One-man/woman Publishing Company

It still amazes me how technology has enabled the rise of the one-man (or one-woman) publishing company.

With the proliferation of platforms to share one's work such as Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, an individual can broadcast his thoughts to the entire world.

One man, or one woman — standing alone. Having a support team may be desirable but not strictly necessary.

The traditional forms of gatekeeping are removed; one can embark on what Jack Butcher calls a "permissionless apprenticeship". According to Jack, an individual can just create and deliver value to esteemed people in exchange for proof of talent and exposure to their network.

This may be a specific strategy outlined by one entrepreneurial creator, but I believe the general principle of permissionless work is far more broadly applicable.

The principle is that one does not have to seek permission from authority figures — two prominent examples being book publishers or record labels — before releasing his or her creations out into the world.

While it is undeniable that the current platforms may be rife with problems in terms of distribution, they nonetheless offer individuals an unprecedented opportunity with a megaphone, to reach and win the hearts of fans across all continents.

A cooking channel on YouTube I personally follow has thousands of loyal subscribers hailing from USA, Russia, China, Philippines and so on — and it's a passion project of one single Japanese lady.

For YouTubers who have been awarded the Golden play button for 1 million subscribers, it is not uncommon to have a diverse fan base where nearly all nationalities are represented.

So, how have you been using this megaphone made available to you by technology?

What have you been shouting out from the rooftops? Let me know in the comments below!

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash