The Solopreneur Creator's Dilemma- Creativity versus Conformity & Commercialization
The Solopreneur Series Issue #5
The “Creator Economy” is booming. Estimated at over $250 Billion US in 2023 and projected to double in size over the next 3 to 4 years. It is a market of huge creative opportunities — for entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, and companies alike.
But, it’s also a wealth of opportunities to get lost in a sea of inauthentic bullshit, conformity, and lack of originality.
The number of ‘creators’ is growing — some suggest as high as 200 million (maybe more). Yet, in that vast creator-ship is much diversity. Diversity in approach, platforms, content, goals, values and so on.
Many embark on entrepreneurial journeys into the Creator Economy seeking freedom, creativity and innovation — only to find themselves trapped in cycles of mimicry, hustle-hype, success porn, unrealistic goals and navigating safe choices of conformity.
In other words, they (we) can lose our authenticity, originality, and even our unique creativity.
It’s not entirely their fault — And, if you’re navigating this challenge… it’s not entirely your fault.
The Convergence of Authenticity, Originality, and Creativity
If you were raised and schooled in what many call ‘Western’ systems — as I was (in Western Canada) — then seeking or defaulting to safety, conforming to norms, and limiting risks (to name a few) have been driven into our value systems and identities.
These have been schooled into us from a young age.
Sure there are some exceptions, however, for the most part, education systems are far more about building in conforming over standing out.
…About learning (and abiding by) who is IN authority and who is not —
Who is AN authority and who is not.
If one continues on to university or higher education of some kind, this becomes even more pronounced and defined. Folks get streamed into certain ‘disciplines’ and then become ‘disciplined’ within those disciplines.
This isn’t necessarily all bad, however, it can create a lot of challenges, barriers and psychological blocks when pursuing and starting entrepreneurial opportunities and ventures.
And, in the Creator Economy… a booming marketplace of opportunities (and challenges)… launching entrepreneurial ventures has the potential to alter decades-long norms and standards of workplaces, earning income, and defining (and living) personal values and identities.
These past few weeks, I’ve found myself exploring and puzzling through various potential pitfalls of losing one's authentic self and originality in the race to “success”.
It's a potential wakeup call to those navigating this vibrant and growing but challenging ecosystem:
How do you maintain your unique identity, authenticity, and uniquely creative spark in a world often rewarding the opposite?
In the bustling $250 billion Creator Economy, the challenge for entrepreneurs (Solopreneurs) isn't just about creating — it's also about remaining authentic in a realm that often rewards conformity.
And is full of ‘success-porn’ and ‘hustle-hype’… and it’s a very very small percentage that hits the home run. Look closely, and that is the majority of what you will see across social networks. The…. “so-and-so went viral and is now making $1 million per year”.
It sounds glorious and miraculous (and too easy to be true) — and it is. If there are approximately 200 million ‘Creators’ in this rocketing economy — then why are the stories of rocketing riches so small in comparison?
Because the wild success stories are a classic case of survivorship bias. There are far fewer stories of the creator blowouts, burnouts, and fizzle and flash and flop.
Authenticity?
Authenticity in the digital ecosystem is more than a buzzword. Granted, it’s also certainly a buzzword — used daily.
There seems to be a pretty darn good reason the word was selected as word of the year for 2023 by Merriam-Webster.
Authenticity is supposed to be about staying true to your principles, even when the easier path beckons. Yet, the pressure to conform is a constant companion — especially in the ‘Creator Economy’.
You, we, me — we’re all bombarded with strategies, formulas, and 'proven' paths to success. They whisper promises of quick gains but often lead to a loss of what makes you… well… you.
Shouts of “niche down” and “the riches are in the niches” (clearly an American thing, as most Canadians pronounce niche closer to knee-chis not like something that rhymes with riches… )
The tension between staying authentic and conforming is thick in the air (at least in the social media world and ‘Creator Economy’). It can start to feel like a tightrope walk where every step counts, let alone every wobble (but it doesn’t really).
Some questions loom (at least for me): How do you, or we, or I maintain that delicate balance? How do we ensure our authenticity remains in content, in interactions, and in decisions?
I’ve been navigating this ‘Creator Economy’ for about 18-20 months or so now. Reading, watching, researching, engaging, posting, building, and so on. I’ve seen the many stories of overnight success stories and the thousands of dollars per month.
And good for those folks who make it happen!
What I see very little of is the fizzle-and-burn stories — at least direct stories. It becomes more of an assumption when folks kind of fall off the social media wagon.
I’ve taken a few courses (some not cheap) — but learned more than I did in any university course of similar cost.
I’m finding, much of this gig is about making conscious choices — regularly, to be true to one’s Self — even if it means taking the road less travelled… and sometimes calling Bullshit… and often seeing strategies of others and adapting them to fit one’s own.
And… well… there aren’t many courses on these topics. There are far more courses based on: “look at me and how big a deal I am… give me $1000 and I’ll teach you to be like me…”
And what happens in that game?
People lose their genuine authenticity and start doing what the guru tells them they should do.
Why?
Because they can’t escape the conditioning that schooling puts in all of us. Follow authority. Look to the ‘experts’.
What’s a potential path through, or maybe even beyond this?
Entrepreneurship… Solopreneurship.
The Roots of Entrepreneurship
The word entrepreneur has been around for centuries. Its more recent meanings are related to “adventurous dispositions, readiness to undertake challenges, a spirit of daring" — which came about around the 15th century, or so.
It shares roots with the Old French (from about the 12th century) word enterprise meaning: "an undertaking" — as in taking on risk. It’s the past participle of entreprendre "undertake, take in hand".
In there is entre- "between" + prendre "to take" (Online Etymology Dictionary).
Entrepreneurship is largely about stepping into unknowns and taking risks.
Solopreneurship
This week I read a sharp, to-the-point comment from someone who despises the term Solopreneur. Something along the lines that they gag and unfollow anyone who mentions it.
“Fascinating…” I thought to myself. And maybe a bit of an overreaction.
But, I’ll say, when I first read the term, I rolled my eyes. 🙄
However, I’ve really come to appreciate the term and the distinction in its use over Entrepreneurship.
The distinction between Entrepreneurs and Solopreneurs is that the latter is a business of one (Solo) — and they are often attached to distinct lifestyle choices.
Choices focussed on building businesses (and income) around, and as part of, lifestyles. Not the other way around, which is what employment does.
As an employee, one must build their life around the act of employment and an employer. For example, working the hours that employers demand. Dressing in a way employers demand. Taking ‘holidays’ in ways an employer demands.
Drawing retirement funds and retiring when employers say so and layout.
Conforming is the name of the game. And for some folks… that’s OK (and preferred).
Many folks prefer steady pay cheques every couple of weeks. Taxes and pension contributions are handled for them. Hours of work dictated by others. Holiday time laid out by others.
Schooling, parenting, and societal norms (to name a few) prepare most folks to settle into exactly this.
And in some ways… so does the evolutionary history of the human brain. To conform takes far less energy than to rebel or stand out. Non-conforming behaviours can raise anxiety, apprehension, fears, and other potentially energy-sapping emotions.
However, they can also be the root of excitement, discovery, learning, and standing up for one’s sense of what’s right, ethical, moral, or linked with identity.
At the heart of these matters is decision-making.
And in Solopreneurship, the owner is the only decision-maker. Whereas Entrepreneurs generally hire teams, seek growth, and look to expansion or buyout.
And, thus I’ve come to really appreciate the term Solopreneur —especially with where decision-making lies.
Decision-making
Generally… conforming requires less decision-making— or at least, less energy-sapping decision-making.
Non-conforming requires more decision-making energy. One is required to think through tactics, strategies, and questions of “why?” and balancing “If I do this, then what?” and “If I do that, then what?” (for example).
In the study of decision-making, some suggest there are two different sets of logic at work: The Logic of Consequences and The Logic of Appropriateness.
Consequences versus Appropriateness
These two sets of logic can be explained like this:👇
Logic of Consequences: This approach is about considering the outcomes of your actions. It's like thinking, "If I do this, what will happen?"
It's a way of decision-making where you weigh the pros and cons and think about the results your actions might lead to.
Logic of Appropriateness: This is more about doing what feels right according to one’s role or identity. It's like asking, "What should someone like me do in this situation?"
Instead of focusing on outcomes, you make decisions based on what aligns with your sense of Self, your values, and/or the norms of a group you identify with.
The "logic of consequences" is more commonly instilled through schooling and attached to conforming behaviours.
The Logic of Consequences
In educational settings, students are often taught to focus on the outcomes of their actions, such as grades, rewards, or punishments. This approach emphasizes the importance of evaluating the potential consequences before making decisions.
It encourages and builds mindsets where actions are based on expected results, which generally leads to conformity as students learn to align their actions with established norms and expectations to achieve desired outcomes.
In this case, it’s important to consider who names the ‘desired outcomes’. Who are the ‘authorities’ on these issues?
Think of lining up (queuing), or raising one’s hand to speak or go to the bathroom, or learning the norms of ‘emotional control’.
The Logic of Appropriateness
The "Logic of Appropriateness" in decision-making is driven by aligning actions with one's identity or the norms of a group one connects with.
Rather than focusing on outcomes, this logic is about doing what feels right based on who you are or want to be.
In this approach, decisions are not generally made by weighing pros and cons, but more through considering whether an action aligns with personal or group values. It's about asking:
Is this action appropriate for someone like me or for the role I embody?
Am I staying true to my principles and beliefs with this decision?
How does this decision align with ethical standards I uphold?
This logic emphasizes the importance of authenticity and personal values in decision-making.
As such, it becomes a key driver in decision-making for Solopreneurs and creative types (especially those looking to build in the “Creator Economy”).
It also fuels a Box Cutter philosophy… and thoughts and strategies for driving authenticity, originality, and creativity.
The $250 Billion ‘Creator Economy’
As highlighted in recent Box Cutter Co. issues and many recent mainstream media articles — the Creator Economy is forecast to double from $250 Billion US per year to close to $500 Billion per year by 2027.
This rapid growth of the Creator Economy means a wealth of opportunities — especially for those looking to build autonomous Solopreneur ventures. The types of ventures where one can engage in positive self-development, not lose one’s identity and values in business, and potentially participate in building or increasing societal well-being.
However, it also means even MORE hustle-hype-bro tactics and DMs and courses and promises of riches. (and fair enough to those looking to build their own gigs)
In recent years, there has been massive growth in online experts, coaches, gurus, and hustle-hype porn — largely driven by social media.
My DMs are full every week (on X for example) with one more guy (and yes, they are mostly ‘bros’) offering to “10x my clients”, or “4x my monthly revenues”, or take me to “30,000 Followers”… and so on and so on.
And there are A LOT of courses out there — and (apparently) A LOT of experts.(Don’t get me wrong, there are some pretty decent ones out there too… but buyer beware!)
I also hear from folks almost every week who feel they didn’t get the value they hoped for out of some online coach, digital building guru, or following someone’s recommended 10-step program for “smashing it online”.
I’ve also taken quite a few courses and been able to determine things I’d like to do and try — AND, things I definitely do not want to do or try.
I’ve had a consistent set of questions circulating in my mind about:
Building a creative digital business in the Creator Economy without losing originality and authenticity in the pursuit of success?
Entrepreneurship
The historical roots of 'entrepreneurship' point to personal discovery, risk, and innovation. And there are opportunities for exactly that in the “Creator Economy” (and around the fringes).
Yet, those looking to enter the realm of digital entrepreneurship — especially Solopreneurship — may find themselves navigating sticky crossroads, where tried-and-tested formulas for success (or apparent ones) clash with the desire to carve out one’s own unique paths.
This balancing act can lead to a ‘Paradox of Growth’.
The delicate balance between maintaining authenticity and building a distinctive business identity amidst a sea of conformity, sameness and normalized-standardized methods and tools — and the mess of PR hype and jacked-up hustle-hype promotion tactics.
The Paradox of Growth: Authenticity and Originality in Solopreneurship
In pursuing business viability and success, solopreneurs can face unique challenges: how to stay true to their Self while building originality in their business — and avoiding drowning in the Sea of Sameness (esp. content pumped out by AI).
There is a sometimes intricate dance between:
authenticity,
originality, and
creativity.
These may also be some of the most potent assets in this rapidly growing Creator Economy — especially when considering the flood of AI-generated content on the market.
Authenticity
“Authentic” was chosen as the word of the year by Merriam-Webster — and for good reason. Part of the reason it was selected is the number of times it’s searched online.
The Essence of Authenticity:
In entrepreneurship — and especially Solopreneurship — business is often deeply intertwined with personal identity. Authenticity, then, is not just a buzzword— it's often the core of your business venture. Thus the critical importance of aligning business practices with personal values and beliefs.
The Struggle Against Conformity:
In a culture obsessed with replicating successful models, staying authentic can be challenging. Professor, author and thinker Adam Grant points out in his 2016 book "Originals: How non-conformists move the world" — that the greatest originals are those who stand out because they introduce novelty and because they are authentically themselves.
This echoes across the realms of Solopreneurship, as one’s unique voice and perspective are often your business's core — and your core business (otherwise why do it?)
And, why I despise the term “personal branding”… (below is a friend link to a Medium article.
The Struggle to Recognize Our Own Originality
In the culture I grew up in (Western Canada), we are taught from a young age that the most important and original ideas originate outside of us…
These great ideas and original thoughts are found in books, libraries and other places and times.
Think about this for a moment though… by the time you have finished standard schooling you have probably read far more books than Plato, Socrates or Aristotle. You have sifted through as much information as Darwin or Francis Bacon.
We all have access to more information than at any other point in history— literally, at our fingertips.
It’s a critical skill to come to trust our experiences—to recognize we have a wealth of raw material within our minds and bodies to produce valuable insights and knowledge.
Each one of us is uniquely unique. By design and purpose (whatever that may be.)
Challenging the Status Quo: The Box Cutter Approach
The Box Cutter philosophy, central to this series, is about questioning defaults and challenging the status quo. It's about understanding that rules and systems are made by people and are not set in stone, opening up possibilities for improvement and innovation.
The funny thing with the ‘Creator Economy’ is that it’s new and exciting and the talk of the town….
However, it’s also now been around long enough that a status quo starts to set in. And those ‘norms’ that form in other systems — because of how most of us are schooled through our formative years — then start to form in new and exciting places — like the Creator Economy.
If you’ve participated in this space for a bit, I’m confident you’ve seen it in many places. The many purveyors of:
“Should…”
“If you’re here on X (Twitter) you should… bla bla bla”
“If you’re building on LinkedIn you should… bla bla bla
“If you’re going to start a newsletter you should… bla bla bla bla bla bla
We have a saying around our house:
“Don’t should all over the place.”
“Don’t should all over me or other people.”
One of the absolute pleasures I find in the Creator Economy and building a Solopreneur gig… I get to choose.
I experiment, play, iterate and then rinse and repeat as necessary. If I wanted to follow other folks’ “shoulds” I would have stayed in the workforce.
Wrapping Up
In this growing $250 Billion 'Creator Economy', the true art lies not in mere participation, but in carving out (or building) a space that is authentically yours.
The journey of Solopreneurship can be a powerful exploration of Self, where success is not just measured in revenue, but in the alignment of one’s work with core values and beliefs.
The growing Creator Economy is an opportunity for originality and creativity to flourish, beyond the constraints of conventional norms — and especially beyond the conforming pressures of schooling.
As you navigate, or plan to navigate this exciting yet challenging terrain, remember the power of staying true to your Self.
Maybe a little bit cheesy or cliché — but accurate.
That’s it for this week for The Solopreneur Series. In the meantime, please drop a comment answering these:
In your journey as a creator, how do you balance the pursuit of originality and authenticity with the pressures of commercial success?
Do you have strategies for staying true to your creative vision in a market full of hustle-hype?
How do you measure success in your creative ventures – is it purely in commercial terms, or do you have other metrics?
Please send along any questions or comments. Re-post or re-share, send me feedback and/or steal at will.
Great article! A lot of it comes down to what success measures you pick for yourself and actually sticking to them. Measures of actual influence have consistently worked better for me vs. anything that's a vanity metric (e.g. # impressions, reactions, etc.) or purely monetary one (it's more of a lagging indicator IMO).
How I measure "influence":
- meaningful interactions and idea exchanges (e.g. discussion taking into account context and nuances)
- actually changing someone's POV or them changing mine as a result of the interaction
- inbound requests to share my ideas on their platform
- asks to come back for round 2 after the initial speaking engagement
- when people bookmark my content and share with their network (sometimes several months after the initial post)
yeah when I started writing and just putting myself out-there, a lot of people told me "yeah you have an unconventional approach but not everybody will like it, if you want to get more readers you should have more conventional structure/wording"
And I wrote a draft with that advice in mind...I HATED IT, I HATED WRITING IT. I didn't have any fun writing with a prexisting framework/structure, I felt disappearing.
So yeah, I decided I'd rather have less readers, but really interested on what makes my writing unique, than more readers just wanting me to do yet another TOP 5 WEBSITES TO LEARN JAVASCRIPT
Thanks for putting words on what I felt.