Dirty, rotten, shameless SOBs…

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Dirty, rotten, shameless SOBs…

by Yanik Silver

I just visited the blog linked in the title because I subscribe to an Internet marketing news service and the title intrigued me. If anyone knows anything at all about Internet marketing, they are familiar with the name Yanik Silver. He is not only a guru, but a traditional guru who has made one millionaire after another. I have studied some of his work as part of my own education.

Imagine how flabbergasted I was to see a 15 minute video on his blog by a guy named Jon Butcher talking about the morality of capitalism and how entrepreneurs need to defend themselves in moral terms. The discourse was pure Rand.

Then I was even more flabbergasted to read that this guy had presented this talk to Sir Richard Branson during a Virgin Unite brainstorming session and the whole entourage was strongly impacted at Virgin.

And to cap it off, look at what Yanik posted right after the video:

Additionally, as I was thinking about this topic I also came across the transcript of "Francisco's Money Speech" from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shurgged" (one of my all-time most influential books). I think it's especially pertinent.

"…If you ask me to name the proudest distinction of Americans, I would choose–because it contains all the others–the fact that they were the people who created the phrase 'to make money.' No other language or nation had ever used these words before; men had always thought of wealth as a static quantity–to be seized, begged, inherited, shared, looted or obtained as a favor. Americans were the first to understand that wealth has to be created. The words 'to make money' hold the essence of human morality. Yet these were the words for which Americans were denounced by the rotted cultures of the looters' continents…"

You can read the whole speech here.

I have been studying Yanik as one guru among several I admire. I believe I may do a reevaluation about which direction I will be heading.

This made my day. I even posted on his blog. (At this exact moment, my comment is awaiting moderation.) Here is what I wrote over there:

Yanik,

I am new to Internet Marketing and you are one of the people I have been looking up to for inspiration. I got here through the normal buzz. I was enormously surprised and pleased to see you reference Francisco's speech in Atlas Shrugged and outright say that Atlas is one of your favorite books.

I run a website called Objectivist Living devoted to studying Rand's ideas. When I started listening to Jon Butcher's video, my jaw dropped. I have devoured a truckload of material on Internet marketing over the last year and I have not heard anyone within the Internet marketing world endorse the morality of capitalism explicitly like Jon did.

Will wonders never cease…

I am going to post about this to my neck of the Objectivist world.

This is excellent news. Excellent...

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

My post just got through and Yanik wrote to me on it. Here is his message:

* Michael, excellent! Interesting enough, I believe that book is the biggest influence of top business people (after the bible). - Y.S.

btw: If you click on the link, "all-time most influential books," from Yanik's post quoted above, here is what he says about Atlas Shrugged (which is listed as his No. 1 favorite).

"Top-10" Most Essential Business Books for Successful Entrepreneurs:

#1: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Not really a business book but probably one of the biggest influences for top CEOs and entrepreneurs who have cited this numerous times. I've read this several times and even threw out calling our daughter Dagny – but Missy didn't go for that. I loved Atlas Shrugged for instilling the philosophy that productive value should be compensated and revered instead of these individuals being coerced into self-sacrifice because of their talent and other's "needs". It really cemented the argument in my mind that the more laissez-faire approach to governing is ultimately best for a free marketplace and productive society. Yes, this is a thick read but well worth it.

I used to like Yanik. Now I REALLY like him.

Michael