The original intent for this blog was to capture my progress in what would some day be the start of a new business. A side hustle. Something to keep me occupied during my hours at home. Since then, I have had five different jobs that have definitely made me question my place in the fabric of this world. I know this is purely anecdotal, but the people at these companies, despite what they say and promise, do not care about your goals or interests. At least if it doesn't help them make more profits. Which is fair. I believe that a business should always have the business' best interests in mind. I cannot help but feel pain when considering all the promises that were never kept by these individuals who profit millions of dollars off of the hard labor of everyone who works on a project. I know they do not have to disclose where those profits are distributed, but it would surely help to make the team feel like their long hours meant something.
I don't know if I could do any better. I really don't. I say I would like to be more open with my employees about the company and its finances, but I honestly do not know if I would be capable of such a feat. Before I could even get to that point, I first need a business to start off with. I've thought about video game development, but never actually cared to learn programming that mattered. I know enough program language to make a badass spreadsheet. I need to learn a real computer language. Another potential business plan was to start a publishing company focused on literary books, novels, and comics and board games. I really liked this business model because the investment was minimal. I would need to secure material and an avenue for distribution. Simple. The problems started occurring when I really looked at what I wanted to do. I didn't care for the books and board games. I enjoyed the company of the people who did enjoy these materials.
This got me thinking. How can I make a living by bringing together individuals who share common interests and would share in a conversation with me. This is where I am stuck. I grew up thinking that mathematics and science were everything. My entire education was about polishing my analytical skills and applying these skills to life's challenges. An education that I applied to every aspect of my life. I lived for systems and control. Yet, here I am. Unable to decide on my future because I am afraid of the uncertainty.
COVID-19 is still very much in full swing in the United States. I've been unemployed for the last six months and my unemployment benefits ends this week. It never occurred to me once, "What if I cannot find employment?" I never considered that the United States would be thrown into so much chaos. Then I remembered my anecdotal experiences with corporate companies. Yeah. It all makes sense. At the same time, I hate that it all makes sense.
Six months of patiently waiting for an employer to graciously offer to pay me wages to make them profits that I will never see. I am disheartened at the idea of not finding meaningful work. At the same time, I resent this culture and its constant need to consume.
That's when I had a light-bulb moment. I rigorously watch YouTube, but the people I follow are human and cannot realistically produce content fast enough. I've stopped watching YouTube for a few days to allow for the creators' content to build and then consume in one sitting. This was a habit of mine as I typically used their content as background noise as I worked. Now it has me thinking. I want to create a publishing company for people to discuss the material being discussed. I've always liked forums and there are so many websites that operate as a forum of sorts. I want to be different. I want for people to engage with the material differently.
Let's start with a platform. A platform for games that tell a story. A story that engages the reader. The reader who is linked to the community and influences the game. Almost like the people in the community are creating a story for the game. Give them the tools to generate new stories and allow others to play through each story. Analytics behind the story can be linked to the community to promote more creatives to make more stories. An open world where the players decide the story they want to play. The world is made by players. Choose your own adventure. Heh. I basically described Dungeons and Dragons. Well, that's what I get for trying.
Good night.
-A