If you’ve been triggered in the last week from the news in Cornell, you might be entitled to compensation. But because our justice system doesn’t actually help survivors – I have a different idea for you. Start a business.
Not a personal brand, a PRODUCT YOU CAN SELL.
I’m going to give you six examples to get your brain going on this line of thinking:
What if there was a way to make money from this obviously troubled social group of young men without inciting them to be more careless and violent…
The way here is – like any business – solve a problem! The more specific or embarrassing problem for the target market – the better!
Why do I know this: I’m both a technologist, and I teach values-driven folks how to use money and do businesses in ways that work for them.
And this week I thought: I have no social, legal or political power – but I do know how to start businesses. So what about a business that wasn’t inward-facing and do-goodery – just a chaotic neutral.
So here we go:
1 / The Extremely Specific Guy Store – digital kits for “guy problems” like:
- The First Apartment Survival Kit
- How to Talk to a Mechanic Without Getting Bullshitted
- A Spreadsheet for Splitting Rent With Your Friends
- The “My Friend Is Getting Married and I Have No Idea What To Do” Kit
- Dad’s Passwords: A System for Finally Getting Your Digital Life Together
- The Beginner’s Guide to Having People Over Without Being Weird
- How to Build a Good Tinder Profile Without Looking Like You Were Held Hostage
- The Broke Guy’s Guide to Buying Clothes That Actually Match
- A 30-Day “Get Your Shit Together” Checklist
Sell 40 for $29
BONUS: Add a free download with every purchase “how to not violate someone” which is an AI-generated picture of the purchasers’ mom drinking at a frat house.
2 / AGENTIC SHOES
A little awkward that you never notice your shoes smell before your girlfriend does? Try AGENTIC SHOES: an AI-powered notifier system that reminds you to put baking soda in your shoes and wash your darn socks.
Honestly this could expand to “AGENTIC MOM” and do all kinds of reminding, no annoyed parent required.
3 / An Anti-Cringe Social Skills Club
Don’t be a cringe “alpha man” – Learn how to be a person other people actually want to hang out with.
For $12/months, guys could join a branded, anonymous Discord/community and learn how not to be creepy from other guys, who are of course AI agents.
Get help with:
- making friends
- talking to people
- dating without being creepy
- hosting social events
- getting better at conversation
- dealing with rejection
- finding hobbies
- becoming less socially awkward
- figuring out adulthood
You could make the humor part of the brand:
“The Brotherhood of Guys Who Are Trying Their Best.”
or
“Normal Guy University.”
4 / “The Gamer’s Adulting Pack”
Includes:
- gaming + work/school schedule template
- Discord server starter kit
- LAN-party planner
- gaming budget spreadsheet
- PC upgrade decision calculator
- “Should I buy this game?” calculator
- roommate agreement template
- moving-out checklist
- meal-prep guide for people who don’t want to meal prep
- ridiculous achievement badges for accomplishing mundane adult tasks
Then make specialized packs:
- College Gamer Pack — $19
- First Apartment Gamer Pack — $29
- Streamer Admin Pack — $39
- LAN Party Pack — $15
- Discord Server Starter Pack — $25
Claude could also build you these.
Sell 35 a month for $30 = $1,050.
5 / “WELL ACTUALLY” The Bro Science Fact-Check Hotline,
tagline “Someone on the internet said something stupid. We checked.”
The important distinction from some men’s-content businesses is that you’re encouraging curiosity and skepticism rather than grievance, dominance or hostility. Aka “do your own research – with books and science.”
Topics:
- gym myths
- supplements
- testosterone claims
- dating advice
- productivity hacks
- money advice
- “cold shower” nonsense
- sleep
- nutrition
- gaming myths
- AI bro claims
- “successful men wake up at 4:37 AM” bullshit
But importantly, the business isn’t selling certainty. It’s selling good research delivered in an entertaining way.
Potential products:
Free: Short social posts / newsletter
$7/month: Full fact-check archive
$15/month: Archive + weekly “What Did the Internet Get Wrong This Week?”
You could absolutely program Claude to research, write, and produce this btw.
The brand could be something like:
- Bro, That’s Not How That Works
- Source: Dude Trust Me
- Peer Reviewed Bro
- The Bro Science Department
- Citation Needed
- Unfortunately, That’s False
Or my pet idea: “well, actually”
6/ BONUS – for the ladies: GUY FINDER
an AirTag in a manly color – hunter green, navy blue – that you put on your Guy, so he can’t
wander off and do … stuff he’ll regret later … without being discoverable.
Transparency note:
I used ChatGPT to come up with most of these ideas because I needed basic. Man thought. AI’s are trained on western language – man thinking – let me harvest it out, for good.
TAKEAWAY from my ChatGPT:
I’d create a business that says:
“We solve this extremely specific, slightly embarrassing problem that a lot of young guys have.”
And importantly, “funny + useful + anonymous” is a pretty powerful combination for this audience. You can make the brand have a personality without requiring the founder to become the personality.
TAKEAWAY FROM ME:
What this means is: you can be a middle aged lez like me and start any of these 🙂
And you can decrease the hierarchy culture shame and weird man advice that men get.
AND REMEMBER: you’re accountable for your actions – all of us are … or should be… so pick your idea wisely.
And go turn that righteous anger into getting paid.