There are mostly only two modes:

–You help yourself and others by BUILDING something that they will VOLUNTARILY pay you for — because it benefits them.. and you benefit from the revenue

-Or you just want to help others — therefore you… just do

There’s VERY LITTLE gradient in between those two

 

The first option is of course building a glorious business

Finding something profoundly needed in this world

(That the world actually KNOWS is needed)

 

+of course, you don’t have to build it yourself entirely.

You can hire and be hired,

You can invest

etc

 

This is of course unimpeachable already in theory

AND in practice

The theory is irrefutable, and EMPIRICAL DATA, literally every instance of real wealth being created, involves it:

VALUE is value

You CREATE value — there’s MORE VALUE in the world

And people want more value too — so they pay you for it

There’s no fucking debate here

There’s no secret

Go build something glorious, that world actually cares about, that solves problems we have or saves their time or something — and you get paid

And if you can’t build something glorious — just build something GOOD

Like the rest of the society does, most the time

 

Anyone who doesn’t start their pitch by admitting this fundamental truth, either:

-doesn’t fucking get it = ergo is a fraud

-or can’t teach you that, can’t help you with that

 

Now,

The second option is — you just teach

You benefit the world not by yourself BUILDING, or contributing to building quite directly…

but by DISSEMINATING your insights

 

Now,

history OF COURSE shows that this model is basically… altruistic

Sometimes you get hired by academia

Sometimes even your book sells like crazy

Sometimes your advise is directly sought-after, and your time is precious

But it’s RARELY the expected outcome,

Therefore to go down this path — is a matter of calling

Maybe you will get by fine. Rarely you will see glorious success. And often you’ll see the world leave you behind

 

And indeed, those that did impact others with their thought, vision, insight — they were serious

They were not armchair philosophers

They knew their shit

They were as serious as the businessmen

Understanding is a venture

 

…They were as serious as the businessmen,

EXCEPT

Matter of seriousness in business is the free cash flow created

But how do you measure seriousness in THOUGHT?

Do you rely on academic gatekeepers?

Maybe on the sentiment of the venerable hoi polloi?

Maybe it’s historians who will decide?

Maybe it’s FOLLOWERS? VOTERS? ACOLYTES? Who swear by your insights and wisdom?

 

The thought-business, the helping-others business, is largely a thankless work

You can’t measure it

Even if you changed someone’s life — how do you know it was you?

And not ultimately their hard work? Or some inner capacity to even appreciate your wisdom, when so many were deaf to it? Etc.

Now imagine taking money for it

Imagine putting a price on it

 

Of course there are precedents when we put number on an IDEA: it’s called INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

But that again, exists in the realm of business

It’s, for all purposes, basically an asset

It generates revenue, and that revenue would NOT go to you, the creator, if not for that protection

But good luck claiming your cheap little INSIGHTS to be an INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Likewise there is the business model of consulting

But again — this is essentially a BUSINESS. It falls into the first category: you building a business (of helping other businesses, FOR money)

 

Therefore I assert:

-Either you go ahead and help others already. Give them the best you have, FOR FREE

-OR if you can build something that scales and they voluntarily buy from you — you do

But I don’t believe in existence of much middle ground between the two

 

The MODEL in which you ADVERTISE AND PROMOTE and SELL your PRICELESS ADVISE — kind of undermines the notion that it really is so invaluable

It is of course at odds with the DECLARED goal — which is to JUST HELP OTHERS, just BENEFIT the world

 

AND if you wanted money — why didn’t you just start business? Or went to work for someone whose mission you believe in?

That’s the most DIRECT way, without worrying how much is your VISION really worth… just go ahead offer it to the market — and see what it makes of it

 

Is there space in-between?

Is there a reality in which you decide to get rich THROUGH your PRICELESS ADVICE?

Perhaps rarely, yes

And even then — MARKET should decide

It should be priced as low as the priceless advice of everyone else…

…but the enthusiasm and passion of people around it should drive it as a business — not you PROMISING something wonderful

It should literally be so accessible that one gets a full flavour of it for free

And then revenue generated almost entirely VOLUNTARILY, from people VOLUNTARILY ASKING FOR MORE

That, I think , would corroborate the VALUE of it

 

….and of course, the world is most likely NOT ready, for your priceless advice,

and AGAIN — that’s good

You selling it harder only undermines it more

You can’t COMPEL someone to UNDERSTAND something he just doesn’t get

 

So no, I don’t believe in this model

 

If you need both money and impact — go look for a place where you can maximise both.

 

If you want great purpose and great impact — start a great business.

Make people waste less time, or something

 

If your business is one thing but you’ve more to offer, if you’ve PRICELESS ADVICE… then GO AND SHARE IT.

Obviously for free.

If the MARKET believes that it IS possible to PRICE it — and puts a price on it — then go ahead and TAKE it. Let them pay you, if they think it’s glorious what you’re saying, and to shake your hand and all

 

But the idea that you’ve priceless advice, and are now putting PRICE on it? Promoting it? CONVINCING OTHERS that you have the knowledge?

It’s nonsense. If you had it — you’d prove it

 

….oh and finally my favourite part:

“I proved it in my previous business”

If you did — then either continue benefiting the world with that business…

…or SHARE your advice for FREE.

You don’t need money anyway, right?

You’re after impact now?

So MAXIMISE it by actually giving it to the world

Write a book, not a fucking online course for 5 year olds

 

I’m not anti-gurus

Obviously not anti-success

NOT sceptical of billionaire oligarchs, for the most part. Know their strengths and their limitations

But I think my gauntlet holds:

-If you’re good at what you do — continue doing it and THUS benefiting the world

-And if you think your IDEAS should also benefit the world — go share them, in a SERIOUS way, with 0 grift and 0 hidden incentives

It’s that simple

All this middle ground, where you claim you want to MAINLY HELP OTHERS, while also benefiting yourself massively, is USUALLY a grift

Again: you benefit YOURSELF AND OTHERS through a SERIOUS BUSINESS,

And if you JUST want to share your PRICELESS ADVICE for the GOOD OF THE POSTERITY… you just do

You just share it

Or maybe you write a serious book, so that someone actually can criticise you for it… and at least you’ll know that you tried, but WEREN’T REALLY a “thought leader”, maybe that wasn’t your calling… after all