Closing my studio, moving to Thailand, and seeking fulfillment
The FASCINATE FORECAST: A guide to innovative tech, STEM, and the future of work-life by Mr. Fascinate himself.
What’s up fam,
I’ve wanted to share my innermost thoughts with you all for quite some time, so I’m taking a stab at the newsletter thing. It’s my hope that you find the information relevant, humorous, and worth subscribing to.
Beginning 2025 with a “Fail”: The Changing State of the Media Industry
Last week, after a year and 4 months, I closed down my 2,700 sq ft media production studio in Los Angeles, Fascinate House.
It wasn’t unsuccessful. We made shows for PBS, branded content for Intuit and LinkedIn, held XR events and even once had Kid Cudi there to promote an upcoming project. Despite these milestones, Fascinate House simply wasn’t profitable enough to justify continued existence. My 2025 started off with a harsh reality check:
“Traditional" Media production will never be the same - A combination of the prevalence of influencer marketing, actor and writer's strikes, Streaming Platform's lowered production output, and generative AI video platforms like Google’s Veo 2 have made bloated production companies with large teams and staff only necessary on highly specialized or ever rarer big-budget projects.
Anyone whose livelihood is tethered to the media production industry, especially in Lost Angeles, should be working on their strategy. How are you planning to pivot your business to be AI-proof, content creator friendly, or perhaps exist completely outside of the industry?
Don't mindlessly enter the film festival circuit hoping to be the exception, don't "manifest continued success despite hard times". Come up with a plan.
Speaking of which, here’s mine: Use my media and technology expertise to empower people to remain competitive in an AI-driven workforce. More about that here.
As media is changing and work is becoming more decentralized, I’ve begun to challenge some of my previously held beliefs using First Principles Thinking.
Do you need to live in expensive places to access the best career opportunities?
During my entire 20s, I lived in some of the most expensive cities in the US: New York, DC and LA. I had friends paying $1,000 / month to live in shoeboxes and others paying a mortgage payment every year for modest living in central areas.
I always fell somewhere in the middle, but I scoffed at the idea of frivolous luxury. My entrepreneurial journey started in a scrappy 1 bedroom in NYC, and I had no bed for the first year, but I was happy. I was fulfilled.
In New York, opportunities felt endless. Inspired by whimsical conversations every weekend, and while under immense pressure to become the best version of myself in a culture of high-functioning workaholics, I found myself. At one time, I had 6 roommates in Harlem. The very next year, I lived in a penthouse on the upper west side. There’s no place like New York City.
In Los Angeles, I immediately felt out of place. I wore the wrong outfits at events, I was too “forward” in casual business meetings, and I didn’t subscribe to astrology. The laid back “vibes” of Los Angeles lulled me to sleep. But I found peace. I ate healthier than ever, worked out consistently due to amazing weather, and discovered this foreign concept called work-life balance.
In both cities, my costs of existing felt suffocating. A common saying in LA is “every time you leave the house, you should expect to spend at least $100”. Even though I don’t drink at all, I found this to be annoyingly true. And while I was very budget conscious in New York, I had living standards far below the average American.
I wouldn’t change these experiences for anything, but I am not sure that I’d like them to continue. In a globalized, “zoom-meeting” workforce, I’ve begun to question the necessity of living in expensive cities for alleged proximity to opportunity.
How much money do you have to spend to be fulfilled?
I booked a 1-way trip to Thailand for February 6th, 2025 in order to answer this question for myself, and hopefully others. For me, fulfillment has a lot to do with community and purpose. I believe community and purpose are not always perfectly aligned with individualist American values, and I hope to find answers to my questions abroad; while spending significantly less money than I would in America.
The Forecast: AI takes initiative
The past year, I spoke all over the world about how “AI isn’t going to take your job, but somebody who knows how to use AI might.” In 2024, that was true. In 2025, AI Agents will rise. AI Agents… might take your job. There are already AI Agents beginning to replace up to 90 hours / week of digital labor. And I believe this is just beginning. You miiiight want to start learning about AI Agents now.
Yo man, been following you on LinkedIn for a while. Just want to say there’s not many dudes like you out there so want to continue to support. Keep doing your thing, you’ve definitely inspired some kids or other people somewhere to be more than they believe that can be. Thanks for that. Looking forward to the new content.
As for Thailand, the beaches look just as nice as LA!
This is really interesting! I remember my time living in D.C. and how much potential there is to thrive in that environment. I can’t imagine living in California myself—the cultural differences are significant—so I empathize with the adjustments you're experiencing, but it seems like through it all you were able to be yourself.
With the world now in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, I don’t think most people fully grasp the challenges and opportunities ahead. Before my career in cybersecurity, I was a sixth-grade social studies teacher, and one thing I always emphasized when teaching about human history was how we never go back to earlier ways of life after major transformations.
I hope you’re able to find the balance and adjustments that work best for you. Best of luck in your future endeavors! Your focus on educating others about the impact of AI and helping them stay competitive in the workforce is truly vital work.