Nobody knew what Kramer actually did. He was always doing something, but it remained a mystery how he obtained the resources to pull of his schemes, let alone pay for rent and food.
Kramer had a brand. He was the crazy, out of the box guy who’d help you overcome a problem in an unconventional way. He was a fringe entrepreneur and occasional activist. He was relentless in pursuing whatever was his latest fancy. He somehow made a living just being himself. This is increasingly possibly, even for less quirky types.
I can think of at least a dozen people I know personally who somehow live a good life, despite the fact that I’m not really sure where their income originates. It’s so easy now to sell a product, start a business, market and distribute ideas, and connect with partners, customers and investors. It’s entirely possible to draw a circle around the stuff you care about, become the guy or gal who’s known for doing and talking about that stuff, and with enough hard work, get a living out of it. It starts by giving your audience things they like.
If you’re known for providing something others value – even if it’s just good jokes on Facebook – you can generate a following. You can offer to write a book, if your fans will pledge the money via Kickstarter. You can ask for donations to keep producing whatever it is you produce. You can sell your services to people all over the world with very low transaction cost.
Before long, apartment buildings could be full of people who don’t commute to an office every day, but instead spend their hours doing an assortment of bizarre and interesting projects.