The Independent Scholar

This a short, practical guide for the modern independent scholar.

I finished my PhD in 2014 and worked as a professor for five years (political science and political theory). In 2019, I left academia to conduct all of my writing and teaching independently, on the internet.

It took me three years to cross six figures in annual income. Most of my revenue has come from philosophy courses, workshops, and digital products covering a range of topics from Plato to Deleuze. It is only now, after 4 years on the outside, that I can confidently claim to have a working model. I've also made countless mistakes and wasted a lot of time on failed experiments.

I've published peer-reviewed articles in outlets such as International Studies Quarterly and IEEE Intelligent Systems. I've supervised academic students across all levels, from undergraduate to PhD.

Many individuals ask me for advice on how they can become independent scholars. Gradually, I've organized my knowledge into a four-week cohort program that I run a few times yearly. After running that program a few times now, I've distilled the basics of the system in this short document.