Own Your Own

The old saying goes, "When's the best time to start investing? Twenty years ago or right now." The same principle applies to your content and intellectual property (IP). Just think about everything you've learned over the course of your career. If you could package all of that experience and pass it on to someone else, would it have value?

Of course it would. Your mistakes, victories, and life lessons are a potential goldmine.

• Tim Ferriss's The 4-Hour Workweek (2007)

• James Altucher's Choose Yourself (2013)

• Taylor Pearson's The End of Jobs (2015) all foresaw the rise of the one-person business. Nearly a decade old at the time of writing, these books predicted a seismic shift in how individuals could create and own their own platforms.

Owning your audience has revolutionized media:

• Podcasts boast millions of downloads.

• YouTube, the world’s largest streaming platform, is powered by individual creators.

• Many Substack newsletters or email lists are run by solo entrepreneurs sharing knowledge in exchange for value. YouTube, the world’s largest streaming platform, is powered by individual creators. Many of your favorite Substack newsletters or email lists are run by solo entrepreneurs sharing knowledge in exchange for value.

Often, that value isn’t money—at least not at first. It’s as simple as exchanging an email address. Which brings us back to the beginning of this article: when is the best time to start collecting email addresses? Same answer as before: twenty years ago or today.

On that note, I’d like to offer an exchange of value:

As James Altucher and others pointed out a decade ago, the traditional gatekeepers are no longer in control. The world has opened up for people who go directly to their audience or customers. And if you’ve been paying attention to the internet and AI, you’ll know the conditions for creating and sharing your own content have never been better. No, it’s not too faarking late—we’re still early in the game.

The rise of one-person online businesses, often called solopreneurship, has become a defining trend in the global economy. Advancements in technology, the accessibility of digital platforms, and a growing desire for autonomy have empowered individuals to establish and scale businesses on their own terms.

The beauty of solopreneurship is that it’s something you can start on the side. You don’t need to quit your day job to experiment with building your own one-person media empire. Most platforms offer free trials or have low entry costs.

That said, not everything being sold in this space is genuine. Beware of the snake oil flooding your TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook feeds. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

To wrap up, here are a couple of recommendations for diving deeper into solopreneurship:

1. Justin Welsh — Justin has a fantastic newsletter on the one-person business model. Find him on X (formerly Twitter) @thejustinwelsh or visit his site at justinwelsh.me.

2. Dan Koe — Dan writes about making a living through writing, blending philosophy with practical advice. His book on focus is also excellent. Find him on X @thedankoe, and don’t miss his newsletter.

The tools and opportunities to share your expertise and build something meaningful are right in front of you. Why not start today?