Follow the Path of Least Resistance

byMatt-O

89 followers

11 years ago

How do I pick a niche? That's probably the one question everybody here asks; and some of us ask again and again.

I have had this desire for years to break out of my routine and take control of my financial destiny via the Internet. There was only one problem: I had no idea how to do it. Then it dawned on me, 'Wait, you're an anthropologist. People must be dying to hear about anthropology! That can't help but be a money tree!"

Well, not so much. I mean seriously, how in God's name can an anthropology website make any money? If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

So, long story short, I created an anthropology website: www.anthropologycenter.com. "But if it's hard to monetize," you may ask, "why did you make one?"

I have a few ideas about how to monetize it but the point of this post is that I'm going with what I know best. And therein lies the meaning behind the title. If I went with a motorcycle repair website I would be absolutely clueless. I know nothing about the subject and it would be painfully obvious after awhile. But anthropology? That's a breeze, I can talk about that all day.

I think when most people consider the Internet as a viable business they tend to make it more complex than it needs to be. In reality, we all are good at something or knowledgeable about a particular genre. If so, go with it -- at least at first. Once you get the hang of it, branch out into something else (that's my plan).

Currently I live in China but I've been in Asia for 12 years in several different countries. I've worked in both business and academia and my hope is to turn what I do (anthropology) into a business that focuses on corporate culture research. After awhile I'll branch out, but for now I'm going to build up my site as best as I can.

And I think that's one of the most important things I've learned during this process: focus on what you know and what you're passionate about. Water follows the path of least resistance; when starting a new business online for the first time it's probably best to follow that example.