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"practically all passions and hobbies can be monetized somehow (even a little)" I disagree strongly. This is a dangerous advice. I've been watching this from t

by fsloth 6y ago

"practically all passions and hobbies can be monetized somehow (even a little)" I disagree strongly. This is a dangerous advice. I've been watching this from the sidelines and yes, someone can get a trickle down that does not even buy you a cup of coffee. But revenue streams beyond that? Highly non-trivial, especially in the niche-hobbies (of which there seem to be an infinite amount of them). Not all things worth doing, are monetizable in my experience (or my experience is horribly skewed).

imagine99 6y ago
You could be right. I don't know what particular example you're thinking about, so I can't really debate you on the substance of the matter. However, I've seen people monetize the craziest things (and quite well at that). The more niche, the more money even. People pay good money for the most unbelievable things. The biggest issue is more likely to be market inefficiencies, i.e. bringing buyers and sellers together. But I almost guarantee you that somewhere out there is someone willing to pay a ton of money for that one weird problem you can solve for him with your niche skill or interest. Apart from the difficulties of finding that person or audience though, I'd be curious to hear what things you've been thinking of that are dangerous or impossible to monetize in a way that allows you to humanly subsist at least.
- fsloth 6y ago
  The difference with a hobbyist and the entrepreneur is that the entrepreneur is motivated to follow the market, whereas the hobbyist is motivated by their inner passion for their hobby and hopes the market finds them. If the hobbyist and the market should meet? There is a very good but also complex set of reasons why creative professionals stereotypically are not very well off and have poor labor conditions. Agree it's not impossible to create something out of nothing when you are not motivated by following the market, but also very unusual.
ghaff 6y ago
Absolutely. For example, it's very easy to work hard writing and make very little. (Writing in the technical space can be valuable but it's mostly by boosting reputation and therefore the ability to make money through other routes.) Ditto for music and many other things that often fall into the category of things that lots of talented people are happy to do for free.

by fsloth 6y ago

imagine99 6y ago

You could be right. I don't know what particular example you're thinking about, so I can't really debate you on the substance of the matter. However, I've seen people monetize the craziest things (and quite well at that). The more niche, the more money even. People pay good money for the most unbelievable things. The biggest issue is more likely to be market inefficiencies, i.e. bringing buyers and sellers together. But I almost guarantee you that somewhere out there is someone willing to pay a ton of money for that one weird problem you can solve for him with your niche skill or interest. Apart from the difficulties of finding that person or audience though, I'd be curious to hear what things you've been thinking of that are dangerous or impossible to monetize in a way that allows you to humanly subsist at least.

fsloth 6y ago
The difference with a hobbyist and the entrepreneur is that the entrepreneur is motivated to follow the market, whereas the hobbyist is motivated by their inner passion for their hobby and hopes the market finds them. If the hobbyist and the market should meet? There is a very good but also complex set of reasons why creative professionals stereotypically are not very well off and have poor labor conditions. Agree it's not impossible to create something out of nothing when you are not motivated by following the market, but also very unusual.

ghaff 6y ago

Absolutely. For example, it's very easy to work hard writing and make very little. (Writing in the technical space can be valuable but it's mostly by boosting reputation and therefore the ability to make money through other routes.) Ditto for music and many other things that often fall into the category of things that lots of talented people are happy to do for free.