Someone brought up brands in the fediverse, so I thought I would talk about how I view brands.
What is a brand?
A brand is just a name plus reputation. If they're human, it's called reputation. If it's an organization, it's called a brand. If it's an author's pen name, that is a brand too. The real problem is that most commercial organizations have a bad reputation (i.e. brand) because they screw over employees and customers and the environment.
The fact is, if you sell your time for money (i.e. as an employee or independent contractor), you are the equivalent of a vendor. You're still selling something to someone. The only difference is that they pay you by time instead of paying you for the value you produce. And in most countries, you get taxed on 100% of your income instead of profits.
The unethical wealthy don't want you to realize that if you sold your skills directly to the consumer or to businesses, you wouldn't need a job and could make more money. The government wants to keep people as employees because they collect more tax revenue.
It is ironic that hating the wealthy works in their favor. They get to keep everyone else poor and employed by discouraging them from starting their own businesses. It's a system of exploitation. The unethical people don't want good people to become wealthy, because that would mean that the good people would have power, and the good people could change things for the better and interfere in unethical people's plans.
So, as I see it, people need to start their own businesses or side hustles, as they call it, not to overlord over others or to take advantage of others, but for independence and prosperity. It's harder for a corporation to bully you if you have alternate streams of income. And you get to take advantage of the tax benefits the wealthy use.
And, quite frankly, I would rather use a brand than posting my personal name on everything is do. To me, that would feel to vain. I don't like being in the spotlight.
Some people may be concerned about my proposed commercial ventures in the fediverse space, but I want them to know that my intentions are pure. Yes, I want to make money. But I also want to empower people. I'm tired of the mindset that to win someone else has to lose. It is possible to build win-win situations, and that is what I strive for.