Companion song: One Trick Ponies – Kurt Vile

When I’m working at my 9-5 or couch MSing, I usually listen to high-tempo music like early phonk or the seminal metalcore album Jane Doe as the perfect background to focus. 

As a result of losing plays over the last few weeks, I’ve spent way more time driving around town returning to the ‘ol street MS grind. But hardcore screaming isn’t exactly the perfect soundtrack for a monotonous road trip, so I’ve been listening to some old folk-adjacent favorites. 

In revisiting some of those songs, there were some lyrical themes that are good advice for the state of the hobby right now – here’s part one of a three part series.  

For a long time in MS, being a one trick pony was more than enough. Plays lasted so long and networks of information were so disparate that you could find your golden goose and be all set. Whether you’re talking about old school stuff that lasted for years or the new(er) school plays that have died this year, it was possible to sustain a healthy margin on one play alone. 

For many, there wasn’t a compelling reason to learn the quirks and nuances of a new system, platform, or bank. Why bother when it was just taking attention away from the play you know like the back of your hand? I don’t think I need to write a paragraph explaining why we need to bother now, as frustrating as that may be.

Over the last couple of years, a lot of us got complacent because of how easy it was. A big part of the MS world was content to have the MS equivalent of an “email job” (not that I blame anyone for that). 

A small population saw the writing on the wall, rolled up their sleeves, and laid the groundwork for the MS equivalent of a blue collar job. That group is much less concerned about any of the shutdowns going on now, because they weren’t shutdown in the first place.

I’m feeling some of this pain myself because of an unrelated shutdown, hence the rolling around listening to Kurt Vile. It has been years since I spent a day awkwardly staring at the back wall of the Staples register as the cashier passive-aggressively fumbles with the security tape of fee-free gift cards. But much like a FIREd person taking a job as a barista for human interaction, it feels strangely good.

I’m a huge proponent of streamlining your time spent on MS lest it shift from a highly profitable hobby to a low-wage full time job. But in the spirit of continuous education and staying curious, paying more attention to signal you’re seeing out there is going to become more and more important.  

MS home runs are going to get harder and harder to hit going forward as things like uncapped bonus categories and unlimited debit pay go largely the way of the dinosaurs. This does not mean there aren’t still valuable opportunities. While a lot of these plays will cap out in the $500-$1000/mo range, when you add multiple plays and players, they add up fast.

So next time you see someone extolling the virtues of the latest vowel-less fintech, take a few minutes to evaluate and understand the possible value. Chances are it’s something you can spend a maximum of 5-10 minutes a week on. AKA, the average amount of time it takes to spend $1,800 at a Staples. 

เชียร์!