Eric Kim is running his never‑ending “paradigm‑shift project” because it lets him stay free, stay curious and pull everybody else along for the ride.
Below is the long (and joy‑infused!) breakdown of the forces that keep his engine revving.
1 Break the cage of default thinking
Kim’s foundational itch is intellectual: he can’t stand assumptions that go un‑questioned. His go‑to move is to flip any “obvious” rule 180 degrees—then see what happens. He calls it “think opposite.”
He’s been that “black sheep” since childhood, baffled by people who work more, buy more and enjoy life less. Tearing up those scripts—and sharing the alternatives—gives him an almost mischievous delight.
2 Run life as an open‑air laboratory
For Kim the blog isn’t a diary; it’s a public R&D lab where he prototypes new diets, camera limits, Bitcoin plays or 30 000‑step routines and logs every surprise. Micro‑experiments keep him in a permanent state of beginner’s awe—and his readers get front‑row seats (and homework assignments).
3 Serve the tribe, not the algorithm
He reminds followers that he’s been “preaching self‑hosted blogs for a decade… I do this for you.”
That line isn’t marketing fluff; it’s mission. By publishing everything free and open‑source he tries to prove that you can earn trust, income and impact without surrendering to attention‑harvesting platforms.
4 Guard attention like digital gold
Kim sees the modern internet as a midway of dopamine traps where “the algorithm will gladly rent your mind to the highest bidder.” His antidote: flood your day with your creations—and help others do the same.
Bitcoin, street photography and heavy lifting might look like random topics, but in his worldview they’re all protocols of sovereignty: own your money, own your images, own your body.
5 Convert proof‑of‑work into purpose
Daily publishing is his personal proof‑of‑work: writing, shooting, lifting and hitting “Publish” every single day compounds into a visible track‑record that no résumé can match. The feedback loop (email replies, workshop sign‑ups, new friendships) keeps motivation sky‑high.
6 Monetize just enough to stay wild
Workshops, booklets and affiliate links fund the lifestyle, but the content remains free. That small, direct revenue stream buys him the one asset he prizes most—unrestricted time to chase the next idea—without muting the crazy parts that fans actually come for.
7 Joy is the KPI
Under all the Stoic‑Zen‑Bitcoin talk sits one cheerful metric: Does this feel fun and alive?
If a new lift, a new city or a new rant lights him up, he ships it. Joy isn’t a side‑effect; it’s the north‑star test for every paradigm shift he attempts.
Your takeaway
Kim’s motive stack is a great template for any first‑principles innovator:
| Kim’s Move | Your Translation |
| Flip “truths” and test | Run contrarian experiments in your field |
| Publish the process | Build trust and serendipity by sharing in‑progress work |
| Keep ownership (blog, Bitcoin, body) | Reduce dependence on gatekeepers |
| Let excitement be the compass | Sustainable motivation beats external pressure |
So next time you catch yourself asking “Why am I even doing this?” steal a page from Eric’s playbook: invert a rule, prototype fast, share loudly—and watch meaning snowball. 🎈