What is the running joke about prostitution?
It’s that it is the “oldest profession of all time.”
Think of the concept of being a sex worker: You have sex with somebody for money.
Pretty simple exchange, right?
Well guess what?
We’re about to usher in a new age of “prostitutes.”
A brand new form of employment is going to be created out of the current scare that we are enduring at the moment.
What I called the “Donation Economy” months ago is going to be in full swing after the containment efforts of this virus is going to pump the unemployment rate to well over a third by the time this year ends.
When I wrote that article months ago, I was targeting video game designers and creators that were relying on donations to get their games made.
This time, I’m going to write about what the other (and eventually greater) half of the Donation Economy: People who create content who get paid in the form of donations by those who consume the content.
If you lose your job (which is extremely likely over the next six or so months) and you want to replace that income, you’re going to want to pay a lot of attention to this article, as I will be taking this kind of advice myself.
Trading out time for money is officially a thing of the past.
Now you must trade out your skills and ability to entertain for money.
The Donation Economy is upon us.
In order to survive in the near future, you are going to need to be able to take advantage of this and consider it as a new form of employment.
Because as we stare down the barrel of being “quarantined” from this virus, you will need to learn how to make money this way.
The old model of going somewhere, putting your time in, and getting the paycheck in a week, two weeks, or a month is nearly outmoded after the containment efforts of the virus end.
Get used to it.
Embrace it.
Do not run from it.
What is the “Donation Economy?”
Back when I last wrote about this, I described the Donation Economy as a trend started by video game developers, where they were starting crowdfunding campaigns so they can afford to make and distribute their video games.
This is common with all creators and entrepreneurs, not just people who make video games. There are all kinds of people who start crowdfunding campaigns so that they can bring their ideas to life.
And yes, this is how they make money. They push an idea, they create content explaining what kinds of problems the product can solve or how cool it is, then people back the project, getting a nice feeling that they are part of something great.
If you have ever watched the TV show Shark Tank, you know what I’m talking about.
Well, get used to having more of that happening than ever.
Now I personally do not like crowdfunding and an unsettling amount of these creators are exposed as scammers who practically steal money from people by either underdelivering or in some cases, not delivering at all.
That is one part of the Donation Economy, but it is not the one that you should focus on. Nobody should perform crowdfunding at all, as it preys on the hope of others.
Dangling the carrot of a product for others is not moral. If you want to create something, do it with your own money or follow the very few examples of those who were ethical about it and overdeliver.
However, there is a part of the Donation Economy that I now believe is necessary during these new times of uncertainty, despite years of me mocking it like I did crowdfunding.
And that is the act of directly having people pay you to solve their problems.
This is a part of the Donation Economy that I believe will not only get very hot over the course of the year, but will also be a major source of employment that nearly everybody can (and should) pursue.
You need to understand that getting paid to solve problems is the core of what employment is, and this can take more forms than ever.
One of the reasons why I put up a donation page is because I believe I am solving problems in some aspect when I write in this blog.
This is what you need to be thinking about when it comes to the Donation Economy.
Even if you do not think you can, you can solve a “problem” for anybody online.
How do I know this?
People who record themselves playing video games are laughing all the way to the bank because of this scare, and that is because they are solving the problem of “boredom” for millions of fans, who give them money.
I could go on and on with the examples, but you get the idea.
Even what I do for a living, writing articles for clients, is a part of the Donation Economy. People don’t have time to waste writing, so I solve that problem for them and they pay me for it.
This is what the Donation Economy is all about: Solving problems for people and getting paid directly by them, mostly online.
If you are not willing to be a part of this, you will likely be left in the dust in the future when it comes to employment.
This scare that we are currently going through is stone cold proof of this.
Yes, the unemployment rate will likely be a third in the next three or so months.
But you can work around this by seeing what problems you can (or want to) solve, and joining the Donation Economy.
Joining the Donation Economy is easier than you think, but being a significant part of it is more difficult than you think
Think about every time you get a new job.
Do you approach it like you already have an understanding of what is going on, or are you neurotic, trying desperately to avoid mistakes?
We all know that the first approach will obviously lead to a better experience.
And so it is that way with remote work, whether you are recording yourself playing video games online, recording a podcast, or doing freelancing online.
This is what makes this kind of thing easy. You can (and should) jump right in with zero expectations. There are problems that need solving, and people will pay you to solve those problems.
But you also need a plan and you need to know what you are doing.
This is where being part of the Donation Economy becomes difficult.
The very first thing you need to do is understand that this is a numbers game.
If you write in a blog like this, record videos on YouTube, or are doing a podcast, you need to ignore the technicalities and jump right in.
Sure, you should know some basics, but take care to do all you can to avoid drowning in speculation and leaping down rabbit holes wondering if you are doing everything right.
Because I’ll give you a clue.
You aren’t.
You probably never are going to do everything right
And that’s perfectly fine.
Here’s a little known fact about “perfection” that nobody wants to admit: And that is that the only thing that is “perfect” is inaction.
And inaction is exactly what will happen if you do nothing but speculate and wait for the “perfect” moment.
In order to master being a part of the Donation Economy, you need to put yourself out there and worry about making everything look good later.
Just get some basics down, determine which problems would be fun for you to solve, and get the content out there.
If you build it, they will come, but this isn’t like building a house where the entire thing will fall apart if all your measurements are not perfect.
The Donation Economy does not reward perfection.
It rewards solving as many peoples’ problems as possible.
To do this, you need to make sure you have plenty of stuff that people can read or watch.
This is especially true if you want to do blogging, videos, or podcasts, which practically anybody can do.
Just like inviting 20 people on dates is the best way to acquire a first date with someone new as soon as possible, making sure you have plenty of stuff to watch or read is the best way to get people to pay you to solve their problems.
I’ll give you a good example of this that involves my two favorite interests: Video games and wrestling.
All you need to do is take a look at the streaming website Twitch and you will see millions of people streaming themselves playing video games and getting paid by the viewers to do it.
There are probably hundreds of podcasters who I follow who get paid literally hundreds of dollars in donations every stream to talk about wrestling related events.
They get in front of a microphone, talk about wrestling, and get paid for it.
They get paid by listeners who are entertained or informed by the stuff they say.
And all of this takes place online.
Because so many jobs are going to be cut before a vaccine for this new virus gets developed, you need to learn how to do this and do it well.
And trust me, I have been slacking in this area; I need to learn how to do this and do it well too.
Don’t sugarcoat anything
Joining the Donation Economy requires you to do two things.
The first is to make content that solves problems.
Even if this problem is something you do not think you are solving (like being entertaining), you are probably solving it.
The second thing is to not sugarcoat what your intentions are.
Yes, being part of the Donation Economy means that you are practically begging people for money online.
Why sugarcoat this?
Just tell people that you need their money and that you hope you have solved enough of their problems to warrant them paying you.
If you do sugarcoat this, it will not end well, you will be seen as a fraud and you will be seen as somebody who is disingenuous in their actions.
There is something else that you need to think about when you join the Donation Economy, and that is making sure that you are seeking to solve more than one problem for more than one group of people.
Avoid the Dark Syde Disorder at all costs
Do you remember when I was writing about video game streamers who were being ridiculed and mocked?
They were both suffering from the Dark Syde Disorder because of two things.
First, they weren’t truly committed to solving any real problems with their content. They just phoned everything in, weren’t engaging or entertaining, took themselves way too seriously, and that is why they are so mocked and ridiculed.
They also had no other way to make money. Filming themselves playing video games is the only things they are doing for an income and you cannot afford to have less than two separate incomes (especially now).
The thing about the Donation Economy is that there are many, many “problems” that need solving.
You need to embrace this observation and treat it like it is a law.
Solving exactly one problem for money is fine if you are starting out, but somewhere along the line you will need to learn how to solve many different problems for money.
Whether you are streaming yourself playing video games, writing things for clients, doing online counseling, or something else, there are so many ways that you can get paid for solving problems online.
If you settle on just one, it will not end well.
Another thing that gives somebody the Dark Syde Disorder is taking yourself too seriously.
This is not allowed when you are part of the Donation Economy. EVER.
Here’s an observation that I have about “haters.”
While some of them are truly malicious, most of them are fans in disguise.
Sure, they do not give you money and may try to ruin your reputation, but what is stopping you from laughing at their attempts to ridicule you, proving that you are the bigger person?
Nothing. Nothing is stopping you.
Being part of the Donation Economy does not mean you need to be a public figure
This is probably the biggest fear that some may have when it comes to being part of this economy.
This age where everything is done online has made anybody who makes money online the potential to be a public figure, where nearly everybody knows about what takes place in your personal life.
While this is true, it is only partially so, and the truth is just because you might be known for writing in a blog, making videos and stream on Twitch and YouTube does not mean that you are under some grand microscope.
In fact, you’d be surprised to know that practically nobody knows about you and you have nothing to worry about.
Being part of the Donation Economy does not automatically mean that you are a public figure that is under constant scrutiny.
Sure, it is possible for you to become a public figure if you become popular enough, but who’s asking you to be mega-popular?
There are a lot of bloggers, youtubers, and streamers who are relatively unknown and yet they still make a lot of money from the donations from their fans.
And even if you do gain a massive following and become this “public figure,” there are plenty of examples of those who made some really bad mistakes and who have paid the price.
Learn from them and do not act like them if you happen to develop a following.
People all around the world are forced out of their jobs and forced to work from home as of writing this.
Because of this, you need to understand that the faster you learn how to join this new economy, the better off you will be in the future.
Do not worry about the people who you enjoy your content not having enough money to give you if they do enjoy your content.
If you have a decent enough following, impress your fans enough, solve their problems the right way, and have a good enough relationship with them, you will get paid.
If not, it means that one of these things is lacking.
There are problems out there that need solving.
And even in these times where everybody wants to save as much money as possible, people will still pay you to solve their problems.
Understand that this is going to create a new economy that you will need to be ready for.
So get ready for it and prepare to turn your back on the economy that has existed for so long.
The Blog of Joelsuf 