André Chaperon has shifted his language, and it’s worth paying attention to why.
He used to talk about TLBs – Tiny Little Businesses. Simple assets that generate income. Small, focused projects that quietly make money whilst you build the next one.
If you’ve been following along here, this sounds familiar. We talk about micro-blogs, single-topic PDFs, small niche websites. The scattergun approach to finding what works.
But Chaperon has evolved the concept. Now he talks about Tiny Digital Worlds.
The Difference Between Assets and Worlds
A digital asset makes money. A digital world creates environment.
Think of it this way: your micro-blog about vintage camera repair might generate affiliate income from equipment sales. That’s an asset. But when that same blog becomes the place where vintage camera enthusiasts gather, share stories, ask questions, and form connections – that’s a world.
The internet has grown large enough that anyone can carve out their own corner. Not just a website or a social media account, but an entire ecosystem that attracts the right people and naturally filters out those who don’t belong.
How Your Small Assets Find Your People
Here’s where the strategy connects beautifully.
Your TLBs – those small assets you’re building – aren’t just income generators. They’re discovery tools. Each piece of content you put out, each micro-site you launch, each PDF you create sends a signal into the digital noise.
You’re not just testing what makes money. You’re testing what resonates with people. What gets shared. What generates genuine interest rather than just clicks.
When you create that PDF about “Container Gardening for Apartment Balconies” and it gets downloaded 500 times whilst your “Ultimate Guide to Indoor Plants” barely manages 50, you’ve learned something important. The signal is clear.
The Signal Shows You Where to Build
This is where most people get the strategy wrong. They see one piece of content perform well and immediately try to scale it – more PDFs, bigger guides, paid advertising to amplify reach.
But that’s still thinking like an asset builder, not a world builder.
Instead, you use that signal to understand where your people gather. What problems keep them awake at night. What language they use. What other interests they have. What they value.
Then you stop scattering and start building. You build your world around that signal.
You Don’t Need Everyone
Kevin Kelly’s concept of 1,000 True Fans remains one of the most liberating ideas in online business. You don’t need millions of followers. You need 1,000 people who genuinely care about what you’re building.
With billions of people online, finding 1,000 isn’t the challenge. The challenge is knowing where they are.
Your small assets solve this problem. They’re like fishing lines cast into different parts of the digital ocean. When one starts getting consistent bites, you’ve found your spot.
Building Your Corner of the Internet
Once you know where your people are, you can start building their world. Not just content, but community. Not just products, but conversations. Not just transactions, but relationships.
This might look like:
– A newsletter that becomes the weekly gathering place for vintage camera enthusiasts
– A small membership site where container gardeners share photos and advice
– A podcast that becomes the trusted voice for people learning web design after 50
– A simple forum where your audience helps each other whilst you facilitate
The beauty is that these worlds often require less maintenance than constantly creating new assets. Once established, they grow through the contributions of their members.
Start With Assets, Build Towards Community
If you’re just starting, don’t worry about building worlds yet. Focus on creating those small assets. The micro-sites, the PDFs, the simple content that tests different angles and audiences.
Pay attention to what resonates. Notice which pieces generate not just downloads or sales, but genuine engagement. Comments. Questions. Shares from real people, not just social media algorithms.
Those signals will show you where your people are. And once you know that, you can start building something bigger than just another income stream. You can build their world.
That’s where the real opportunity lies – not just in making money from the internet, but in creating something meaningful within it.
