Thriving in a Post-Internet Era

When Digital Culture Changes the Rules of the Game

Dec 19, 2024

It’s not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies. Thomas Paine

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all subscribers—both new joiners and those who have been part of this journey of sense-making from the beginning. Thank you for being here.

A few years ago, I watched someone early in her career walk away from a cushy job at a prestigious institution—a position most people would kill for—to chase her passion for making people laugh in the entertainment business. No formal acting education, no roadmap, just a raw desire to follow her true calling. Today, she’s built a thriving brand and a loyal audience—all because she created something that reflected her values, not just market demands. She didn’t need a fat budget—just an iPhone, an internet connection, and a platform to share her authentic self. She cracked the code of the post-internet world, carving her own path in a way that’s now possible for anyone bold enough to step up.

As more creators flood the scene, the pie of followers gets sliced thinner—but that’s the beauty of it. The real value is in building a smaller, fiercely loyal audience that sticks with you. Society’s catching on, though slowly, recognising this as a legitimate way to thrive—because, in the end, this approach doesn’t shrink the pie; it blows it up. This idea is dear to my heart because, sooner or later, everyone will face the limitations set by both their internal script and the one society handed them from the pre-internet world—a script that no longer holds any weight.

I find myself asking, day after day, how did we become so obsessed with growth, endlessly chasing one thing after another, and the idea of “having it all,” when all we really need is to reconnect with ourselves? Why strive for everything when who we are is enough?

And that’s where my train of thought begins…

Pre-Internet World

From what I see, as a Western society, we’ve inherited an insatiable obsession with growth from the industrial age—and it’s suffocating us. It’s in the aggressive sales pitches, the cutthroat zero-sum mindset, and the relentless refrain: “Yes, great idea, but how do we make money?” This mentality has seeped into every corner of our culture, dictating how we measure success and where we invest our energy.

To be fair, this mindset made sense at one point. Industrialism transformed every aspect of life, work, and connection, unleashing prosperity on an unprecedented scale—after all, life without plumbing or electricity would be anything but ideal. But with that progress came a darker side: a monoculture of ceaseless consumption, creating demand for things we don’t need and reducing people to passive consumers, endlessly chasing the next fix.

Whether it’s the lingering effects of industrialism or something deeper in human nature, here’s the real question: Does the way we define and chase growth still have a place in today’s digital culture? In a world evolving at breakneck speed—a world so radically different from just two decades ago—are we still clinging to a definition of success that no longer aligns with what it truly means to thrive?

Business As The Centre Of The Universe

The terms “target audience” and “total addressable market” in business carry an aggressive undertone, as if you’re setting your sights on someone like a target. It feels pushy, as though your sole focus is to locate a customer and sell them something—without understanding who they truly are or what they actually need. This arose from a time when finding a customer and delivering a product was the bottleneck. Businesses controlled the distribution channels—mostly physical stores, which were costly—and advertising was merely bait to lure customers in.

The only business strategy that seemed to matter was growth—relentless, unchecked growth at any cost. But shouldn’t growth be a natural byproduct of earning an organic place in the customer’s life? Shouldn’t it come from genuinely making their life better, from being valuable to them, not just pushing for bigger numbers?

Disconnection in the Name of Growth

In school, we’re still taught to fit into a predefined role—a job we’re expected to fill later in life—preparing us for a world that no longer exists. Yet, this often comes at the expense of disconnecting from our true selves, shaping us to serve an economy obsessed with growth for the sake of domination, rather than nurturing our own passions. Some navigate this disconnection better than others, but for many, it leads to burnout, a midlife crisis, or both.

Success was reserved for the “chosen few” with “extraordinary” talents.

In the pre-internet world, breaking into the entertainment business meant fighting your way through the gatekeepers—Hollywood studios, TV networks, magazines, and newspapers. These gatekeepers saw themselves as the centre of the universe. The same was true for the so-called “elite” businesses—Big Consulting firms or corporate giants—where entry required securing a golden ticket from the most prestigious universities and showing you’d played by the script, never daring to question it.

Success was reserved for the “chosen few” with “extraordinary” talents. Success meant going big—more fans, more wealth, more power. The fancy car, the designer clothes, the expensive watch to flaunt at every handshake. The perfect life on the outside, even if it feels empty on the inside.

That world is crumbling.

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Post-Internet World

I’m a ’90s kid, and I’ve always been fascinated by how technology, once it enters our homes, completely reshapes our lives. What I witnessed was the internet obliterate the old rules like a meteor smashing into the dinosaurs. The collision of personal computing and the internet tore down the walls of traditional business—distribution became free. Customers no longer had to be hunted down; they became active participants, seeking you out. Just like that, the bottleneck that many businesses were built around disappeared, and the game shifted entirely. Suddenly, anyone could become a business.

But with that freedom comes a new challenge: how to stand out and capture attention in a sea of endless options. It’s no longer about playing it safe or trying to fit in. Thriving today looks nothing like it used to. It’s about meaning, connection, and empowering customers to become creators themselves. It’s about letting your audience come to you. Here’s what that power looks like:

What a diva, some people said. If you’re offered an interview with a presidential candidate, get off your ass and get on a plane! But Rogan could dictate his own terms. He is not competing in the snake pit of D.C. journalism, where sitting opposite a major candidate delivers an instant status bump. He is the most popular podcaster alive, with a dedicated audience of right-leaning men who enjoy mixed martial arts, stand-up comedy, and wild speculation about aliens (space, not illegal); they are not political obsessives. Rogan knew that Harris needed him more than he needed her. (from The ‘Mainstream Media’ Has Already Lost)

This isn’t just about Rogan. I’m sure you have your own examples.

It’s personal brands like Ben Thompson, flipping off Big Con with his own army of paying subscribers,
sparking the rise of Substack and supercharging global culture of independent writers.
It’s influencers, finfluencers, greenfluencers or Grandfluencers hijacking multigenerational audiences, completely bypassing TV and newspapers. Influence is power.
It’s Amazon building an empire while Shopify arms the rebels, fuelling the rise of independent merchants.
It’s that one review that can make or break a business… Your review.

Creator As The Centre Of The Universe

It’s creators—rebels tearing down the old guard, going straight for their 1,000 true fans who fund their livelihoods. It’s that old friend walking away from a career she was trapped in after pointless studies, only to rise as a comedy star. This new world? It’s liberating. It’s thrilling. Don’t see it? Maybe it’s time to gently open your eyes. This world is all about ordinary people who create their own terms, rewriting the script. They rip up the playbook and write their own rules.

Businesses must embrace the new reality to survive.

Meanwhile, there’s a part of me that can’t help but enjoy watching the old gatekeepers panic, desperately clinging to the illusion that they still sit at the centre of the universe in a world that’s now interconnected, decentralised, and free from a singular focal point. The media industry, once the powerhouse of influence, is now in full-blown meltdown—a clear sign of the collapse of traditional systems. Hollywood has lost its grip on the gates as well, forced to share the spotlight with millions of empowered indie filmmakers taking over platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, shifting attention away from the old guard—my old friend being one of them. Every industry is undergoing this radical transformation.

More and more companies are being called out for erecting roadblocks instead of providing seamless digital experiences, whether by their customers or their own employees, as modern platforms have set the bar too high. Terms like “target audience” and “total addressable market” now feel like relics from a bygone era. These aren’t just numbers—you’re talking about real people with lives, not walking wallets. The digital landscape is so chaotic that tracking every number has become a bad joke—an illusion at best.

People need tools that make creation effortless—whether it’s for work or passion projects. Companies need to stop treating the ecosystems they inhabit as passive consumers of whatever is handed to them, and instead start collaborating with them to unlock their full creative potential. That’s the only way they’ll truly thrive alongside the creators in the post-internet world—by being skilled operators, because not everyone wants to be a creator, and that’s fine.

Thriving by Reconnecting With Yourself

A few years ago, I watched someone leave a prestigious job—one most people would kill for—to pursue her passion for making people laugh. No formal education, just raw authenticity. Today, she’s built a thriving brand and a loyal audience. This is what thriving looks like when you reconnect with who you truly are—and it’s the future for anyone bold enough to embrace their authentic self.

The internet has torn down the old barriers. You don’t need permission, and you don’t need to fit the mold. The gatekeepers are dying out, and the world is open for those willing to create, connect, and build from their passion. No more chasing validation or numbers—thriving is about authenticity, creating meaningful work, and building a community that resonates with you.

Real growth isn’t about more followers or platforms; it’s about doing what aligns with your true self—and that goes for businesses too. When you create with purpose and find your natural place in the world, you tap into a richness that no external measure can ever define. At its core, thriving is about unity—with yourself and the universe—finding your place in the vast web of existence, and aligning with the flow of life.

So, don’t wait. The time to start is now. The opportunities are endless. The world is ready to receive your contribution.

ADRIANA