The Architects of This World are Failed Magicians

They just need you to believe in them. Which asshole are you propping up?

The world watched in silent reverence while Stockton Rush, a slick, flashy rich white guy who feigned success and expertise, got himself and other people killed.

In its wake, two titans of the tech industry are trying to book a cage fight against each other. One created a rival app with built-in success of leveraging the already-massive audience while tech media gobbles up how many users are activated. And Musk’s response is to call his rival a “cuck” and challenge him to a dick-measuring competition.

Is it perhaps time you audit the successful and influential people in your sphere?

In publishing, especially indie publishing, the “six figure authors” of the world have unbelievable power over other authors. Their influence permeates into every crevice. How many of them had initial money to gamble with in the beginning? How many faked it until they made it? How many are complete and utter failures but project themselves as experts to prey on others?

If the architects of this world are proven frauds, when do you audit the ones in your world?

That’s what I’m doing.

If you want to find the real successes, find the people who came from literally nothing. The people who had everything to lose, and instead of finding wild, runaway success, they could make a more stable life for themselves and their family. Those are the people we should all be listening to and learning from, not the loud, blustery assholes modeling themselves after the manchildren who control things now.

If you want to build a better world, you don’t listen to the Stockton Rushes, the Elon Musks or the Mark Zuckerbergs. Those are the failures being propped up by a failed system. Don’t fall into that trap. If some author who started from a place of privilege tries to lecture you on what hard work is, or about their opinions on AI, marketing or anything else, remember where they’re coming from. Remember their model.

Their model is presenting failure as success, to create success through sleight of hand. They just need a captive audience who’ll buy into the illusion.

It’s up to you and me to put their feet to the fire instead of propping them up. That’s how we can create a better world. Find new voices instead of wealthy white guys and their enablers. Please.

No more illusionists.

Remember, take care of each other.