Post: #1

As we've discussed in the travel section and also as you undoubtedly have seen many other places on the mainstream internet, the 'digital nomad' and 'wantrepreneur' movement has become something close to a fad. If it is not already a mainstream fad, then it is very close to being so.

I predict that digital nomad will almost replace the backpacker culture, as hordes of young people with bleak job opportunities will jump on the possibility to postpone entering the workforce.

This is a different culture than backpacking, which went from boomer self discovery and hedonism, to political travel, to hostel partying. The digital nomad culture is born in a generation with a more somber worldview and less hedonistic mindset. It's a working holiday of sorts, equal parts libertarian make your own way and part group identity security.

I think a lot of people here could probably cash in this movement in the coming years. Let's discuss business opportunities. No need to disclose everything, keep it to PM if need be, but I'm sure there are others here who have thought about this.

Let me go first, I think buying up property in up and coming destinations like HMC and turning them into serviced apartments with some very specific customizations, such as high speed internet with network oversight, decent weight room, lobby or common areas fit to work and drink, could even have some small co-work cafe. Serviced apartments specifically catering to this kind of traveler - at a premium of course. They're really not there at the moment.

Post: #2

not a bad idea. before buying an apartment I'd first try act like a broker for a couple of 'digital nomads'
and set them up with a high end apartment to see how it goes, is there a large demand etc.

also, you can team up with nomadlist.io and similar sites for good leads

Post: #3

Isn't the problem in Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh, et cetera that Westeners can't own land?

How I would flip it?

Combine Digital Nomads with a Code Academy (and paleo and crossfit)

Learn Ruby on Rails in South East Asia, while getting fit!

WIA

Post: #4

not only westerners, nobody except citizens can own land.
but everyone can own apartments afaik

Post: #5

(11-22-2014 06:25 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  Isn't the problem in Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh, et cetera that Westeners can't own land?

How I would flip it?

Combine Digital Nomads with a Code Academy (and paleo and crossfit)

Learn Ruby on Rails in South East Asia, while getting fit!

WIA

You can own condos in Thailand, don't know about HCM. How do foreign hotels operate in those countries? Should be the same way.

You're on to something with your suggestions. We're dealing with a demographic that isn't yet clearly defined in mass culture, but of which libertarian ideas, health (paleo and crossfit/lifting) and tech is at the cornerstone. How many are there? That's probably the deciding factor. I've seen loads in Bangkok, supposedly there are even more in CM and HCM. Wouldn't those people in their early to mid twenties like that opportunity? Go learn to code/copywrite/design while staying fit, partying in SEA. Fits that demographic a lot more than the usual 3 month backpacking.

A couple suggestions more to sweeten the apartment overpricing: Kettlebells, comfortable office chair (hotels and apartments never have this), 23-27 inch monitors (BenQ or other cheap brand).

Small differences can demand a significantly higher rate.

Post: #6

To take the renting apartments to another level, you could organize a "mastermind" group and get a giant house/penthouse in one of these 3rd world SEA cities. It gives people a place to live, but it's an additional selling point to tell them they'll be living around like minded entrepreneurs.

Another idea I thought of is to set up a professional video studio in one of these cities. YouTube is a huge market and there are plenty of these guys who want to make a name for themselves on YouTube. Charge them $$$ per hour or per video to use your studio and professional equipment. Haven't really ran through the costs and figures, but something I think guys could capitalize on.

Post: #7

also, online poker players are setting up baller poker houses where they grind in SEA..
overall, I think it is a solid idea as long as you don't overpay the apartment

Post: #8

(11-22-2014 07:51 PM)micky Wrote:  also, online poker players are setting up baller poker houses where they grind in SEA..
overall, I think it is a solid idea as long as you don't overpay the apartment

Yep, poker players fall under that umbrella too along with writers, photographers, all kinds of location independent people.

Post: #9

(11-22-2014 07:36 PM)Seth_Rose Wrote:  To take the renting apartments to another level, you could organize a "mastermind" group and get a giant house/penthouse in one of these 3rd world SEA cities. It gives people a place to live, but it's an additional selling point to tell them they'll be living around like minded entrepreneurs.

Another idea I thought of is to set up a professional video studio in one of these cities. YouTube is a huge market and there are plenty of these guys who want to make a name for themselves on YouTube. Charge them $$$ per hour or per video to use your studio and professional equipment. Haven't really ran through the costs and figures, but something I think guys could capitalize on.

I do work for clients that are already doing this. These guys are in some sort of mastermind group and at least one guy is in SEA at all times holding down the apartment complex and everyone else comes and goes from north america, europe, uk etc.

Post: #10

Not sure if buying apartments in SEA is such a good idea and worth the risk. I have just been researching places to stay in Chiang Mai and most recommendations from Digital Nomads are within the 4000 - 10.000 Baht price range. Sure you can add a small office corner with a great chair plus fast internet, good gym and a nice café and restaurant downstairs and people would be willing to pay a few thousand Baht more. But within the second year many locals will probably copy your business and drive the margin down. Also most of these people come from a backpacker-background and don't like to be charged western prices and rather go a few extra miles in order to save some money.

Plus you have no control over these countries. Visa changes, assaults on foreigners, more and more problems with corrupt police... Just let things go this way for a while and in a few years nobody is talking about Chiang Mai anymore, while everybody is somewhere in Vietnam. You have no control over these places. The people are mobile for a reason and can pack their stuff and can always just move on.

How popular is this digital nomad lifestyle really? When talking to people in Thailand most people are still surprised that you can really work from your computer and have a stable or decent income. This is still a dream for many people that is just too far from their reality. Helping these people to be able to live this life could open business opportunities. You could outsource your incoming jobs to skilled university graduates and offer them a fixed job at 60 hours work per month for one year. I have done this on a small scale with a team of three writers for a big freelance job of myself.

Personally I like the idea of setting up a house somewhere in Asia for 4-6 guys that are all into self development and building their online businesses. Not for the sake of money, but rather to build a good environment where everybody can grow. The price for a nice house with pool (monthly pool parties with hot chicks!), small gym, office room, maid and cook (healthy food 24/7 plus fresh juices) should probably not cost more than if everybody would rent their own condo.

Post: #11

(11-22-2014 09:37 PM)libertad1312 Wrote:  Personally I like the idea of setting up a house somewhere in Asia for 4-6 guys that are all into self development and building their online businesses. Not for the sake of money, but rather to build a good environment where everybody can grow. The price for a nice house with pool (monthly pool parties with hot chicks!), small gym, office room, maid and cook (healthy food 24/7 plus fresh juices) should probably not cost more than if everybody would rent their own condo.

Surprised no one on here has done that yet. It would kind of be like Project Hollywood for the old school PUA's, except people in this house would actually get laid

Post: #12

(11-22-2014 06:25 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  Isn't the problem in Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh, et cetera that Westeners can't own land?

How I would flip it?

Combine Digital Nomads with a Code Academy (and paleo and crossfit)

Learn Ruby on Rails in South East Asia, while getting fit!

WIA

Ruby on Rails was 2008.

It's Node.js now.

Post: #13

The size of the digital nomad movement is grossly exagerated imo.

I'm in Chiang Mai at the moment (the unofficial DN capital) and it's not like you run into these guys everywhere.

I've been in about a dozen cafes so far and usually Im the oddball typing away on my laptop.
Most farangs here are backpackers or seedy old men.

Post: #14

(11-22-2014 10:45 PM)Travesty444 Wrote:  

(11-22-2014 06:25 PM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  Isn't the problem in Chiang Mai, Ho Chi Minh, et cetera that Westeners can't own land?

How I would flip it?

Combine Digital Nomads with a Code Academy (and paleo and crossfit)

Learn Ruby on Rails in South East Asia, while getting fit!

WIA

Ruby on Rails was 2008.

It's Node.js now.

I thought it was erlang and Haskell?

Post: #15

First of all I think youd be better off launching an info product geared towards these people and selling them the dream. It could be about freelance writing, online marketing, coding or whatever. With a marketing that leans heavily on freedom and workung under palm trees and all that.

BUT I actually tried launching an info product (not in the english market) that teaches freelancing as a career choice. And the interest is very very low! Im talking like 5% opt in rates to a free email newsletter. In a healthy market you should get at least 20-30% right off the bat.

Most ppl in my country just want to blog... but then again you could build a program about blogging and there is actually some chick doing this and making decent money apparently.

Another thing is I have to agree with Russkie Dusha. This is not a movement this is a very niche lifestyle at this point and for many many people its just a dream. Im in chiang Mai too which is dubbed THE place to be for location independents and yeah you can find ppl here, but its not like theyre here in masses.

Also you will find many ppll here who are not living the lifestyle yet. They saved up some money and stay here for a while to work, but they are still in the newbie stage and not making any money. So lots of them will go back home too.

Post: #16

I'll buck the trend in this thread and say it's not a great idea.

The problem with the digital nomad/wantrepreneur market is that yo've got a market who doesn't want to do anything and doesn't want to pay anything. That won't translate to a healthy or easy business.

If you do real estate, you'll get people who want to pay as little as possible for their lodgings.
If you do info-products, you're going to get people who want hand-holding, refunds and they'll leave negative reviews (if not outright steal your material and repackage it.) I don't think it's worth all that hassle for a very small market anyway.

That's just my opinion. My other opinion is that there probably are niches within global lifestyles you could explore, but you'll probably want to go for a different potential customer. For instance, there are loads of businessmen who want to go to various trade fairs. You could do something for them. Or you could work with backpacking/volunteer organisations. Much bigger markets, much better customers.

Post: #17

As the other posters have pointed out, nearly all digital nomads are cheapskates, very hard to leverage something that provides high margin in this area.

Post: #18

Hey all, just found this thread and thought I'd add my 2 cents. As an FYI, I've worked in commercial and residential real estate sales and loans in both California, Hawaii and Japan for 15 years (I'm late 30's now)

In my opinion, the value would come from setting it all up from A-Z. While some mentioned the term "cheapskates", I think a better word would be price-conscious. So the margins would have to come from adding real "value" ala having it all set up. Otherwise, yo ass would have to be digging through all the threads searching for reviews on places to live, places to meet chicks, places to bang, places to eat, etc. And yes, there will be some who are happy to spend their time researching all that to save money but I think there are others (who should be your primary demographic to go after) who have cash and have never ever ever thought it would be possible to live this kind of lifestyle and then lay it all out for them. Think of yourself when the idea first hit you that you could live abroad, or actually even visit abroad some foreign exotic country. Let's call that Level 1 where the majority of dudes are at Level 0 (stuck in the matrix) and say all of us current DN or part time DN are at Level 5 and beyond. One should focus on the Level 1ers because a Level 3er or 4er is a guy who has already traveled abroad, maybe even lived abroad for a short time and knows the territory, even has local friends, and has many more resources (such as Roosh forum) vs the Level 1er who's just sick of his job, sick of his pussy options in sausagefestville, etc. I would def say the San Francisco Bay Area, DC and Toronto are the prime markets for this. One could hold seminars haha in "how to live your life dreams!"

Now the monetizing part. It's gonna be a bitch to get your real estate license in another country. I've been doing it forever and it was a bitch for me to just get my license in Hawaii. And since these are lower cost countries, you're not gonna make shit (in my opinion on the brokerage fee) Even if you buy a property and then rent it out, well, hmmm.. I'd have to look at specific numbers but yeah, maybe there could be cash flow made there but don't forget the exit strategy. I have no idea if properties in cheap areas such as Thailand, Phillipines, Ukraine tend to appreciate it or not. I personally think appreciation is icing on the cake for real estate investing. Cash flow is the best way to make money so if one can get financing from a bank (or even a credit card) and make more money from the rental yields, then that could be one way to monetize. But as I initially mentioned, have everything set up for the Level 1er. Be his friend.

OH SHIT!

Use the college business model! You know how they have orientation and fucking meetups and clubs and all that. Have all that shit lined up for the Level 1er. Make it as easy as possible for him. Also have a several online income resources for him so that he can focus some time on his future location independent career. Also have plenty of self-development resources for him ala books, videos, maybe even a gym/fighting training option, everything to help him find his true meaning.

Lastly, while I don't think it'd be smart to market it as "come visit poosy paradise", let's not discount the obvious big benefit, tons of hot chicks who are actually cool. So subtly elude to it in the marketing materials ala cute exotic chicks in pictures doing normal shit like maybe a cute Thai chick at a rock show (to subcommunicate familiarity) or a hot Russian chick at some hip hop club or just playing frisbee.

Okay, I'm out