Back when I had a Netflix subscription, I used to watch a lot of Black Mirror.
If you’re unfamiliar with the show, the best way I can describe it is a science fiction, dystopian show that shows the dark side of technology. And it’s not like your typical show where every episode makes up one giant story, but rather each episode is it’s own standalone show.
As far as I remember, every single episode is dark and horrific in some way, shape, or form, with the exception of one.
But I’m not going to be talking about that one light-hearted episode today. Instead, I’m going to be talking about another memorable episode called…
“USS Callister”
This particular one is about a man named Robert Daly who’s a programmer and a co-founder of a videogame company. Everything is going well except for the fact that Robert isn’t treated well in his company for many reasons, which led him to becoming isolated and bitter inside. Not to mention, his lack of social skills doesn’t make things any better.
So what does he do?
He escapes to the Internet, specifically the videogame simulation he co-created in his company, where he is basically the king of his own world.
His simulation is similar to Star Trek. He’s the captain of his ship, and his crew members are digital clones of his employees. And with him being the captain, he has the power to do anything he wants, including mistreating his crew members and torturing them if they disobey him.
And he’s doing that all to take his frustrations out from the problems he faces in the real world.
Now, I’m not going to spoil the ending, but I will say this.
Having your own business, big or small, is kind of like creating your own world where you are the ruler, and your audience are the citizens.
Your social media platforms are your different towns.
Your products and services are your “expansion packs.”
And your emails are your regularly scheduled news and updates.
You may or may not agree, but I see it as a fun way of thinking about it.
But more on that in the future, maybe.
In the meantime, if you want to learn more about my ways of emailing, check out How to Become an Email Titan.