Gonzo Capitalism: How to Make Money in An Economy That Hates You

by Chris Guillebeau

Overview

Welcome to the age of “peak marketplace,” where everything you can imagine (and many things you can’t) can be bought and sold.

Millennials and Generation Z are rewriting the rules of capitalism. Burdened with debt, stagnant wages, and the ever-rising cost of living, today’s young people know that the traditional ways of earning a living are pointless, if not outright rigged. Equally disillusioned with the outdated models of work and the grueling entrepreneurial lifestyle, they are instead turning to the decentralized ecosystem of fast-moving virtual markets to pursue a host of previously unheard of ways to pay the bills.

Join New York Times bestselling author Chris Guillebeau on a fascinating tour of this brave new world where novelty and creativity are currency, and the creators are in control. From the community of gamers getting paid to play; to the armchair pundits beating the bookies in online prediction markets; to TikTok “Sleepfluencers,” AI artists, and the band of renegade entrepreneurs and investors upending the rules of finance, in the world of Gonzo Capitalism, anything goes.

Along the way, Guillebeau shows how we can all capitalize on the new tools and platforms at our disposal to discover with our own unconventional ways to turn our time, talents, and creativity into income – on our own terms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781668636367
Publisher:	Hachette Book Group
Publication date:	08/22/2023
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x (d)

About the Author

Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, Side Hustle, The Happiness of Pursuit, and other books. He is a serial entrepreneur, the host of the Side Hustle School podcast and the founder of the World Domination Summit, an event for cultural creatives that has, for the past decade, attracted thousands of attendees to Portland, Oregon every summer.

Editorial Reviews

A must-read guide to the new economy. This book will help you navigate emerging paths to prosperity that you didn’t even know existed. If you weren’t a Chris Guillebeau fan already, you will be after this read.

bestselling author of Awaken Your Genius and Think Ozan Varol

06/12/2023

In this provocative program, Side Hustle School podcaster Guillebeau (The $100 Startup) explores outside-the-box methods for earning money. The financial security enjoyed by baby boomers “is a thing of the past,” Guillebeau contends, and getting ahead now requires such creative strategies as competing in “play-to-earn” video games and remotely working two full-time jobs during the same hours. He spotlights individuals who have embraced such niche schemes and provides guidance on how readers can follow their lead. For example, Kat Norton, known as “Miss Excel,” makes tens of thousands of dollars per year posting TikToks that feature Microsoft Excel tips and direct viewers to sign up for her paid Excel courses. Readers might emulate her by finding a fresh twist on an existing social media niche with real-world applications, such as how to care for houseplants. Guillebeau also profiles an Australian man who built a successful business selling merchandise featuring AI art, and offers tips on how to set up an online shop, recommending readers use the merchant platform Shopify to sell products and create an Instagram account to promote the art. The creative suggestions are a dramatic and somewhat refreshing departure from typical personal finance fare, but there’s considerable risk involved in some of the ventures (Guillebeau notes that prediction-market betting on such matters as the outcome of political elections operates in a legal gray area). Readers will want to approach this with caution. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A must-read guide to the new economy. This book will help you navigate emerging paths to prosperity that you didn’t even know existed. If you weren’t a Chris Guillebeau fan already, you will be after this read.”—Ozan Varol, bestselling author of Awaken Your Genius and Think Like a Rocket Scientist

“A fascinating romp through the Wild West of modern capitalism. The underlying reality of our financial system has changed, and very few people understand the radical implications of that shift for our lives. Gonzo Capitalism is like a field guide to understanding these trends—and how to directly benefit from them in the form of currency in your pocket.”—Tiago Forte, author of Building a Second Brain

“For the first time in history, the people in power no longer get to decide who has the chance to make money off their ideas: we all do. Gonzo Capitalism will inspire you to find creative ways to add new income streams and build new wealth using use the tools you already have access to.”—Arlan Hamilton, Founder and Managing Partner of Backstage Capital and author of It’s About Damn Time

From the Publisher