It seems that in today’s modern day society and world, we are currently suffering some sort of economic malaise.
What is the solution? Create new value.
How do we create new value?
There are different approaches and strategies. In the context of information technology, you could just create new information and knowledge, for example, blog posts, videos, blogs, books, articles, podcast, audio or video, etc.
What is value anyways?
Valere — hwelh— to be strong, to be of worth, to rule, to be powerful. Also the same notion of being “well”, “wellness”— it means that you are strong, mighty, you rule, you are powerful.
Newsletter
Sendy.co — one of the quickest ways to create new value is through making a list. A list of emails, individual human beings and contacts, and being able to send them information and ideas at scale.
It seems that any sort of new technology or infrastructure or things we could create via Amazon web services, Amazon AWS is good. For example, creating an email newsletter with sendy.co is great, because you could leverage Amazon simple email services to propagate your thoughts.
Also, using Amazon Web services to make a website or a blog or even a website. I think moving forward, maybe just using Amazon Web services to make a website or a blog via WordPress.org is a good idea.
Why media is the future
It seems for the most part, we will never stop making movies. Even in 2023, it looks like movie theaters have been able to survive the pandemic. People love movies, cinema and film.
We humans are still embodied. That is, for a date night, you will still probably want to go watch a movie with your partner, in real life, in some sort of external location, which is not your house.
What is it about movies and media, cinema music that we love? I think it helped spark or imagination, creativity, art, and concepts.
For example, I just watched a quick trailer for the new Ant-man movie on imdb.com, and the visuals were pretty phenomenal. Being able to imagine a different universe, different science-fiction images is awe inspiring to me.
Think it all.
Also a new way to create new value is by innovating and proposing new approaches. For example, my powerlifting 2.0 notion. You don’t necessarily need to change the equipment, just take the pre-existing equipment, and figure out new approaches and techniques to utilize it.
For example, all of the new lifts I propose (rack pull, atlas lift, floor bench press) are all easily accessible at any normal commercial gym.
Also, my concept of the one rep max; this is just a different mindset and methodology to weightlifting.
Or my notion of the 100% carnivore diet, mixed with intermittent fasting, no breakfast, no lunch, and for dinner, striving to eat at least 4 pounds of beef ribs.
Or, creating new recipes. For example, my new “keto taco“ recipe.
Essentially, anything new you propose, even if it is a mishmash of old stuff, is still new value.
Information, news, technology, etc.
For myself, ever since I was a high school junior, around 16 years old, I had so much fun blogging. The good old inspiration from Maddox.xmission.com
In fact, my enthusiasm for blogging actually predates my enthusiasm for photography. I got into blogging when I was 15 or 16 years old, and I got into photography was when I was 18 or 19 years old. Also I got into cars when I was 15 or 16 years old as well. And I have always been into clothes in fashion ever since I was a middle schooler— 12 or 13 years old.
Essentially to share anything you’re passionate or enthusiastic about is good. To share your energy and vibes has much value.
Fighting against problems of modern day society?
For me, I am all about self experimentation, and creating new proposals for new solutions. For me, simply to complain or critique something without offering a solution is vain.
Seeking new solutions?
EK STRATEGY — shoot an email to Eric (at) erickim.com with your problem(s).
Stuff I’m up to and on my mind
- Better to be over warm than over cold. My new current outfit that I really like is wearing my long sleeve compression shirt, a workout T-shirt, and a sleeveless down vest on top. If I’m too hot, I could just take off a layer.
- Also, feet thoughts. Barefoot is the best, if not barefoot, Vibram five fingers.
- What is the best car, and the best modern day flex? Not a Lamborghini, certainly not a Tesla. My ideal would be a matte pink Hyundai genesis G90. That is real cloth talk, real expensive fabrics.
Crypto thoughts
What is one bitcoin worth? One bitcoin. Everyone likes to peg the bitcoin to the US dollar, but the reason why this is not a good idea is because currently speaking, the US dollar is becoming devalued.
For example, I see now that McDonald’s is hiring for around $16.50 an hour! What is the point of going to college anymore?
Also, it isn’t that houses are getting more expensive, it is simply that the dollar is not worth as much. Therefore in order to buy a house or property, the seller wants more US dollars, because the value of each individual dollar is now less.
As with bitcoin, it is still the god crypto. That is that ultimately all cryptocurrencies are pegged to the bitcoin. And therefore the end of the day, maybe the best way to think about crypto and cryptocurrency and crypto technology is in regards to bitcoin. Rather than wondering, how many dollars is one chain-link worth? A better question is, how many bitcoin is one chain-link worth? Or how much chain-link can I get with one Bitcoin?
Maybe into the future, tesla will start accepting bitcoin as payment for their cars, And also, maybe 30 or 40 years into the future, real estate agents will also accept bitcoin to purchase a house.
Invest in yourself
Experiences never die:
- Conquer your fears in Boston
- Conquer creativity online May 5th
- Become a more artistic photographer in Downtown LA May 20
- Hadong South Korea— March 23rd
Innovation ideas
1. “Social autism”
It seems that a small dose of social autism, or like how Korean people say it, “Noon-chi uhpssuh” (you don’t have eye sense), it can be one of the greatest advantages onto innovation. Why? For example, I was just able to floor benchpress 5 plates, and a ten on each side, 515 pounds.
For example, there’s this funny bias at the gym, or weightlifting culture that you have to do “proper form“. That means, doing a bench press on the bench, doing the typical deadlift and squat, etc.
I think one of my greatest strengths is I could care less. I am more interested in innovating the form and technique, and approach, in order to maximize my leverage and just push or pull or lift more weight.
For example, it is rare to ever see anybody deadlift over six plates, let alone seven plates. Yet am easily able to rack pull over seven plates and a 25 (725 pounds).
Or, I have never really seen anybody in real life squat six plates or beyond. Yet, I am able to easily atlas lift over eight plates and 20 on each side, I think that is 805 pounds.
Or with benchpress, it is pretty rare to see anyone benchpress three plates on each side, let alone four plates. There’s only one guy at the gym I have witnessed bench press for plates and a 25 on each side, and he is massive. Yet I was able to floor bench press Five plates and a 10, 515 pounds, easily destroying anything I’ve witnessed in real life.
The way I was able to do this is just by maximizing my leverage, technique and form. For example with floor bench press, maximizing your arch, and driving with your legs is key. And also doing it barefoot.
Atlas lift is pretty easy, essentially you just put the barbell at typical squat level, and instead of stepping back and squatting down, you just left the weight up, don’t move, and then just put it down. I think the typical strong guy should be able to do over seven plates or 8 plates, perhaps even 9, 10, 11, 12 plates on each side. I think a really strong power lifter should be able to atlas lift over 1000 pounds.
Why doesn’t anyone else adopt my unorthodox yet effective techniques and form? Because people don’t want to look “stupid“. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves by doing things differently. Also this nonsensical notion of “cheating“.
This is where being intelligent and wise is good, you realize that metaphorically and philosophically, there’s no such thing as “cheating”.
2. Doing things out of personal curiosity
Before Facebook became the multi billion dollar company we know what today, Mark Zuckerberg had no idea what he was building, or how to monetize it. He first built it, and then far later they figured out the monetization.
Also, interesting to note, I remember one Facebook, before we even had a newsfeed. Before there was advertisements. And also when the advertisements were first, just on the right side bar, very unobtrusive. Then later, Facebook adding advertisements to the newsfeed.
Also, with myself, when I was just out of college, a fresh 21,22 year old, I just started blogging on street photography because it was my passion. I legitimately did not think it was possible that I could make a living from my passion, and that’s why I just had a normal tech day job during the day, earning $40,000 a year, and just building up my blog on the side, when I had no work to do at work, or at home blogging before I went into work, etc. Also shooting YouTube videos of me shooting Street photography on the 3rd St., Promenade during my lunch breaks.
It was always my interest to transform my passion into my living, I still remember fantasizing about being able to one day, be able to do photography and street photography full-time. But at that time, the notion of being a “full-time street photographer” was not even a notion. I think I might’ve been the first person to have become a full-time street photographer, earning $200,000.
It wasn’t until my company went public and IPOd, and then the stock tanked, and then I was made redundant from my job, even my boss lost his shirt. It was at that critical moment, that decisive moment that I finally had the opportunity and the moment to pursue my passion full-time for a living. That is when I went super duper hard on street photography, pouring my life and soul into it. And I’m still happy and proud. I am still insanely passionate about it today.
Even nowadays, I am randomly pursuing another passion I have in life for working out, fitness, diet and nutrition, intermittent, fasting, lifestyle, etc. In some regards, I see myself like the next Tim Ferriss. I think Joe Rogan should probably interview me.
I would say, the intelligent strategy in life is to not worry, much about monetization, money, or something as “pedestrian” as profit or income (Peter Thiel). Just pursue your passion and figure out all the details later.
Now what?
- Upload your best photos to arsbeta.com
- Try to think, carte blanche, or blank slate. If you restarted everything today, how would you approach things differently or anew?
INNOVATE ON!
EK
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