Brainstorming About Knowledge as Business

Have You Ever Seen Yourself as a Product?

I have had a certain idea for a long time that I can’t get out of my head: what if I could convert my knowledge and skills into my own business? No, this isn’t a revolutionary idea or anything like that, but it is an idea that continues to haunt me in some way. I am also convinced that I am not the only one with this idea. Perhaps you do as well?

Let me make it clear right away: I am not an expert in entrepreneurship. Not even at all. Ideas are all I have, along with some creativity and a will to make something of my life. If you’re reading this and plan to continue reading, I’m guessing we’re on a similar frequency.

Don’t get me wrong, okay? This isn’t a manual on how to get rich or anything. This is simply a journey. My journey. From idea to potential, and who knows, maybe this will be your future journey too.

You as a Product

The first step is perhaps the hardest: look in the mirror. What do you see? I hope you see a person with unique skills, interests, and experiences. Because that’s what you are, right? This is you, and this is your product. Does that sound crazy? Perhaps it does. But sometimes a little crazy is all we need.

If I’m a writer on Medium.com, where I offer my articles, then yeah — you could technically say that the articles are the product. I’d be the producer, but you get the point, right? It’s the content of my mind that I convert into words in (I hope) an understandable way so it’s of value to you: the content consumer. So I look at it as if my mind is the product.

The trick to this concept is to see yourself as something valuable that you can offer. Are you good at writing, or programming, or do you have a unique perspective on something? I think we should take that as the starting point.

Do you feel like you’re not good at anything? Even that’s okay. You can always learn new things, and hey — have you ever thought about documenting and sharing that journey? To me, that seems like a great idea in itself. You learn something new yourself, and you also teach someone else something. And trying to teach others is a good method for learning yourself. This reminds me of education as a niche. And speaking of niches…

Identifying Your Niche

The world is a big place for a tiny human being like us, and the internet is a whole world on its own. Where does your ‘product’ fit in this huge market? Finding a niche therefore seems difficult. Guess what is suddenly very important in a world where everyone is selling something? Authenticity. What makes you different? No, I’m not talking about the way you use AI (or perhaps that even matters these days — referring to prompt engineering). I’m referring more to what’s going on in that head of yours.

The thought that has always kind of put me off is that almost every niche is already saturated. There is already a lot of content about all kinds of things. But I still have hope, and that hope comes from the fact that we are human beings. We can bring our unique perspective to the table.

If I had to give most of my content a niche, I guess it would be the self-help niche. If you browse through my content, you’ll see I mostly create self-improvement and psychological content — and I think that is also one of the largest and most saturated markets. Especially now with AI. As one of my fellow wordsmiths wrote in one of his articles, today everyone can be an AI writing self-help guru.

Yet, I really want to continue to create in this niche and offer myself as a product.

Maybe I see something in a way that someone else hasn’t thought of yet. No, I’m not talking about reinventing the wheel, but about reexamining things. Any soul I can help is a win in my book. And let’s not forget that by creating this kind of content, I’m exploring a lot myself — hence I kind of broaden my horizons as well.

And, by the way, let’s not forget that you can have multiple niches. Looking at my content, I don’t create solely self-help stuff. I also write or create videos about things that interest me. Look at all the follow-along workouts I published on YouTube or the articles I’ve written on my experience of fatherhood. But the ‘general advice’ is to just pick a niche and consistently create content about it.

Building an Online Presence

You can have the best ideas, but if you don’t share them anywhere, it is virtually impossible to convert them into a business. That is why building an online presence is crucial. No, it doesn’t have to be perfect at all. It should provide value, though. That’s the only thing people are looking for.

Something useful to them.

Just look at what you do yourself if you want to know something. You’re probably looking for a YouTube video, a how-to article, or perhaps a personal experience of someone sharing their perspective on something.

Ever thought of becoming a writer on Medium?

Speaking of which — Do you know what I think that’s important while you’re building an online presence (and not only on Medium)? Connecting with people. Tell your story. Why do you do what you do? What drives you? And hey, if you’re not sure yet — that’s perfectly fine. Do some self-examination first. If you dig deep enough, you’ll discover it.

But one thing I want to emphasize here:

This personal touch is what will attract people.

Authenticity is attractive, my dear reader. If you’re still interested in going down this road, please promise me one thing: don’t be afraid to be yourself, and don’t be afraid to fail. Every time you fail is a learning opportunity. Those are THE moments that make us grow. And speaking of that personal touch and connecting with others — let’s talk about money.

Monetization: The Art of Selling Without Selling

The goal, of course, is to make money. To make a profit with your knowledge. And who knows, to turn that into a business. As I mentioned before, entrepreneurship and I don’t know each other that well (yet).

However, if you’re an online content creator where you are the product, people want to buy you. That’s right. Not literally, of course. But they want to invest in your ideas, experiences, insights, perspectives, and in you as a person.

People are willing to invest money in what you have to offer if they feel a connection with you, and trust you. And what’s the foundation of any successful business? I don’t think you need to be an entrepreneur to answer that question.

Imagine you’re scrolling through your social media and you come across two creators, both offering writing advice. One of those creators is constantly pushing to buy his new e-book, but the other one isn’t.

The other one shares all kinds of things about what he is going through. All kinds of ups and downs, and personal experiences. He also responds to the comments and continuously gives valuable and practical tips. There is no hard selling of any kind.

Which of the two do you have more confidence in? Which of the two would you rather invest your money in?

I think I already know the choice — the second creator. Why? You have some kind of bond with that person. You’ve seen what that person experiences and that nothing feels like a sales pitch. That person sincerely tries to help others. The energy put in on his part builds that bond and trust — the crucial foundation of a business. This doesn’t even tend to build customers, but community. That’s powerful.

Patience, Perseverance, and Giving Up

I believe everyone who uses their common sense knows that success doesn’t come overnight. You need a lot of patience and perseverance, and no — then you still have no guarantee. It’s trial and error, experimenting and learning, and both giving up and trying something new.

Wow, did I mention “giving up?” Yes, that’s right. I started looking at this differently, and actually — let’s talk about it. I want to know your perspective.

The following sentence went through my head:

“If something doesn’t work, at some point it’s just done and you have to stop.”

Because, you know what? I’m getting a bit tired of everyone always saying, “Never give up! No matter what happens!” The funny thing is, I’ve often said and advised that too. Perhaps even recently. But now, at this exact moment, I’m not so sure about that statement.

You can keep investing energy in something you’re just not going to succeed in against your will, but you can also decide to let it go and try something else. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to let go. You don’t owe an explanation to anyone. You have to stand behind your own decision, and no one else. No one does the work for you, right? Of course, it’s nice if someone has your back, but in the end — it’s all up to you.

It’s just a fact that not everyone can achieve the same thing (and thank God for that). What works for one may not work for another. That’s just life. There are countless factors at play, and many of those factors are not even within our control. Let it go. Like another fellow wordsmith told me recently:

“I take life as it comes.”

That sentence stuck with me, Kyle Wells.

This doesn’t mean that if you’re building something, you should give up at the first obstacle and try something else. No, not. If you’re going to try something, give it a fair chance and do what you can to make it succeed.

Remember, we’re talking about business. Time is money.

Still, dare to dream. Dare to dream big. Craft a realistic plan. Create a roadmap. Put in some serious effort. Get help where needed. Even take courses. I believe investing in your dream is a good thing. Just don’t let it ruin you, and know when it’s enough.