INTRODUCTION

A sobering statistic about life in a capitalistic society, particularly the United States, is that 10% of the population controls 90% of the wealth. No, we're not talking about the President. He's a pauper compared to these people. We're talking about actors, athletes, business executives, and entrepreneurs - people who have single-handedly risen above the masses by utilizing and marketing a skill, whether it be acting, throwing a ball, strategic acumen, or definitive creativity. And it's not unusual for these people to reap even more financial benefits by participating in two or more of the various roles; entrepreneurs becoming business men, athletes becoming actors (and vise versa).

It's also not usual for the rest of us to long for those lofty levels. What does it take? Ambition, certainly, but also a tangible skill that you have the motivation and drive to market successfully.

Personally, I've gone on a few "cattle calls" (tryouts) in both the acting and athletic world, with unpromising results. I've taken a stab at the business sector and have picked up some helpful information along the way. Being an entrepreneur perhaps suits me best, especially when it involves the creative and strategic elements. The tactical nuts and bolts of seeing a vision to completion is less fun, but I guess it depends upon what the vision is.

But the skill? What is the tangible skill that I have the motivation and drive to market successfully?

Well…. I can fuck.
And I'll bet you can, too.

Yes, that's right. The adult industry holds a slice of that 90% "wealth of pie" (pun forced and intended), and unlike all the faltering dot-com's financed by actors, athletes, executives, and entrepreneurs, the adult biz is economically thriving on the Internet. What John, Mike, Bill, and Bob have been unable to do, Pam the porn star is doing in her sleep (well, in her bed, at any rate). And she gets to be naked, too!

Hey, I want to be naked. I want a little slice of Americana. I want a piece of Pam's pie.

So, right now, my adult website is just a glimmer in my eye. But it's a glimmer, nonetheless. I will conceive it, raise it, deal with all the issues, and hope it becomes rich someday so it can support me in my old age.
Maybe it's the entrepreneur in me, or maybe I just like sex, but conception is the fun part. Take off your clothes, stab around in the dark, and nine months later your manhood comes to fruition.

Raising it and dealing with all the issues it brings will come later and the climax comes when it becomes rich. But since conception is so fun (and it's also how you start), we'll begin there.

CONCEPTION

Nine months before fruition was not an exaggeration, at least for me. It's taken me at least that long to get the baby out of the oven and spank some life into it. The "glimmer in my eye" phase was even longer. Should I? Shouldn't I? Can I afford this "kid?" Is it something I want? Do I have the patience? We're not talking about adoption here, or the "big brother" program (i.e., AVS's and TGP's). We're talking about a honest-to-goodness porn site. Well…. Honest-to-naughtiness, in any case.

Even before I started "stabbing in the dark," I went on my own cattle call, an interview, so to speak, with myself. I asked myself some blunt questions, and I offered honest answers.

Question: Why did you apply for this job?
Answer: I found myself spending so much time looking at porn, I figured I might as well get PAID for it.

Question: Is that the only reason?
Answer: Well, the more I did it, the more information I started retaining. I was naturally curious about the "Webmaster" links and what appeared to be opportunities for wealth. Even if many of them didn't pan out, it got MY creative juices flowing and that was exciting.

Question: So, you've done some research in preparation for this position?
Answer: Absolutely! At least enough to take this next step and interview. If, during the course of all my porn surfing, I never ONCE clicked on the "Webmaster" links, I probably would not be here right now. After all, that would most likely demonstrate to me a disinterest in the nuts and bolts of the business. I'd just surf to a site, get off and then log off. But I found myself continuously following "Webmaster" and "Resources" links, and in doing so, got my first vision of the Internet's massive marketing muscle.

Question: Marketing is just one piece. You have to have something to market. What skills and advantages do you possess which make you think you're the person for this job?
Answer: First, my skills. I am fairly proficient with Photoshop and I taught myself HTML by reading books and studying the source code on websites. Although with all the "What You See Is What You Get" editors on the market today, like Dreamweaver, Go Live, and Front Page, knowledge of HTML is almost moot nowadays. In fact, some of those programs even contain dynamic scripting, but just in case, I've learned and practiced javascripting in much the same manner as I learned HTML. Plus, I took a 6-week Internet course on CGI from an accredited university.

Question: What about content?
Answer: That's where my advantage comes in. Chicks seem to dig me, and several have agreed to take pictures (hypothetically, so far), so I figured I would start there. Plus, I write for a national adult newspaper, so I have some connections that may come in handy down the road.
So far, I felt like I was acing this interview. I'd done research up front, I had the necessary skills, and I offered competitive advantages like open-minded girlfriends and connections within the industry. Then came the last question.

Question: So you think this is going to be easy? Slap a few naughty pictures on a free hosting account while all that massive marketing muscle helps you yield lots and lots of money.
Answer: Well… to be honest…. Yeah, that's about right.

In spite of my naïve answer, I got the job (which was pretty easy, since I was doing the hiring), but perhaps the sarcastic nature of that last question should have warned me that this slice of pie was not going to be a piece of cake.

Join me next time when I take some stabs in the dark, just for the fuck of it.

Article written by Richard Follock - Freelance writer and webmaster for XXXBodyParts.com, the ultimate collection of sex on the Internet.