Three Parallel Purposes for Your Online Activity
1.2 Purpose
Did you feel any goosebumps perhaps while identifying your own version of a simple idea? If yes, you may be already on the right track. And before you start worrying about not having felt any goosebumps yet, rest assured to know that it doesn’t come to most people just yet. The good news is that the “goosebumps” may also come while pairing the idea with a purpose, and especially when starting to act.
We see that besides Potential, an equally helpful question to answer when starting an online activity is where you are headed: what is the Purpose of you embarking upon this journey.16 We depict in our beginner’s trail three types of outcomes you could keep top of your mind to work towards, and we consider them all parallel to one another:
Three Parallel Purposes
- Valuable self-occupation. Being active and pursuing something valuable to you is perhaps the most important outcome of the entire experience.
- Joining communities. Entering or re-entering communities, online and eventually offline, with the new skills, experiences built along the way.
- Pursuing additional income. The earning element. This comes third not because it matters least, but because it is the least guaranteed of the three.
Lynnaider’s current view about employment
While you are figuring out your business idea with its potential purposes, do think of your current workplace where you may be able to immediate apply what you learn, and thus also re-join this familiar community of yours, because with new skills you bring new conversations. The same community, new perspectives. Why? Because in our view, employment, where one is salaried, is still more suitable and certainly surer for most people, and online entrepreneurship should be looked at as something one occupies themselves with on the side, if possible.
Due to the algorithms, readers of online entrepreneurship naturally see entrepreneurs in a hugely unproportionate amount, letting people think that they would be so much better and easier off if became self-employed entrepreneurs. Even those consciously aiming to not be influenced, being very aware of the fact that they see similar content simply due to the algorithms, can be unconsciously impacted in that direction. In reality, the proportion of entrepreneurs within the global adult population is around 15%17, and that percentage does not indicate that all entrepreneurs within that number are well off financially.
Beyond thinking of your current employment as a potential new playground, for those currently unemployed, consider this book as a handbook of new skills also when applying for your next employment. Perhaps you will approach new industries, new sectors that you might have never thought of before.
So how do we recommend looking at growth in online solo entrepreneurship? It is something that certainly unfolds over time. While there’s often an emphasis on scaling quickly, real growth is more about creating meaningful value in our teaching: value for yourself, for those you serve, and ultimately for the people around you, more broadly, society. Growth takes time, even for experienced entrepreneurs, and again, there is an immense risk in entrepreneurship with fluctuating or even non-existing income, as opposed to regular employment where you receive your salary on a monthly or weekly basis.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three parallel purposes?
Valuable self-occupation, joining communities, and pursuing additional income. Lynnaider recommends holding all three in mind, in that order, rather than treating income as the only test of whether it is worth it.
Why does income sit third, not first?
Because it is the least guaranteed of the three. Placing it third gives it a stronger foundation to rest on, rather than making it the only reason to continue when results are slow.
Should I quit my job to focus on online entrepreneurship?
For most people, no. Employment remains the more secure occupation, and online entrepreneurship works best pursued in parallel, not instead of a stable job.
What about people who are already unemployed?
The teaching is worth reading as a handbook of skills for the next employment as much as for the online activity itself. Many of the skills transfer directly into organisational roles.
Why does Lynnaider mention the 15 percent statistic about entrepreneurs?
To counter the algorithm-driven impression that everyone online is a self-employed entrepreneur. In reality, entrepreneurs are around 15 percent of the global adult population, and financial outcomes vary widely inside that group.
What does “real growth” mean in this context?
Creating meaningful value for yourself, for those you serve, and for the people around you. Real growth unfolds over time, not through rapid scaling.
References
16. Martela F, et al. What makes work meaningful? Longitudinal evidence for the importance of autonomy and beneficence for meaningful work. J Vocat Behav. 2021.
17. GEM Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2024/2025 Global Report: Entrepreneurship Reality Check. London: GEM; 2024. Available from: https://www.gemconsortium.org/report/gem-20242025-global-report-entrepreneurship-reality-check-4
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal, tax, or business advice. Pursuing an online business does not guarantee income; results depend on many factors including the business environment, individual effort, skills, and consistency. Some links on this site may allow Lynnaider to earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader.