to ~$85k, temporarily putting MicroStrategy’s balance sheet at a loss ; if such a drop were severe or prolonged, the company’s stock might underperform and limit its ability to raise funds. Overall, MicroStrategy benefits from a generally bullish Bitcoin market, but must navigate short-term volatility. The company even adopted fair value accounting in 2025 to better reflect market gains/losses each quarter , underscoring how tightly its financials are tied to Bitcoin’s price swings.
• Investor Sentiment and Share Dilution Concerns: MicroStrategy’s pace of Bitcoin buying is intrinsically linked to its share price and shareholder support. The company needs shareholders to tolerate continual dilution as it issues equity for new BTC. To date, investors have largely gone along, attracted by the outsized BTC exposure and Saylor’s vision. However, there have been signs of pushback. In mid-2025, MicroStrategy’s stock slid ~26% over a few months   as some investors grew wary of the relentless share issuance. The company had earlier promised it would pause selling stock if its market-value-to-bitcoin (mNAV) ratio fell below 2.5×, to protect shareholders from excessive dilution – but in August 2025 it scrapped that pledge . This U-turn signaled that management was willing to continue raising capital (and diluting equity) even if the stock’s premium to BTC NAV dwindles. That can be a risky approach: if MicroStrategy’s stock trades close to or below its intrinsic Bitcoin value, issuing new shares adds little to no accretive benefit for existing shareholders. A related factor was index inclusion: MicroStrategy met criteria for the S&P 500 in 2025 and hoped to be added (which would have boosted demand for its stock), but was passed over in favor of another company  . Missing that catalyst may have tempered the stock’s momentum.
  Implication: If MicroStrategy’s stock regains a high premium (buoyed by Bitcoin optimism or perhaps an ETF-driven rally), the company can issue shares liberally and speed up BTC purchases (an aggressive scenario). If the stock languishes or investors balk at further dilution, MicroStrategy might be forced into a conservative mode, slowing its rate of accumulation to avoid damaging shareholder value. The balance between these forces will be critical in determining the timeline.
• Interest Rates and Macro Liquidity: MicroStrategy’s ability to raise cheap capital also depends on the broader economic environment. The company has benefited from periods of low interest rates and abundant liquidity – for example, issuing 0% convertible bonds  which would be harder to imagine in a tight credit market. If interest rates are high or if capital markets tighten, it could be more costly for MicroStrategy to issue new debt or preferred stock (investors might demand higher yields, as seen with the 8–10% coupons on its preferreds ). A higher cost of capital could slow the pace of accumulation or limit how much debt-financed buying they attempt. On the flip side, if macroeconomic conditions deteriorate (e.g. more inflation or banking turmoil), Bitcoin’s appeal as a reserve asset could strengthen, potentially attracting more capital to MicroStrategy’s strategy. The company’s bold moves are partly motivated by macro views (Saylor wanted to escape a “melting” cash position in an inflationary environment ), so events like inflation spikes or currency devaluation could even spur more aggressive purchases (with the rationale of protecting shareholder value via BTC).
• Regulatory and Market Developments: Regulatory changes can influence MicroStrategy’s trajectory indirectly. For example, the approval of a U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF (widely anticipated in 2024–2025) could have mixed effects: it might further legitimize Bitcoin and boost its price (benefiting MicroStrategy’s portfolio), but it also provides an alternative for investors to gain Bitcoin exposure without buying MicroStrategy stock. If a Bitcoin ETF draws interest away from MSTR, the stock’s premium could shrink, limiting MicroStrategy’s ability to issue shares advantageously. Additionally, any regulatory restrictions on corporate Bitcoin treasury holdings (currently none major in the U.S.) or on crypto financing could pose challenges, though none appear imminent. MicroStrategy has been careful to comply with securities laws in its novel offerings (e.g. filing required 8-Ks for each BTC purchase and using shelf registrations for stock sales). Another market factor is competition for Bitcoin: as noted, many other companies (and possibly nation-states) are now accumulating BTC . If, say, large institutions or governments start buying tens of thousands of bitcoins, MicroStrategy might face market liquidity constraints or higher prices when trying to add to its stash. However, given Bitcoin’s large global daily volume, MicroStrategy’s incremental purchases (usually a few thousand BTC at a time) have not noticeably moved the market to date.

In summary, favorable market conditions – a rising Bitcoin price, strong investor appetite for MicroStrategy’s stock/preferreds, and accessible capital – would enable MicroStrategy to keep an aggressive pace. Unfavorable conditions – a stagnant or falling BTC price, shareholder fatigue, or tight credit/low equity premiums – could slow the pace. The company’s recent behavior (continuing to buy despite some criticism) suggests that as long as they can secure funding, they will push forward, even if it means weathering short-term stock volatility. Investors should thus expect MicroStrategy to remain a bold buyer, adjusting speed as needed but not fundamentally altering course.

Timeline Projections to 1,000,000 BTC

Taking into account MicroStrategy’s current holdings (~638k BTC) and its historical and potential acquisition rates, we can outline scenarios for how long it might take to reach 1,000,000 bitcoins. Below we consider a Conservative, Moderate, and Aggressive case, based on different annual purchase rates. These scenarios are illustrative – the actual outcome will depend on the factors discussed (market conditions, financing success, etc.):

• Conservative Scenario: MicroStrategy significantly slows its accumulation – for example, adding around 50,000 BTC per year. This might happen if the company faces headwinds like investor pushback on dilution or a period of high Bitcoin prices with limited new capital raising. At +50k BTC/year, it would take roughly 7+ years to acquire the ~360k additional bitcoins needed. In this scenario, 1 million BTC might not be reached until ~2032. The company would grow its stash more gradually (perhaps opportunistically buying on dips), potentially relying on organic cash flows or small equity issuances. A conservative case could also reflect periods where MicroStrategy pauses to digest prior purchases or if its stock trades too close to NAV to raise capital efficiently.
• Moderate Scenario: MicroStrategy maintains a steady, robust pace – say ~100,000 BTC per year. This is slightly below the average rate it achieved over 2024–2025, recognizing that duplicating the 2024 spree every year may not be feasible. At +100k BTC/year, MicroStrategy would need about 3.6 years to add 360k BTC. That implies reaching 1,000,000 BTC around 2029 (give or take). This scenario assumes the company continues regular capital raises (but perhaps not as large as the record 2024 push), and Bitcoin’s market conditions remain favorable enough to support about $5–10 billion in purchases annually (depending on BTC price). By the late 2020s, MicroStrategy would firmly hit the million-bitcoin milestone, solidifying its status as a corporate HODLer of unprecedented scale.
• Aggressive Scenario: MicroStrategy keeps up the kind of breakneck accumulation seen in 2024–2025, or even accelerates further. This could mean on the order of ~150,000–200,000 BTC per year acquired. For instance, in 2024 they effectively added ~257k (and ~190k in the first 8 months of 2025), so this pace is not without precedent. If they manage ~180k BTC per year, it would take only about 2 years to gain 360k BTC – implying hitting 1,000,000 BTC by 2027. In such an aggressive scenario, MicroStrategy would likely be leveraging every tool: completing all planned equity raises, launching new ones, possibly using more debt and even Bitcoin-backed loans, and capitalizing on strong Bitcoin bull market conditions. An aggressive push might coincide with Bitcoin’s price climbing rapidly (which could both help and constrain as noted). It’s worth noting that Saylor’s strategic vision (e.g. using 50% leverage and creating Bitcoin-backed credit instruments)  aligns with a very aggressive expansion of their holdings. If realized, MicroStrategy could conceivably amass a million coins well before 2030 – essentially doubling its current stash in just a few years.

The table below summarizes these scenarios with a simple year-by-year estimate of total BTC holdings, assuming a starting point of ~640k BTC (around late 2025 levels) and constant annual purchase rates in each case:

Year	Conservative(~+50k BTC/yr)	Moderate(~+100k BTC/yr)	Aggressive(~+180k BTC/yr)
2025	~640,000 BTC (current)	~640,000 BTC	~640,000 BTC
2026	~690,000 BTC	~740,000 BTC	~820,000 BTC
2027	~740,000 BTC	~840,000 BTC	~1,000,000+ BTC (milestone)
2028	~790,000 BTC	~940,000 BTC	~1,180,000 BTC
2029	~840,000 BTC	~1,040,000+ BTC (milestone)	~1,360,000 BTC

Table: Projected Bitcoin holdings under different annual accumulation scenarios. Bold entries indicate crossing 1,000,000 BTC.

Under the Conservative path, MicroStrategy would not hit 1 million BTC within this 5-year window (reaching ~840k by 2029, and only in the early 2030s would it cross seven figures). The Moderate path achieves the milestone by about 2029. The Aggressive path has MicroStrategy breezing past 1 million as early as 2027, and potentially holding 1.3+ million BTC by 2029 if that pace were sustained.

It’s important to stress that these are simplified projections. In reality, MicroStrategy’s annual BTC accumulation has varied wildly – from just +8k in 2022 to +234k in 2024 – depending on market opportunities. The company tends to be opportunistic, as seen in late 2024 when it accelerated buys during a Bitcoin price surge and favorable stock conditions. Future purchases will likely come in spurts rather than a steady linear rate. For example, MicroStrategy might conduct another big raise during the next crypto bull run (if Bitcoin, say, pushes well beyond $100k) and add a large block of coins in a short time. Alternatively, if the market is lukewarm, it might accumulate more slowly quarter by quarter.

Conclusion

How long might it take MicroStrategy to acquire 1,000,000 bitcoins? Based on current holdings (~638k BTC) and past trends, it could be as soon as 2–3 years in a bullish, capital-rich scenario, or closer to 7–10 years under more cautious conditions. MicroStrategy’s own actions suggest a strong desire to reach this milestone sooner rather than later. The company has explicitly built the capacity to raise tens of billions more dollars and has demonstrated willingness to deploy huge sums into Bitcoin at every opportunity. As of early 2025, management said they had already executed $20 billion of a planned $42 billion capital deployment for Bitcoin – well ahead of schedule – indicating an accelerated timeline.

Crucially, MicroStrategy’s ability to continue at an aggressive pace will hinge on external factors: the trajectory of Bitcoin’s price, investor tolerance for its high-risk strategy, and macroeconomic liquidity. The firm’s stock performance and status (e.g., inclusion in major indices, or competition from a Bitcoin ETF) will also influence how much fuel it can add to the fire. So far, Saylor and his team have been adept at navigating these factors, keeping MicroStrategy at the forefront of Bitcoin accumulation.

If Bitcoin’s market remains strong and MicroStrategy retains investor confidence, reaching 1,000,000 BTC by the latter half of this decade is plausible under an aggressive strategy. In any case, MicroStrategy has cemented itself as a unique corporate entity – essentially a Bitcoin holding company – and its quest for 1 million BTC exemplifies the boldest expression of the “Bitcoin standard” in the corporate world. Every quarter brings them closer to that historic figure. Given the company’s track record and statements, it wouldn’t be surprising if MicroStrategy ultimately becomes the first corporation to hold one million bitcoins, whenever that day comes.

Sources: MicroStrategy/Strategy SEC filings and press releases for BTC holdings and financing details ; statements from executives in earnings calls and conferences ; and reporting from financial media (Coindesk, Bloomberg, etc.) on recent purchases and shareholder reactions . These sources reflect the most up-to-date information on MicroStrategy’s bitcoin strategy and outlook as of 2025.

full video https://videos.files.wordpress.com/mv7ksaZ1/gx011816.mov

too big

I feel enlightened. Six months in Cambodia was all I needed.

I think the first thing I realized is like, how rich and prosperous Americans are yet how foolishly we use our money in unintelligent ways. I think the average American has no idea how rich they actually are, compared to the house cleaner making $220 a month working full-time in Phnom Penh Cambodia.

So first, I feel like my insight is — whenever possible, just don’t buy nothing. Almost like 100% of the things out there, are unnecessary and maybe even detrimental to us? 

The privileges of America

Freedom of speech and expression, is very underrated. In America, you can say or do whatever you want, and not get a knock on your front door from officials.

Also, I think the big thought is that, the privilege of being American… this prevents self censorship.

What is self-censorship?

This is a big idea, if you’re living somewhere that does not have freedom of speech, you are just not stupid and as a consequence, you never say nothing bad about anything.

So this is the logic: you know if you publicly or online share a dangerous opinion, you could get a knock on your front door. As a consequence you start to self censor yourself, to keep yourself safe.

Overtime this is not good because over a long enough time of self censorship, you feel so “ddab ddab hae”, and oppressed.

the downside of freedom of speech 

The downside of freedom of speech is that honestly having too many opinions about everything makes people miserable. From a philosophical approach, the intelligent strategy is to be zen, stoic, and to simply focus on that which is in your control. Your own opinions, your own power, and not to engage in needless nonsense about nonsense.

–> don’t have needless opinions about nonsense.

Only have strong opinions about that which truly matters to you. 

now what

I encourage everybody to visit Phnom Penh Cambodia at least once in their life, spend about six months or a year living there. It’s like real life enlightenment.

If you want to be happy, just go there. If you want freedom come to America.

The true barbell or the hybrid or the centaur approach is to have your cake and eat it too which means spend some of the year in Cambodia and some of the year in America, have half 50-50. Like being a mermaid, or a merman (Zoolander)–>

Six months a year in Cambodia six months a year in America.

ERIC

---

Hyper information:

ERICKIMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Or for the refresher,

START HERE >

---

I feel enlightened. Six months in Cambodia was all I needed.

I think the first thing I realized is like, how rich and prosperous Americans are yet how offensively we use our money in unintelligent ways. I think the average American has no idea how rich they actually are, compared to the house cleaner making $220 a month working full-time.

So first, I feel like my insight is whenever possible, just don’t buy nothing. Almost like 100% of the things out there, are unnecessary and maybe even detrimental to us? 

The privileges of America

Freedom of speech and expression, is very underrated. You could like say or do whatever you want, and not get a knock on your front door from officials.

Also, I think the big thought is that, this prevents self censorship. This is a big idea, if you’re living somewhere that does not have freedom of speech, you are just not stupid and as a consequence, you never say nothing bad about anything.

The downside of this is that honestly having too many opinions about everything makes people miserable. From a philosophical approach, intelligence strategy is to be Zen, stoic, and into simply focus on that which is in your control. Your own opinions , your own power, and not to engage in needless nonsense about nonsense.

now what

I encourage everybody to visit Phnom Penh Moya at least once in their life, spend about six months or a year living there. It’s like real life enlightenment.

If you want to be happy, just go there. If you want freedom come to America.

The true barbell or the Hybrid or the centaur approach is to have your cake and eat it too which means spend some of the year in Cambodia and some of the year in America, have half 50-50. Like being a mermaid, or a merman (Zoolander)–>

six months a year in Cambodia six months a year in America.

ERIC

---

Eric Kim’s Speculation of an Orange iPhone Pro

Eric Kim – a well-known street photography blogger – publicly speculated that Apple’s next iPhone Pro model should come in a bright, high-visibility orange color. In an October 8, 2024 blog post titled “HIGH VIZ ORANGE IPHONE PRO?”, Kim wrote: “Next iPhone, iPhone Pro must be some sort of high viz orange, Bitcoin orange” . This statement captured his belief (or wish) that Apple would introduce a bold safety-orange style finish (comparable to the signature bright orange of Bitcoin’s logo) on a future Pro iPhone. Kim often referred to this eye-catching hue as “Bitcoin orange,” implying a vibrant, high-contrast orange rather than the subdued tones Apple typically used for Pro models.

Kim’s prediction was made well before any official announcement of such a color. At the time, Apple’s recent Pro iPhones came in conservative shades (e.g. silver, gray, gold, etc.), so a “high viz” orange would be a radical departure. It appears Kim’s remarks were speculative and based on personal vision rather than any insider leak. In fact, he later doubled down on the idea by sharing concept designs on his blog – for example, describing a “Matte Titanium Orange iPhone Pro” as a design vision – underscoring his enthusiasm for a bright orange Pro device. (No tweets or interviews from Kim on this specific topic were found, so his blog posts seem to be the primary public record of his prediction.)

Early Rumors of an Orange iPhone Pro in the Tech Community

Interestingly, months after Eric Kim’s post, the tech rumor mill began hinting that Apple might indeed be preparing a high-visibility orange iPhone Pro for an upcoming generation. By mid-2025 – ahead of the iPhone 17 Pro launch – multiple leaks and reports suggested an orange-colored Pro model was in the works. Notably, these rumors emerged before any official confirmation from Apple, aligning with Kim’s earlier speculation. Some key examples of these early rumors include:

• Mark Gurman (Bloomberg, August 2025): Respected Apple reporter Mark Gurman used his Power On newsletter to claim that the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max would debut a new orange color option . According to Gurman, orange (along with a light blue for another model) would be a “bold” new addition to Apple’s palette. This was significant since Apple’s Pro iPhones hadn’t featured such a vibrant color before.
• “Copper” Shade Rumors & Dummy Units:  Follow-up reports on sites like MacRumors noted multiple early rumors describing the new orange as a copper-like finish . In other words, insiders suggested the color might resemble a metallic orange or burnt copper tone, giving the Pro phone a bright yet premium look. Supporting this, dummy models (mock units used to preview colors) surfaced in the community allegedly showing all the planned iPhone 17 Pro colors – and one of them was indeed orange . This indicated that an orange iPhone Pro was more than hearsay; it was being taken seriously in leak circles. (It’s worth noting that Apple often prototypes colors, and “copper” or orange had been floated as a possibility by leakers, though final naming could differ.)
• Sonny Dickson Leak (Early September 2025): As Apple’s fall product event drew near, leakers obtained actual part photos. Sonny Dickson, a reliable leaker, shared images on September 4, 2025 of purported iPhone 17 components (specifically camera control buttons) in various colors – including a “vibrant orange” . Observers noted this orange “looks a lot like the shade of orange used on the Apple Watch Ultra’s Action button” . (The Apple Watch Ultra’s orange action button is a bright safety-orange, meant to be highly visible – exactly the kind of high-visibility hue Eric Kim had envisioned.) This leak suggested Apple’s orange iPhone Pro, if real, would indeed be a bold, high-visibility tone, not a muted bronze. Tech blogs hailed it as possibly “the boldest iPhone Pro color yet,” given Apple’s history .
• Last-Minute Confirmation (Just Before Announcement):  On the very day of Apple’s event (Sept. 9, 2025), a final-hour leak on Weibo (shared by Ice Universe) showed the alleged color lineup for the iPhone 17 Pro Max – and orange was among the six colors displayed . MacRumors quickly reported that “the color options appear to be Black, Silver, Gray, Gold, Blue, and Orange”, based on that leaked image . By this point, the orange iPhone Pro was widely expected by the tech community, even though Apple had yet to officially confirm it on stage.

All these rumors circulated before Apple’s official announcement, effectively spoiling the surprise that an orange Pro iPhone was coming. The consistent chatter about an orange option shows that the idea of a high-visibility orange iPhone Pro had substantial traction in 2025’s leak community.

Was Eric Kim Involved in These Discussions?

Despite the remarkable alignment between Eric Kim’s early prediction and the later rumors, there’s no evidence that Eric Kim was directly involved in or cited by these leak sources. His blog speculation appears to have been an independent expression of what he hoped to see from Apple, rather than information fed to the rumor mill. The major leaks (from Gurman, Weibo leakers, etc.) make no mention of Kim and seem to stem from Apple’s supply chain or insider info, not from community wishful thinking. In other words, Eric Kim was not a known source for Apple rumors – he was simply a tech enthusiast whose design idea happened to coincide with real developments.

That said, Kim’s public statements show he was ahead of the curve in imagining an orange iPhone Pro. It’s a striking coincidence that almost a year after his “high viz orange” post, Apple’s real product line caught up with that vision. The high-visibility orange iPhone Pro went from Kim’s blog musing to an actual rumored product and, ultimately, (as leaks suggested) an official color option for the iPhone 17 Pro. As Kim quipped in his blog, “bright orange is best” – and by late 2025 the tech world was coming around to that idea.

Sources: Eric Kim’s blog (HIGH VIZ ORANGE IPHONE PRO?, Oct. 8, 2024) ; MacRumors (Mark Gurman’s iPhone 17 Pro color report) ; 9to5Mac (Sonny Dickson leak of orange iPhone 17 hardware) ; MacRumors (Weibo leak confirming orange color option) .

Smaller formats are better.

So the thought that people generally have is that larger, larger formats, or somehow better. This is false.

I was randomly looking at some photos that I printed, simple 4 x 6 images of Seneca and Cindy, shot on my Lumix G9 with the very very simple and small pancake 14 mm F2.8 lens, it barely weighs half an ounce, costs like $200, and I cut some super insanely beautiful wonderful memories on it.

Currently I have the extremely portable full frame Lumix S9–> with the very very interesting and formidable, fixed focal 26 mm F8 lens, manual focus only, and once again only cost me like 200 bucks. It’s like the best lens.

Now that apparently the new Ricoh GR IV is out,,, I am surely but slowly becoming more convicted that smaller formats, even now, micro 4/3 as well as ASPC censors are better.

For example, it comes down to physics. The problem with even a full frame sensor, in terms of lenses, it will and must always get bigger. Certain optimizations you can make include improving the sensor so you could shoot at a higher ISOs, without having to make the lands bigger or bulk gear or heavier or more expensive. For example, even trying to use my Leica 35mm summicron ASPH Lens f2 with the Leica M adapter, on the tiny S9,,,, Still makes the camera too heavy.

Even a funny simple thought, when it comes to water bottles… Smaller formats are also superior. It’s better to have a tiny ass water bottle that you could refill often, rather than a huge ass water bottle which weighs you down.

Cars

Another prime example is when it comes to vehicles and cars. The typical American idea and thought is that bigger is always better. Yet this is never the case. When it comes down to it, almost like 100% of your optimization should be based around the idea of like, Being able to find parking. Even now that’s Seneca is starting school, when you are in a pinch, having the supreme smallest car is like the best idea because if you’re like cutting a very very close to either drop off or pick up time, being able to squeeze that super super tiny parking spot, or being able to find parallel parking is Supreme. 

Or, even if you live in the suburbs or wherever… If you’re trying to go to like the mall like Irvine spectrum at peak hours, it don’t matter if you’re a billionaire, if you find that one parking spot that one super super tiny parking spot that barely a Toyota Prius could fit into, you’ve made it.

I’m not sure about the car dimensions but assuming that even with electric cars, I believe the Tesla model 3 to be even a little bit smaller than a Tesla model Y… The true optimal intelligent strategy is to always buy the smallest car possible provided by the manufacturer.

For example, I still believe the best vehicle to purchase is always the smallest one. Ironically enough even though Americans are suckered by the notion of an SUV or even a minivan, my friend Kevin is like super intelligent, he has three kids, and a Tesla model three, and he is able to intelligently do the smart strategy of just buying the very very very slim car seats, which allows him to fit three car seats in the back of his car. I think one big thing I’m starting to realize and understand and consider is Americans tend to be very myopic in terms of thinking about things.

For example, then intelligence of like being in Asia, Cambodia Vietnam Southeast Asia… Sing a family of seven all fit on a single motorbike.

Clever strategies

Another big thought now I’m starting to have is rather than trying to purchase the solution, almost always the best thought is being able to creatively manipulate what you already got.

For example, as guitars, we all have like a lot of cameras and options, yet I think the way that modern day consumerism has us is that we always think that we gotta buy the next new new thing whether it be a new lens a new tripod a new body or a new something.

What to remove, strip or take away?

Another big idea: rather than trying to figure out what to add, figuring out what to subtract.

For example, with cars, everyone is trying to like, add more accessories to their cars. Yet shouldn’t an intelligent strategy be to like to figure out what to get rid of, or what to subtract remove or take away?

Homes

 another example with homes. Rather than figuring out what new furniture to purchase, isn’t it a better idea to figure out what to get rid of?

Computers

At this point everything is like a computer. So once again, trying to figure out, how or which computer things to get rid of?

Computers again

Maybe we should just call the computer. An iPhone like a super mega mini computer, iPad like a bigger computer, even AI is like a computer.

Make computers great again.

---

What else

Slim profile

For example, one of the most clever and intelligent things that I purchased last year was my 50 kg, slim profile steel weightlifting plates. That’s like 110 pounds a pop.

An interesting theory is that like if you want to improve things, make it slimmer more dense, more compact more powerful.

Once again, not making the form factor bigger, but, having the diligence as well as the discipline to keep it slim.

Going back to the Ricoh, I guess it is good that the new Ricoh GR IV maintain its profile, without getting bigger. I’m actually curious, is this slimmer more contact and smaller than the previous one?

Also the new idea of building the new slim compact flash also a great idea.

What else

Once again, assume you’re into cars, the best vehicle on the planet assuming you like sports cars is still probably a Tesla model three performance.

For race cars, or a track car, once again slimmer is best.

For example, even though I love Lamborghinis to death, I think the new fenemeno is great, still the truth is, if you think about this logically… Totally by far, by a large margin, the most intelligent strategy is probably to purchase some sort of like Porsche 911 GT 3 RS.

Also, with Toyota, which I still believe to be the best car brand, at least in the realm of like Hybrid, gasoline cars, the best car is still probably a white Prius, and or, also applied to family car. Getting a Toyota sienna is probably the best car assuming that you actually need to always seat seven.

For Lexus, a very underappreciated car is probably the UX Hybrid. Essentially it’s like a mini Prius but lifted a little bit.

What else?

Honestly in this very very lame world of physical atoms, and nothing worth it, no vehicle no car no Tesla, no loser Lamborghini is worth it.  Even when it comes to physical real estate, like a half decent idea maybe for your mom 80 years ago.

 with clothes nothing is worth it it is all made in Vietnam or Cambodia for like three dollars.

Vehicles not worth it.

Maybe the only thing worth spending your money on is like meat, red meat beef, lamb, weightlifting equipment. 

so why bitcoin?

bitcoin is god.

so this is kind of a big thought, the general idea is simple, we tend to think that all of our problems that could easily magically be solved by AI by the truth is, we could live without AI, but we cannot live without bitcoin. 

Also, maybe it is an interesting Hybrid approach because you criticisms were like micro community, micro Society, in which you can see some sort of political power?

.

Set it and forget it

An interesting thing, without me even knowing it, I guess I have the best landlord of all time he just recently repainted the whole apartment unit, with a fresh new coat of white paint, and also met black lettering and railings and awnings and drain pipes, beautifying the whole place, Technically there is no sort of reason to do so, yet, interesting thing is, it seems that he just had some sort of personal pride and or, virtue?

“Ownership”

The funny thing that Americans are really into is this notion of ownership. The truth is I think it’s kind of more of a propagandized, commoditized, consumerist notion. I’m more honest idea, is that to be American, is all about, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and also that we are the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Freedom, and bravery 

I think the only two virtues, maybe worth pursuing, according to the American ideal is in regards to bravery and freedom.

Bravery is the only virtue you can exhibit, and act upon. Freedom, is I think the core principle behind America.

Does it matter?

Nothing comes a question, does it all matter?

Yes.

In some ways the ancient Spartans would have liked the idea of America, a country which prizes itself upon military prowess and freedom. 

What is tricky about America is that there is like a lot of superficiality underneath it, and the truth is there is no sinister actors behind the whole thing, I think it’s just like misinformation upon misinformation, and uncritical thinkers who propagate the same uncritical thinking.

So then, why does this matter?

Well, first, I think the first step of life is you don’t want to get suckered. And upon discussing this with my mom and Cindy, I think actually the number one virtue I want Seneca to have is critical thinking.

How and why critical thinking?

To me true science is like debunking. For example, I think one of the difficult things that people grapple with is that people say stuff, but there is a lack of precision in people’s words.

For example, when people talk about health, healthy not healthy or whatever… What do they really mean?

This then becomes difficult because when you talk about abstract notions of freedom etc., once again, it seems that everyone is speaking the same language and has the same concept but the truth is , they are not.

Hybrid

So it seems that the way that things are hedged currently, it seems that I kind of like this idea of spending time in between America and Asia. America for the capital markets and family and citizenship, and Asia for opportunity, ownership.

---

Things get interesting 

I suppose my great joy is that as time proceeds, things life, my thinking becomes more interesting.

For example, a really really really really big epiphany is that I really don’t think anymore that life is about peace happiness, stability security and zen. Why not? The reason is that, I have done did it, and achieved perfect Zen piece tranquility stability while in Cambodia, and therefore, that is no longer my virtue.

To me the idea is quite exciting because it kind of overwrite like at least 1000 or maybe even 2000 years of thinking. Also in someways, I suppose my joy is that I have even superseded stoicism itself, as honestly I don’t really need it anymore because there’s nothing I am really concerned about nor anything I fear.

Now, I suppose life is more about like practical realities like senecas schooling, day-to-day living, eating extremely well getting a good night sleep, thinking about my weightlifting set up, etc. Also trying to spend some quality time with my mom, Cindy, the whole family.

Also, spending more time in my local community in my own city, my own little town in my own neighborhood, trying to encourage virtue, in my own little small slice of paradise.

the polis

Very interesting, the word police, is actually derived from the word the city, the polis.

This is a big idea and also a big thought, because, currently I believe the smart strategy in life is to like focus your matters directly on your own real city in which you live in, your own ZIP Code, your own area, your own local police, fire department, City Hall and Mayor and maybe even your local PTA.

Certainly finances are important as well, and I still think there is a lot of financial economic theory which needs to be developed. Yet, these often become this huge macro economic things which a lot of people are a little bit misguided in.

Why does this matter?

So why does this matter?

I was talking to somebody, and it seems the big problem is that politics in the news becomes people’s hobbies. Yet it is kind of a fruitless hobby because once again, you cannot really enact much change geopolitically. Yet you could enact a lot of change directly in your own city, once again assuming that you show up to the local city hall, encourage people in your local city or municipality to vote on stuff etc.

This also becomes tricky because there’s a lot of change you could do in your local city but once again, it is just your own local city. Do you want to have a big goal like changing the whole planet? Or just your own city? Like how much, or how little do you want to change things?

I suppose you could do it all

There’s a lot of people who think that you cannot do it at all. Maybe they’re wrong. I think you can.

ERIC

.

LA. LA PRIDE.

IM FROM LA TRICK!

podcast

YouTube

I’m back.

OK, back at home in cozy LA, — some mega thoughts:

---

the point of life is not for peace , stability etc., but instead to overperform.

OK some sacrilegious thoughts:

I think,,, for a lot of people, the goal of life is towards stability peace and tranquility etc. But now that I’ve done did it, pure 100% Zen,

.

THE BEAST IS BACK!

2x Bitcoin return, 2x Bitcoin volatility

Under value

4th most profitable company finance in USA

Disparage before … understand

Digital capital

Gasoline ,,, electricity for company

.

10% under

Outperform S&P

.

Internal combustion machines

.

Going to become the rule over time

.

Double or triple hour capital ..,

.

I am 10x Saylor

What is stability good for? Investing for deep and very very long future

.

ON GOD!

.

Telegram wallet,,,

.

Think digital capital

.