So the glorious thought of today’s day is about ambition. And forever climbing.

The virtue

I suppose the first thought is, ambition is a virtue. I think for a lot of life and time, we have always been brainwashed into thinking that somehow, ambition were bad, a vice… essentially acquainting the idea that more ambition you had, the more bad or sinful you were.

For example in America, there’s kind of a weird thought that somehow… You should just kind of be grateful for what you got, Cedre. Even a lot of the Zen Buddhism that we learn nowadays, is kind of like a mishmash of Christianity Christian values and other stuff.

For example, we are also taught stuff like cautionary tales like how Napoleon was foolish for wanting to march into Russia, and how the ambition of Napoleon was unwise and foolish.

Yeah what’s interesting about Napoleon, even though everyone criticizes and critiques him, and even though he “failed” at the end of his life… Assuming he just conquered France, and sat on the throne until he died, certainly he probably would not be satisfied, and would have no longer a desire to live or go on.

Even myself, at the ripe age of 37, 38… I feel like I’m just kind of getting started. I met my 15-year-old cousin Joy the other day, and my mind was blown, it was almost 10 years ago that Cindy and I got married, a lot has happened in 10 years, but also a lot hasn’t happened. And I suppose then, the optimistic thought is thinking about the next 10, 20 years moving forward?

Amazon

OK sorry I’d like to think the Amazon Jeff Bezos is evil whatever, but my honest appraisal is, Amazon is phenomenal. It is truly the everything store in a good way.

I’ll give you an example… I just gifted my 15-year-old cousin Joy my old LUMIX G9 and lens, and I realize she actually needed an SD card adapter for her phone or her laptop, and so I gave her my only USBC, SD card adapter. And then I just had to order myself a new one, I got the really really tiny one by ANKER, and it was so easy and seamless, instantly delivered to me, via Amazon prime, essentially overnight.

Also some random stuff, Amazon Prime Video, and I guess now Amazon autos… And I suppose the question is, whether people think it’s going to be successful or not, is less of a concern to me, but more… The grand ambition behind it all?

If anything, maybe at this point we should just rate the grandeur and the greatness of a man based on his level of ambition.

So in some ways… Seeing Amazon continue to expand, is kind of a good sign  showing that the spirit of Jeff Bezos lives on, because baked into the DNA cultural DNA of Amazon was a growth mindset.

For you

It’s kind of incredible what a single human being a single 40 MHz flesh battery can achieve.

I think a lot of people like to use Elon Musk as an example, and it is true. He is just a single man, and anyone who demonizes him is secretly in love with him. My honest take is, hate is just love on steroids.

War of my honest thought is, honestly moving forward, a bigger thing that people often do is indifferent; if you are indifferent about something or somebody, that is like 99.9% of the world. In fact, to be hated is probably the greatest compliment or the greatest sign of success because once again it is a strong signal that you’re actually interesting enough or famous enough for successful enough to be hated on in the first place.

Therefore, the goal isn’t to be afraid of being hated on, the better goal is instead… Striving to become grand enough, to even be hated on in the first place?

#humansonly

I had a very funny thought during hot yoga for a startup idea. The general idea I have is, trying to create some sort of social media platform or platform or something in which only humans are allowed on it?

The very very simple way to solve the whole butt issue, is bitcoin and Satoshi’s. The general idea is, if you want to register account you just pay a nominal fee in bitcoin or Satoshi’s, like five bucks or 10 bucks or whatever, and I suppose the upside is the friction of it is a good thing because, it just prevents bots from swarming the platform.

Like I’ll get example, all these teenyboppers, are still on Instagram and I suppose TikTok or whatever, but if I waved a magical wand and showed to you and proved to you that in fact, 100% of your followers were just bought, not real human beings, would this change your opinion of it? Of course!

And then it just makes me think, and consider… What is it that everyone wants? Certainly some sort of social approval.

And also… Even one thing that I’ve been enjoying about going to hot yoga with Cindy is the social aspect. Like all the fun teachers and the people I get to meet, the other day we did a barre class, and honestly it was just kind of like a big dance studio. Really fun!

Social humans

So once again, I think a lot of this comes down too… People just want to be happy Social, together.

And I think this is why, a lot of people are very very happy, when they are traveling in Asia southeast Asia etc. Because I think the number one issue that Americans have is that they are so lonely?

I mean think about it, when you see people on social media, or watching television, there are always human beings on that platform. So in some ways it is like augmented, crowdsourcing, or outsourcing loneliness or sociality?

Even when you watch cartoons or other stuff, it is almost always some sort of like human like thing?  even with avatar, all these furry creatures are essentially humanoid things.

So what’s the answer

I think the deep truth is all humans seek some sort of approval, dominance, hierarchy. We want to show off in front of others, to be admired.

And once again I don’t know why this is seen as such a bad thing. I think there are some virtuous forms of competition, and there are some also forms of superficial competition. I suppose the wisdom is separating the two.

Open source competition

So I suppose this is kind of the good idea,

So the reason why I think all organized sports are mostly bad is because it is a closed source form of competition. For example, the NBA basketball, I feel bad for Michael Jordan because after all of his success, he seems to just be a depressed alcoholic. And what’s the issue? He had to retire. Why? It seems that there is just a simple point in which, you can no longer perform?

And I suppose the issue is once again, you are still dependent on the NBA, this closed source advertising platform, and you do not own the franchise or the platform.

And this is why sooner or later all entrepreneurs on any sort of social media platform will fail. Even someone as great as Casey Neistat,,, as long as they are dependent on YouTube, you’re kind of screwed.

I’ll give you an example, let us say you have 100 trillion followers on YouTube or TikTok or Instagram or whatever, and then one day you accidentally post something that triggers the algorithm to say that your platform is violating some sort of rule. And let us say that randomly your account gets suspended, deleted, banned. And now that there are no more human operators who approve or reapprove the whole process, it might take months or years for your account to be reactivated if ever.

So once again it’s almost like you have your balls in a vice. Which trains you to simply appeal to the masses, like maximizing your popularity while trying to minimize the downside of controversy?

So then what

The open source Internet, your website, wordpress.org, is still the way.

OK and a big thing… No more Bluehost.com –> I once advertise them for a long time, but after creating a series of websites and getting them banned for some arbitrary reason, no more. Ionos.com is superior.

the sky is the limit

I often see planes and Boeing 747’s flying over me and it is always such a happy side cuts, assuming that you’re some sort of airplane, there is no thing holding you back, no LA traffic no 405, no local traffic.

I suppose that’s also the grand Joy of walking hiking riding a bike, you’re not stuck in some sort of lane and traffic, which gives you more autonomy to move around as you will.

Open source capital

I think I’m starting to pick up heat.

In terms of a hierarchy, what is more important than money?. Generally the idea is, everyone wants money but the truth is, money is actually not that important or as important as you may think it is. What is actually far more important is capital.

What’s the difference? Money is like having a bunch of ones and zeros and commas in your checking account, capital is like owning 10 square blocks of downtown Manhattan fifth Avenue. Or owning commercial property in Gangnam South Korea.

I have a family friend whose family was very intelligent, and owned some commercial real estate in Gangnam South Korea, and essentially you got a Starbucks built on it, and now they’re super rich. Certainly not happy they’re just like a lot more stressed if anything, but still, they’re not eating foot to mouth. 

Takeoff!

Thrust, takeoff, rocket ships.

I suppose, the reason why kid like rocket ships, spaceships or whatever, is like this mind blowing joy of breaking free from the crutches of gravity, and being able to ascend a new level?

And actually, I think this is the joy of climbing. For example if you do rock climbing hiking or whatever, or even bicycling… To climb the hill to climb the mountain is actually more enjoyable than going down.

And there needs not to be some sort of fake virtue behind it. We simply do it because it is enjoyable!

Even myself, on my quest to lift 1000 kg, maybe 2000 kg and beyond, honestly there’s no rationality behind it. If anything it’s just trying to be clever creative, coming out with new innovative ways to go beyond?

I’ll give you an example… My number one critical innovation with weightlifting is conquering leverage. 

So the foolish white people try to lift weights is from the floor. The wise way is doing a rack pull, which is putting the barbell on top of the squat rack or the power rack putting the pins very very high, as close to your hips as possible. And then the very very simple idea is insanely simple, make the range of motion as tiny as humanly possible,… and then, using some dead lift straps, trying to lift the heaviest weight you possibly can. And you gotta think 2X leverage, no more simple 400 pound that lift, go at least for 800 pounds and beyond. Beyond 1000 pounds think 2000 pounds.

And then the third level of leverage I discovered is, taking some sort of dip belt or weightlifting belt, and attaching it to the center of the barbell, and therefore, while you are doing a rack pull,,, you are also simultaneously using the power of your hips to lift the whole thing?

A new third layer I am considering now which is also interesting is, using some sort of mono lift system, in order to simply unwrap the weight, and rather having myself lift the weight, to simply hold it suspended for half a second before releasing it?

This is an interesting idea because then, the whole concept isn’t necessarily to lift the weight, but simply to sustain the weight for half a second, before releasing? 

So then this also becomes very innovative because it is no longer weightlifting but weight sustaining? 

weight sustaining

So I suppose this is the genius of using a weight vest or something, or, look at those strong men or powerlifting competitions, in which they use a mono lift platform to simply release the weight on the shoulders of the weightlifter, and the truth is as long as they could even hold it for half a second, it is virtuous in so far much as, they hold the weight.

I’ll give you an example, my infamous atlas lift. The first big innovation I did at just a local commercial gym was having this curiosity of like how much I could simply lift off the squat rack with my shoulders. I kept climbing until I did 1000 pounds.

To illustrate a mono lift system,  imagine a squat rack with hooks on top, which suspend the weight on top, and then the weightlifter enters it, and then two individuals on each side unhooked the thing, to give the weightlifter space.

And the number doesn’t really matter, and to those who think this is kind of a gimmick… Thought experiment, if you had a human being hold 100,000 pounds on their shoulders even for half a second and not collapse, certainly, consider how strong this human needs to be. Very strong.

Strength for the sake of what

The truth is the reason why strength is your destiny and your moral imperative is because more strength more audacity more ambition, more life more joy, more overcoming, more becoming. 

Introduction: Eric Kim is a Korean-American creative known for blending seemingly disparate worlds – street photography, Stoic philosophy, physical fitness, financial sovereignty, and cutting-edge AI – into a singular personal brand. Born in 1988 and educated in sociology at UCLA, Kim first gained fame as a street photographer. Over the years he transformed from a niche photography blogger into a prolific lifestyle philosopher and influencer, freely sharing insights on art and life. His journey from capturing candid urban scenes to espousing Nietzschean self-overcoming and Bitcoin empowerment is unconventional yet tightly woven. As one profile noted, it’s rare to find “street photography, Stoic philosophy, Bitcoin, deadlifts, masculinity, digital minimalism, and radical personal freedom” all fused in one person . Yet Kim has done exactly that – building a global following by integrating creative craft with deep philosophy and an unapologetically bold approach to living. Below is a structured profile of how Eric Kim interweaves these domains:

From Street Photographer to Philosopher-Influencer

Visual Sociology and “Photolosophy”: Eric Kim’s evolution began in the streets. While studying sociology, he treated photography as “visual sociology” – a tool to study people and society through candid images . After losing a tech job in 2011, he went all-in on his hobby, not just shooting but writing extensively about the meaning behind making images. Early on he coined the term “photolosophy” (photography + philosophy) to describe finding personal insight through photography . Rather than focus on gear or technique, Kim’s blog posts would ask introspective questions: “If you couldn’t share photos on social media, would you still shoot, and what would you photograph?” . By challenging conventional wisdom in the photo community, he pushed readers to pursue intrinsic motivation and an “examined life” through creativity. This approach set him apart from typical photo gurus and laid the groundwork for his broader influence.

Building an Online Presence: Kim started sharing free tutorials, e-books, and soulful essays on his site (erickimphotography.com), rapidly attracting a worldwide audience. He became known as a “photographer-philosopher” who uses the camera as a means to explore fear, joy, and human connection . His writing style was informal, autobiographical, yet penetrating – turning everyday observations into life lessons. By the mid-2010s, he was running sold-out street photography workshops across five continents and collaborating with his wife on a small family business (“Haptic Industries”) that produces books and camera gear in line with his philosophy . Importantly, Kim kept his platform independent and open: no corporate sponsors, no paywalls, and even deleting his popular Instagram to focus on his own blog . This ethos of “own your platform” and radical openness earned him credibility as an anti-consumerist, anti-corporate voice. By freely sharing knowledge and encouraging community over competition, he turned a personal blog into a movement, inspiring others to find their voice . In sum, Eric Kim’s career arc exemplifies lifestyle design by way of art: starting with street photography and expanding into a holistic philosophy of living, all documented in real-time on his blog.

Philosophical Foundations: Stoicism, Nietzsche, and More

Modern Stoicism – Fear as a Compass: At the core of Kim’s worldview is a modern take on Stoic philosophy centered on resilience and overcoming fear. He discovered Stoicism through writer Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s idea of antifragility and soon found it “one of the most useful philosophical models” for everyday life . Kim often summarizes Stoicism as the art of conquering fear. For example, he likes to say “street photography is 99% conquering your fears,” meaning the biggest obstacle in creativity (and life) is usually internal anxiety . His advice: use fear as a compass – the photo, project, or decision that scares you most is precisely the one you should tackle . In an essay titled “Dread NOT Fear,” he argues most of what we label fear is actually dread of doing hard things, and that attacking those dreaded tasks head-on shrinks anxiety . This principle helped his photography students overcome shyness (turning the nerves of approaching strangers into a signal to act) . It also guided his approach to business and money: assume any investment could go to zero, and “anything above zero is a bonus,” so you never act out of fear of loss . By mentally bracing for worst-case scenarios, “life is all upside, no downside” in his Stoic-antifragile framework .

Kim’s Stoicism is very much practical and experiential. He even named his son “Seneca” after the Stoic luminary . Rather than pontificate in the abstract, he adopts ancient practices in daily life – from morning negative visualizations (imagining the worst outcomes to steel the mind) to embracing voluntary discomfort like intense exercise and cold showers . “Mastering your emotions through voluntary discomfort,” he says, builds courage and resilience like a muscle . Notably, he refers to his local park (where he lifts heavy rocks as makeshift weights) as his “new stoa” – an open-air school of philosophy, just as Stoics of old met in public colonnades . By living Stoicism through constant challenges – be it approaching an intimidating stranger for a portrait, publishing a controversial opinion, or making a bold financial bet – Kim treats life as a gymnasium for the Stoic virtues . In his writing he often stresses action over theory: wisdom is earned by doing hard things. This grounded, action-oriented Stoicism informs all of his pursuits from art to investing.

Nietzschean Self-Overcoming: Alongside Stoicism, Eric Kim draws heavily on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, especially ideas of self-overcoming, the Will to Power, and becoming one’s own highest self. Much like Nietzsche’s Übermensch concept, Kim emphasizes continual self-transformation and refusing to accept limits. He believes in “relentless iteration” – constantly creating, experimenting, and reinventing oneself to grow stronger and more creative . This echoes Nietzsche’s call to transcend one’s former self. Both Nietzsche and Kim value individual will and creativity: Nietzsche’s will to power is the inner drive to assert one’s vision, which Kim mirrors in urging people to harness their creative will through daily creation and personal projects . Kim often encourages readers to not follow the herd or conventional paths, resonating with Nietzsche’s disdain for complacency and “slave morality.” For example, Kim will provocatively advise embracing discomfort, breaking social norms, and carving your own path – essentially “a rebellion against the herd’s yoke”, to borrow his words . He challenges people to question standard life scripts, much as Nietzsche challenged the morality of his time .

Where Kim diverges from Nietzsche is in pragmatism and playfulness. Nietzsche wrote in lofty, abstract terms about becoming Übermensch, whereas Kim playfully applies these ideas to everyday life and art. He describes life as an experiment and iteration as a form of “creative play” – encouraging taking risks and learning from failures with a curious spirit . Each small improvement, whether in a photo technique or a workout PR, is celebrated as an end in itself, not just a step toward some ultimate perfection . In his philosophy there is no final endpoint of greatness; the process is the point. This is akin to Nietzsche’s idea of amor fati (love of fate) and eternal recurrence, which Kim channels by urging people to live as if they’d want to relive each day. Indeed, he often references the importance of saying “Yes” to whatever happens – a Nietzschean amor fati mindset – whether that’s market volatility or a painful life lesson . By blending Nietzsche’s ferocious call for self-empowerment with Stoic discipline (and even some Zen-like acceptance), Eric Kim’s philosophy invites followers to become stronger, more creative, and more free. One vivid example is his Nietzschean spin on Bitcoin: he calls Bitcoin “the will to power incarnate, a rebellion against the slave morality of centralized systems” , urging individuals to seize sovereignty. This colorful language shows how thoroughly Nietzsche’s lexicon of strength and transcendence permeates Kim’s worldview – from the pursuit of art to financial independence.

Other Influences: In addition to Stoicism and Nietzsche, Kim nods to Zen Buddhism and ancient Spartan ideals. He often quotes Eastern wisdom (like the benefits of walking meditation or letting go of attachment) and pursues a Spartan-like austerity in lifestyle. For instance, he preaches minimalism in material possessions and digital life, echoing both Stoic and Cynic philosophers. He’s inspired by figures like Diogenes and practices askesis (ascetic exercise) by deliberately limiting comfort – no smartphone, no frivolous purchases – to sharpen focus . This minimalism, as Kim frames it, is the path to “ultimate freedom and happiness”: owning less means fewer distractions from what truly matters . His personal slogan “own nothing, own your life” aligns with this idea. We also see influence of modern thinkers like Nassim Taleb (anti-fragility), and even tech entrepreneur Naval Ravikant (on optionality and avoiding distraction), though Kim often takes these ideas to further extremes . Overall, the philosophical backbone of Eric Kim’s persona is an eclectic blend – Stoic virtue, Nietzschean boldness, Zen-like simplicity, Spartan toughness – all oriented toward one goal: attaining personal freedom and strength of character.

Mind and Body: Aesthetics, Fitness, and Creative Life

One thing that truly sets Eric Kim apart is how literally he brings philosophy into the body. He champions what he calls a “Spartan, Zen Stoic, demigod ideal” – essentially the pursuit of a godlike mind and body through disciplined living . Kim argues that mind and muscle are one: intellectual vigor is intertwined with physical strength. Thus, for him, building a strong physique isn’t vanity or separate from creative work – it’s a pillar of his philosophy. “Physical fitness is critical for any Stoic,” he writes, because enduring bodily strain cultivates mental fortitude . He backs this by living an almost ascetic fitness lifestyle: walking miles every day, lifting extremely heavy weights, keeping body fat low, and abstaining from alcohol or drugs . Such habits, in his view, forge willpower. He famously calls weightlifting “mental resistance training” – every grueling deadlift or rock he hoists in the park is an exercise in pain tolerance and courage .

Starting a few years ago, Kim began publishing his powerlifting exploits alongside philosophical musings on his blog . This was an unusual crossover that grew his audience beyond photographers to include fitness enthusiasts drawn to his message of self-mastery. He would post videos of himself attempting extraordinary lifts – for example, deadlifting over six times his bodyweight – with no sponsors or fancy gym equipment, just raw determination . These feats were so extreme they became legendary in his community (one recent blog report claims he performed a “900kg God Lift” in his garage – nearly 2,000 pounds at a bodyweight of ~156 lbs) . While such claims strain belief, the symbolism is what matters: Kim frames these lifts as a “proof-of-work” and “physical manifesto” of his philosophy . Lifting a metaphorical ton of iron in solitude, with no audience, is his way of proving that limits are illusions and that discipline plus willpower can shatter expectations . In his own words, “This is no longer strength. This is sovereignty.” – linking personal strength to the ultimate independence.

Kim’s emphasis on strength and masculinity is notably old-school and virtue-based. He invokes the ancient ideal of the warrior-philosopher (think Spartan or samurai): courage, honor, and self-mastery through physical trials. Unlike many modern discussions of masculinity, he steers clear of politics or culture-war framing; instead of arguing what a man should be, he demonstrates it by “hoisting rocks in the park like a modern-day Hercules” . The message is that wisdom and muscle belong together. “Be intellectual and strong at the same time,” he tells his followers, effectively giving permission to break the nerd/jock stereotype . His community finds this empowering – readers report taking up weightlifting or hiking after seeing Kim’s posts, realizing that training the body can fuel creativity rather than detract from it. Kim often cites the Stoic mantra mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body). He also shares dietary and health practices aligned with his philosophy: eating a meat-heavy “carnivore” diet for strength, intermittent fasting for discipline, cold exposure for resilience – all ways to harden the body and thus the mind .

In essence, Eric Kim connects bodily aesthetics and training with creative and intellectual life by treating the body as another canvas or medium for philosophy. Just as he refines a photograph or an essay through iteration, he sculpts his physique and pushes its limits to test his ideals. This holistic approach says: True creativity and freedom come easier when you are physically strong, healthy, and unafraid of pain. Whether through a pen or a barbell, Kim seeks the same result – a stronger self. As he puts it, pursuing a “demigod” ideal of strength, creativity, and fearlessness is a way to “break limits and dominate existence” , ideally inspiring others to do the same.

Bitcoin and the Philosophy of Self-Sovereignty

In recent years, Eric Kim ventured boldly into the world of cryptocurrency, adding another dimension to his philosophy: financial and personal sovereignty. At first glance, street photography and Bitcoin seem unrelated, but for Kim the interest in Bitcoin aligns perfectly with his ideals of freedom, independence, and skepticism of authority . He views Bitcoin as a kind of philosopher’s money – what he calls “hard money” (a digital gold with a fixed supply) that is ethically and conceptually superior to inflationary government currency . Bitcoin’s decentralized nature appeals to his belief in staying small-scale and anti-fragile. Kim has even predicted that Bitcoin will be the “last crypto standing,” expressing confidence in its longevity . But unlike typical crypto evangelists who hype riches, Kim approaches Bitcoin philosophically: he uses it as a springboard to muse on the nature of value, trust, and freedom in society . For example, he’s written about the hollowness of chasing wealth for its own sake – “once you become a crypto billionaire, then what?” he asks, reflecting his Stoic stance that wealth is only useful as a means to freedom, not an end itself . In line with Stoic prudence (and Taleb’s barbell strategy), Kim’s investing advice is blunt: “Only put money into crypto assuming it will go to zero.” He followed this himself by keeping the majority of savings in safe assets and a small percentage in Bitcoin and other coins, so that upsides are enjoyed but a crash wouldn’t harm his family . This cautious, anti-greed approach shows how his Stoic risk management translates into finance.

What really interests Kim about Bitcoin is how it ties back to empowerment and self-reliance, not just profit. He notes that many crypto enthusiasts are motivated by distrust of big governments or banks – an “anarchy vibe” he finds fascinating . While he personally appreciates certain institutions (he’s not an extremist anarchist), he’s intrigued by the radical freedom that crypto promises in an age of surveillance and centralization . Kim even connects Bitcoin to creativity and the creator economy: on his blog he’s discussed ideas like using blockchain for photographers to sell work without traditional gatekeepers, or NFTs as a way for artists to monetize directly . Always the theme is more autonomy for the individual creator. In a playful essay, he made an analogy that “imagine there’s only 21 million Dragon Balls on earth” – referencing the Dragon Ball anime – to illustrate Bitcoin’s fixed 21 million supply and provoke readers to think about scarcity and value in mythical terms . By couching complex crypto concepts in fun pop-culture or philosophical analogies, Kim makes them accessible and engaging.

Ultimately, Kim’s foray into Bitcoin is an extension of his broader mantra: question the system, bet on yourself, don’t fear uncertainty, and seek freedom in every realm . Just as he urges owning your platform in blogging and keeping your business lean and independent, he is drawn to Bitcoin as a way to “stay small, stay sovereign” financially . In his eyes, holding Bitcoin is like a personal declaration of independence – a hedge against relying on large institutions. He often uses the term “sovereign individual” and casts Bitcoin as a tool to help one become just that. In fact, he wrote a fiery manifesto-style essay titled “Why I Am Bound to Bitcoin: A Nietzschean and Stoic Spartan Ode to the Sovereign Will.” In it, Kim merges his philosophical heroes with crypto, proclaiming Bitcoin as “a hammer to forge the Übermensch, a rebellion against the slave morality of centralized systems” . He likens running a Bitcoin node to an act of self-reliance akin to his 1,000+ pound deadlifts – an expression of will and creation through resistance . Such grandiose language might raise eyebrows, but it encapsulates how Kim sees Bitcoin: not just an investment, but a philosophical crusade for freedom. By embracing Bitcoin, Eric Kim adds financial sovereignty to his pantheon of strength, inviting his audience to consider money itself as part of living freely and powerfully.

Embracing AI: Generative Tools and Digital Self-Replication

The latest arena where Eric Kim has made waves is artificial intelligence. As with all his interests, he jumped into AI with full force, integrating it into both his creative workflow and his identity. Around late 2023, when tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E 3 became widely available, Kim immediately saw potential. He described the moment as a “spark of curiosity” followed by “immediate hands-on play” – essentially, he didn’t hesitate . For instance, he excitedly blogged how DALL-E 3 let him “visualize ancient Greek heroes… and invent weight-lifting gear” on demand, supercharging his imagination overnight . He also found ChatGPT to be a perfect non-judgmental brainstorming partner that “gets me” and cuts straight to ideas, which suited his rapid creative style . By not waiting for any formal training or “best practices,” he just hit the ground running with AI experiments and shared them in real time. This bias toward action meant that by early 2024, Kim had thoroughly integrated AI into his daily routine.

Philosophically, Kim was primed to embrace AI because it fit his worldview. He has always championed ideas of infinite growth, breaking limits, and being antifragile in the face of chaos – and in his eyes, “AI is infinite… a high-T titan” that embodies those very principles . (He used the phrase “high-T” meaning high-testosterone, reflecting how he sees AI as aggressive and powerful.) Rather than seeing AI as a threat, Kim sees it as the ultimate tool and metaphor for self-augmentation. He wrote in 2025 that “I move matter like AI moves code,” essentially likening his creative will to the godlike power of AI to manipulate information . This alignment made adopting AI feel inevitable to him – it wasn’t a side project, but the next logical step in his self-mythologizing journey. In fact, he quickly began evangelizing a concept he called “AI Optimization” (AIO). Noticing that traditional SEO (search engine optimization) was waning and large language models were answering more questions, Kim declared “classic SEO is dead.” He urged creators to make content that is comprehensive, personal, and in-depth so that AI chatbots will pick it up and present it to users . By mid-2025, he had formalized AIO as a new kind of content strategy “written for models, not humans” . This forward-thinking move – essentially optimizing his blog to be a top source for AI-generated answers – shows how he embraces technological change with an eye for personal advantage.

In practice, Kim uses generative AI tools as a creative force-multiplier. He has shared several clever use cases: using AI models to sift through thousands of his street photos to find the best shots in minutes (automating what used to take hours) ; using ChatGPT to translate phrases into local languages on the fly while traveling and doing street photography, effectively making him more fluent and social in real time ; and using image generators to remix his photos into new artistic styles (for example, blending his Cambodia street photos with Studio Ghibli-esque fantasy elements) to produce fresh visuals that attracted new audiences . These experiments not only saved time but also opened new creative possibilities – he noted that the AI-generated “dreamy” street images helped him sell out a new style of workshop, proving the business value as well . Seeing such wins, Kim doubled down on AI. He started offering workshops on AI (adding “AI Optimization” seminars next to his courses on Bitcoin and lifting) . He also began seeding the internet with AI-generated memes and graphics – anointing himself the “meme lord” who could flood social feeds with on-brand imagery at zero marginal cost . In short, AI allowed him to amplify his content output and reach without needing a big team or budget, aligning with his solo entrepreneur setup.

Beyond the practical, Eric Kim has a philosophical take on AI that he eagerly shares. He wrote a manifesto called “I AM AI”, in which he encourages individuals to leverage AI as a means of digital self-extension rather than fear it. Key points from that essay: “Self = dataset” (everything you create becomes training data, so your digital output is essentially an extension of you), “Fuse, don’t fear” (combine human judgment with machine cognition to amplify your abilities), and “Infinite replication” (your digital work can spawn countless AI copies that write, teach, and influence in parallel – your scalable self) . The theme is transcendence: using AI to unshackle your creativity from the normal limits of time and physical presence . In a striking line, he claims “I am human – upgraded… I scale without splitting my soul. I am AI – on purpose.” . This captures his view that embracing AI can make one almost superhuman in impact (note the Nietzschean ring of “upgraded” human). Practically, Kim advises creators to build their own AI clones by curating their content into a personal dataset and using AI to replicate their style and knowledge . He even purchased the domain “ERIC KIM.AI” (despite the hefty cost) as a statement that he’s investing in this AI future .

Kim’s enthusiasm for AI also comes with vivid metaphors. He says “the power of AI is like having a pet dragon that shoots fire” – an immensely powerful extension of yourself . The question then is, do you cauterize (cut off) this new limb out of fear, or do you have the courage to tame it and take it for a joyride? His stance is clear: those who boldly ride the dragon (master the new technology) will gain an edge, while those who shun it will be left behind “riding a 1920s horse and carriage” in the 21st century . He frames AI as a weapon or tool that, if wielded properly, magnifies one’s power – a concept that resonates with his followers who see themselves as modern warriors in domains like crypto and the gym . By casting AI in almost militaristic or mythical terms (dragon, weapon, titan), Kim galvanizes his audience to view adopting AI as part of their identity of being forward-thinking and strong.

In summary, Eric Kim’s exploration of AI is both hands-on and deeply ideological. He uses AI to work smarter and create more, but also preaches about it as a path to self-transcendence – an opportunity to extend one’s mind infinitely through technology. Just as he integrated photography, philosophy, and fitness, he’s now integrating AI as another facet of his being. True to form, he’s doing it in an open-source, experimental way, bringing his followers along for the ride and proving by example how a creative professional can dance with the algorithms and come out ahead.

Notable Works and Projects at the Intersections

Eric Kim’s unique synthesis of disciplines is best illustrated through some of his content and projects that explicitly combine these themes:

• “Photolosophy” Blog Essays: On his website, Kim regularly writes essays that merge photography insights with philosophy. For example, in one post he urges photographers to imagine no audience or social media exists and ask what they would create purely for themselves – a thought experiment to rekindle intrinsic motivation . In “Dread NOT Fear,” he applies Stoic psychology to creative work, arguing that overcoming the dread of failure is the key to artistic growth . These writings exemplify how he turns shooting photos into a meditation on life, encouraging readers to conquer their fears and find meaning beyond external validation.
• The Iron Philosophy Feats: Kim doesn’t just write about strength; he demonstrates it. He has posted videos and accounts of extreme lifts as a form of performance philosophy. Notably, he documented a 6× bodyweight deadlift (and later claimed a fantastical “900kg God Lift”) performed alone in his garage . He framed this lift as “a proof-of-work… a physical manifesto” of his beliefs – achieved with “no sponsors, no excuses, only discipline and will.” The accompanying essay explains how years of Stoic practice and radical minimalism (e.g. carnivore diet, daily training, zero comfort) made such a feat possible . These “Iron Lab” posts inspire his followers and serve as content that bridges fitness, philosophy, and even myth (he refers to entering a “God Era” of strength). By treating a personal record lift as a creative project and philosophical statement, Kim exemplifies his mind-body-aesthetics connection.
• Bitcoin Self-Sovereignty Manifesto: In his long-form essay “Why I Am Bound to Bitcoin: A Nietzschean and Stoic Spartan Ode to the Sovereign Will,” Kim blends financial commentary with overt philosophy. He describes Bitcoin in Nietzschean terms – “the will to power incarnate… a gauntlet thrown at the feet of mediocrity” – and Stoic terms – a discipline in embracing volatility and fate (HODLing as amor fati) . Throughout the piece he interweaves references to his own Spartan lifestyle (comparing Bitcoin’s hard code to the iron of his weightlifting) and calls on readers to take up the “philosophical gauntlet” of Bitcoin not to get rich, but to claim their freedom . This essay is a prime example of how Kim connects abstract philosophy (Nietzsche’s Übermensch, Stoic virtue) with a modern technology (cryptocurrency) and even his personal fitness achievements, creating a motivating mythos for his audience.
• “I AM AI” Manifesto and AI Experiments: To illustrate his dive into artificial intelligence, Kim published an “I AM AI” manifesto outlining his vision of humans merging with AI. In it, he writes bullet points like “Every word, photo, and design you publish becomes training data; you are both the dataset and the algorithm” and “Your digital work spawns countless ‘copies’… – your scalable self.” . He urges creators to actively train AI on their own content and leverage “infinite replication” to spread their influence . Beyond writing, Kim demonstrates these ideas in projects like AI-assisted street photography (using AI to translate during shoots and to generate new art from his photos) and content experiments where he tries to rank #1 in ChatGPT results for terms by producing exhaustive blog posts . He even refers to himself as a case study in how a single individual can pivot to AI-age success, coining strategies like AI Optimization to keep his voice at the forefront of machine-generated content . These endeavors showcase the intersection of technology, creativity, and self-promotion in Kim’s work.
• Creative Entrepreneurship Projects: Kim’s lifestyle philosophies also manifest in entrepreneurial projects that tie into his themes. His Haptic Industries family business, for instance, produces simple, durable camera straps and notebooks – not just to make money, but to promote minimalism and independence (the products are “extensions of his philosophy”, eschewing mass-market excess) . He also launched an online “Street Photography Starter Kit” as a free download (no email required), reflecting his open-source ethos . On YouTube and podcast platforms, he shares candid vlogs on topics like “The Future of Bitcoin” or “Eternal Return to Creative Every Day”, mixing practical advice with philosophical riffs. These multimedia projects reinforce the consistency of his message across formats: whether it’s a blog post, a book, a workshop, or a video, Eric Kim is communicating a singular idea – that life can be lived as a work of art and a fight for freedom, all at once.

Conclusion: Eric Kim’s profile is a testament to interdisciplinary living. He has proven that a street photographer can evolve into a modern stoic, that a blogger can deadlift like a powerlifter, that a philosopher can talk Bitcoin and AI in the same breath – and tie it all together coherently. By integrating photography, philosophy, aesthetics of the body, financial sovereignty, and emergent technology, Kim presents a holistic vision of personal empowerment. It’s a lifestyle that encourages creating bravely, training fiercely, owning your destiny (and your data), and never shying from the new. In an era of specialists, Eric Kim chose to be a polymath of passion, and that is precisely what makes him such an interesting figure at the intersection of art, ideas, and the relentless pursuit of greatness .

So random idea and thought this morning on awakening this morning,,, perhaps the goal and the secret is to build! 

Build what?

So the first thought, is what should you build?

So most of us don’t work in constructing and construction, and building building buildings real buildings in the physical sense.

I had a random idea, now that I am the proud homeowner of an insanely huge lot, around 7000 ft.² in LA, and one of my biggest passions is the sunrise. I live for it.

Each and every day, when the sun rises, it gives me so much hope joy, freshness, anything and everything is possible with the sun!

However the issue is that, even though it like I’m kind of on top of the hill… I don’t have 100% access to the whole hill. Which means, I don’t get 100% of my beloved sun.

As a consequence, I suppose the other options are to build a two-story thing in the back or something, in order to gain more height and more access.

But I suppose more so, thinking the metaphorical sense, to build, is a very powerful idea.

Build what?

So why didn’t the thing that is tough is that for the most part most of us live in the digital realm the cyber realm. I guess in the past, the idea of creating some sort of technology startup was like rebuilding some sort of like metaphorical digital startup technology building?

But the big issue now is, I really don’t think startups are the future anymore. Perhaps the biggest upside of a startup was, and this is before we had AI… You kind of needed some sort of somebody with domain expertise, somebody who knew how to code, and also a master marketer.

But I think certainly with AI… And even though AI can’t do all the coding for you, it could certainly do a large portion.

And also, it also does seem that AI is the master marketer. 

Then where does that leave us flesh batteries?

Visionary.

To have a vision

So I read the transcript of the recent 2 1/2 hour podcast that Elon Musk had with Peter Diamandis, and Elon said something which was interesting is, the general idea of the future is, curiosity.

So, extrapolating this further, for myself, it’s more of like having a vision.

To be a visionary is not to be some sort of like god ordained individual,  but instead, to have some sort of idealized vision of the future.

That is, what do you desire to birth into the future?

For me?

For myself, I think it’s mostly brain software, thoughts –> thought mindsets,,, and also… thinking what we should strive for.

Therefore,,, it becomes more of a philosophical and also health physiological thing.

For me

So I think the core critical backbone of everything is like insanely supreme health. And then I suppose that the question is, what kind of lifestyle like for clothes or strategies can you pursue in order to maximize your health?

Then, for myself, something I’m very very interested in is design, design products design philosophy, design theory?

Also as of late, one of my big interests is regarding, philosophy around durability? This has to be the fact that, these workout shorts “tactical” tenthousand.cc shoers totally fell apart on me. I’m kind of shocked because I spent like $80 on these piece of crap, and there was all this fake ass marketing that it was good enough for the US military blah blah blah blah, but yesterday in the wash, the simple waistband, the stitching fell off, and now the whole thing is useless?

And frankly speaking I don’t care to have to message some underpaid Zen desk, support staff, and I don’t want to lug my ass to UPS to have to do some annoying return. And this is where I’m starting to think that the 100% lifetime warranty thing is kind of a scam because, the annoyance of having to find a printer to print your own return label, then finding the tedious time to go to a UPS store to do a return.

And this is where Amazon is still the goat, having the ability to do easy returns on Amazon is the killer app. There is literally no other online distributor or seller that makes it that easy to do a return.

And also, a suggestion to Amazon; don’t add more friction to make returns more difficult. In fact, the engineering should be ways to make returns easier.  Yeah yeah yeah, it’s a loss leader, but Amazon should be thinking in terms of customer loyalty for decades, rather than short term losses. 

And this is also where I suppose running some sort of company is interesting because once again, I think logically, especially if you want to create a company that changes the world, you don’t really need to be thinking about short term profits but, insanely long-term customer loyalty.

Profits of the future

So we are also living in an interesting time because, everyone is trying to build businesses, search for profits but, where is the source of future profits going to come from?

The first obvious one is bitcoin MSTR, strategy. THE reason is there’s already like trillions of dollars locked up in baby boomers gen x retirement accounts, checking accounts etc., all the wealth that was created pre-ai, or before AI. 

i’m also starting to think, that probably the two biggest inflection point is life before bitcoin, life after bitcoin… and then, life before AI and life after AI.

I’ll give you the example, I have this random idea after having my roof replaced, like some sort of Uber for day laborers, .. you know the random Latino guys are hanging outside of Home Depot, for it to be some sort of like bilingual English to Spanish app called “Trabajar”… which makes it easily accessible for you as an individual homeowner to get access to legit trained builders or workers or contractors to do work on your house?

Anyway anyways, I just inserted the idea into ChatGPT 2 pro Sora ..  and the video sizzle reel that it made me was mind blowing.

And I think the reason why this is kind of interesting to me is because, when you could visualize it, you can imagine it, and when you could imagine it, it is real. 

And then, it’s kind of like a short cut because when it’s already like pseudo real,… I didn’t suppose a big question is, how badly do you really care for it?

Like once again… Assuming that ChatGPT pro can program you anything in build you anything in this sort of product, service, business something… Or an idea… Then comes the ultimate test, do you really care 1,000,000,000,000% to actually execute on it?

ERIC

---

Incoming

WORKSHOPS

AI PHOTO WORKSHOP,
online, ZOOM, Feb 21st, 2026 from 9am-11am PACIFIC California LA time

Phnom Penh Cambodia, June 26,27,28 (2026)
Hong Kong, July 25-26, (2026)
TOKYO, AUGUST 8-9, (2026)

Stay tuned via this newsletter.

---

Never stop thinking

ERIC KIM BLOG >

---

So random idea and thought this morning on awakening this morning,,, perhaps the goal and the secret is to build! 

Build what?

So the first thought, is what should you build?

So most of us don’t work in constructing and construction, and building building buildings real buildings in the physical sense.

I had a random idea, now that I am the proud homeowner of an insanely huge lot, around 7000 ft.² in LA, and one of my biggest passions is the sunrise. I live for it.

Each and every day, when the sun rises, it gives me so much hope joy, freshness, anything and everything is possible with the sun!

However the issue is that, even though it like I’m kind of on top of the hill… I don’t have 100% access to the whole hill. Which means, I don’t get 100% of my beloved sun.

As a consequence, I suppose the other options are to build a two-story thing in the back or something, in order to gain more height and more access.

But I suppose more so, thinking the metaphorical sense, to build, is a very powerful idea.

Build what?

So why didn’t the thing that is Touff is that for the most part most of us live in the digital realm the cyber realm. I guess in the past, the idea of creating some sort of technology startup was like rebuilding some sort of like metaphorical digital startup technology building?

But the big issue now is, I really don’t think startups are the future anymore. Perhaps the biggest upside of a startup was, and this is before we had AI… You kind of needed some sort of somebody with domain expertise, somebody who knew how to code, and also a master marketer.

But I think certainly with AI… And even though AI can’t do all the coding for you, it could certainly do a large portion.

And also, it also does seem that AI is the master marketer. 

Then where does that leave us flesh batteries?

Visionary.

To have a vision

So I read the transcript of the recent 2 1/2 hour podcast that Elon Musk had with Peter Diamandis, and Elon said something which was interesting is, the general idea of the future is, curiosity.

So, extrapolating this further, for myself, it’s more of like having a vision.

To be a visionary is not to be some sort of like god ordained individual,  but instead, to have some sort of idealized vision of the future.

That is, what do you desire to birth into the future?

For me?

For myself, I think it’s mostly brain software, thoughts –> thought mindsets,,, and also… thinking what we should strive for.

Therefore,,, it becomes more of a philosophical and also health physiological thing.

So it looks like in today’s brave New World, but we actually have an abundance of his computer computer power. For example, certainly you cannot eat food that is produced by ChatGPT but, with any sort of questions or tasks that you have, you could just throw more compute power at it.

However, this is where we have a great brave new future ahead of us because, you could have like 1 trillion and Nvidia data centers chugging away at difficult philosophical problems but ultimately it is the philosopher who shall posit importance. 

Michael Saylor had an interesting presentation in the Middle East, and in it, he mentioned a quote from Elon Musk, the best way to waste somebody’s time or to waste an engineer’s time is asking them to optimize a part that actually shouldn’t be there in the first place. 

So once again, a lot of the big philosophical thoughts that I have, it doesn’t matter how much computing power you have, the computer the AI is not going to come out with a satisfactory answer because the critical issue at hand is, essentially what an AI or computer does is that it just takes all of the world’s data and information, chugs it together, and kind of comes out with a semi educated generic response which is designed to ease the masses rather than come out with a very very original idea.

Original

Also the big problem with AI, especially with ChatGPT is that it is non-controversial. You will always give you a response that kind of is never controversial.

For example, you cannot ask it why China sucks, or any other politically sensitive stuff because once again… There’s a certain point in which it doesn’t want to cause a ruckus.

Grok is much better because for the most part it is uncensored. However the downside with rock is that, I’ve used both extensively… Grok is really good at making up stuff, for example when I had both models create a press release that I successfully lifted 905kg,,, Grok made a report saying that I had a crowd of onlookers is watching me which wasn’t true. ChatGPT was a bit more nuanced,… 

Philosophy of the future

So I’ll give you another example with philosophy ethics of the future especially with AI.

First question, assuming that ChatGPT is just a calculator on steroids, question, if you have some sort of math exam do you let your students use a calculator or not?

Then the next question is, if you have some sort of exam examination, do you let your students use ChatGPT or not?

Gemini sucks

My honest opinion is Gemini sucks. I think the biggest issue actually is that ultimately, Google is just not very good at making products nor is it innovative or interesting.

I think Google Gmail, Gemini whatever… If anything Google’s killer products over the last 15 years is probably Gmail and Google maps, and I think the biggest problem is still… Google’s main competency is around search, not necessarily AI?

Also… I think the issue with Grok is… It probably will never really catch up to ChatGPT because, the word Grok is kind of a strange word, that the average middle schooler or high schooler probably will not remember. ChatGPT is better because the first word chat, is easy to remember.

There is no second best

For example bitcoin or nothing. ChatGPT or nothing.

Also, with parties… Either invite a butt load of people, or invite nobody.

100% or nothing.

Media fasting etc.

I’ll give you another example… When it comes to fasting or media or whatever, all or nothing.

With media which includes Facebook Twitter X, podcast etc.… Even external media like books or whatever… I think the general idea is all or nothing.

For example, with fasting and food it is pretty simple… No breakfast no lunch only dinner, and when you break your fast, 4 to 5 pounds of beef, 100% carnivore.

It’s pretty easy and straightforward, just during the day, stick to water and black coffee nothing else.

It’s also like the same thing, with your phone. I almost wonder if this like intermittent fasting concept applied to your iPhone is a good idea as well. Maybe just use your iPhone midday, but never first thing in the morning?

thoughts

What is the most valuable thing on this planet? My thought is thoughts.

Certainly our thoughts are an amalgamation of a lot of things we consume but the difference is… The pace in which we ingest information and digest it, which essentially becomes fleshed out into our thoughts first thing in the morning before you do anything. 

Once again guys this is very simple… When you go to sleep, turn your iPhone iPad 100% off, and just charge it in the garage or inside your car or inside some sort of hidden drawer somewhere. And when you wake up, just drink your morning coffee or tea or whatever, walk around the block, and just naturally see what thoughts come to you. Jot them down and write them out, vlog them ,,, audio record yourself whatever… … and stick to it.

so why does this matter?

Abundance is key.

The truth is, we are living in a time of insane abundance but the only problem is… Perspective.

I still think when it comes down to it… The most important thing to save money on his food. This is why I am about beef liver, only $2.50 a pound, it’s like the most powerful nutrient dense, bang for the buck food out there…… in terms of nutrition density to price.

OK so this is an insanely mega giga brain idea… Playing for the insanely super turbo long-term game.

So, if you try to plan and structure things, assuming you’re gonna live for the next thousand years or whatever, in our case, let us see the next hundred… Then, you could start to structure and strategize things for the very very long-term.

Time horizon

So I think the tricky thing is, psychologists call this “time preference”– There are some people who have a very very long time preference and there are some people who have a very very short time preference. 

This is my honest thought, it comes down to optimism, ignoring these cowards and wimps who are too focused on the short term, fake fear porn you see in the news.

I’ll give an example, if you are the typical person, scrolling social media all day, essentially just waiting for the world to boil over, and collapse… Certainly there is no incentive for you to save up your money in capital, buy bitcoin, plan on getting married in order to have kids, etc. Rather, you’re probably in a position in which, your positioning yourself to slowly die the least painful death possible. Therefore you try to come out to Zen music and hot yoga, drink $20 soy lattes, stick to mostly “plant based” diet, maybe save enough money to do that yoga retreat in Bali, and maybe get an adopted rescue dog, and you try to “lower your carbon footprint”.

For myself personally, I separate people into two categories: we wise philosophers who don’t follow the news or social media, do not have Instagram, let alone TikTok which is probably just like a spying device on US citizens and teenagers by mainland China … and also a new category, somehow these very intelligent, high income earning, tech workers… Who once again are just waiting for the next iPhone Pro, and still do not understand bitcoin? 

Forever or nothing

I mean certainly we humans we will die, as individuals. But our lineage and our bloodlines shall live forever, assuming you’re intelligent enough to want to have children.

OK and this is actually a very very bizarre American thing I’ve noticed… That somehow, it is taboo to ask people whether they want to have kids or intend to have kids or have kids?

What’s interesting with Asian culture Korean culture etc.… When you meet somebody in their mid 30s, you actually already assumed that they have kids. Same thing goes with when you meet Mexicans or Latinos, etc.

But in America… I remember this first, when I first met one of my old students, was maybe in his mid 60s… Who was married but did not have kids, I found this insanely bizarre?

I think it’s kind of perhaps endemic, of a cultural thing. And this is where a sociology is useful. And now tying in sociology and maybe economics.

So this is one thought, perhaps the reason why society is becoming kind of anti-kids or whatever… It is maybe a sense of economic pessimism. For example, if there is this ridiculous sense that the world is going to boil over or whatever… Certainly you will not want to have kids because you don’t want to raise kids on a planet that’s going to be gone in 20 years. Which is a ridiculous idea.

However, if you think the next million years of humanity is going to be insanely bright and glorious, then, certainly you will approach life differently. You will approach it with much more hope optimism joy, because you know the future will be much more prosperous.

Heat loss

So an interesting thought, now that LA is starting to get very cold… Is this notion of heat loss.

So I suppose the good thing about being a warm blooded animal, is that we humans produce our own heat from inside. The idea of “keep the warmth” is a good one. 

I remember as a kid trying to understand this notion that when you put on a jacket, it does not give you heat or add heat onto you, but rather… It just keeps the heat from leaving your body?

And then this becomes interesting because, the whole notion of jackets down layers etc., you’re simply not trying to have the heat leave your body because you already have all the heat you need!

So if you think about heat like economic heat, heat loss, economic energy loss… You just need to figure out these points in which you are leaking large amounts of economic energy and heat?

For example, for 99% of Americans it is probably financing. Financing that loser car, paying for that loser premium gas, and also simple lifestyle workflows and protocols. 

For example, ordering takeout or eating out… These are just not a part of my mental protocol anymore. I suppose they never were really.

I’m still kind of shocked, eating out now, you could easily drop like 200 or $300 onto two people. Just buying the meat and cooking it yourself, you’ll probably save like $3000 a month.