Some context before we jump in:
I recently hired Tanmay as a part-time Research Assistant.
His main focus: Turn our podcast episodes into evergreen, written case studies (using final transcripts, AI, and any other information he can find about each guest).
About Tanmay: He dropped out of Law School to go all in on content, has worked with dozens of founders, & previously supported Sahil Bloom.
Why do this: A great podcast should be squeezed for everything it's worth. Tweets, clips, infographics, case studies, summaries, takeaways, quotes, & full-length video. It's not enough to create a great episode. You also gotta meet people where they are and cater to how/where they prefer to consume content. Some people love to listen, some watch on YouTube, and some enjoy reading.
What to expect: This case study series will cover each guest who comes on the show. I hate when podcasters produce generic AI summaries and force their audience to read the slop, which is why I hired Tanmay. I do about a dozen hours of research before each guest comes on this show, and Tanmay’s job will be to take the best insights from each episode, while doing additional research on the guests, to produce helpful, easy-to-read case studies.
Enjoy.
And please share with a friend if you do.
-Ish
🙏🏽
Welcome to Internet Empires
A show where we go deep with internet-native creators who've built empires from scratch.
Using nothing but ideas, code, and Wi-Fi.
Each guest offers a playbook for turning creativity into leverage and attention into income.
Why are we doing all of this?
Building on the internet is one of the highest-leverage things you can do with your time.
Every episode of Internet Empires helps you understand how others have done it.
So, you can skip guesswork, avoid dead ends, and apply proven strategies to your own journey.
This week's guest: Jack Butcher
Jack is the founder of Visualize Value—a brand, design philosophy, and internet-native education platform rolled into one.
He's best known for turning complex ideas into minimalist visuals that go viral…like really viral.
But behind those iconic black-and-white graphics is a decade-long story of grinding through the traditional agency world, escaping it, and building a solo empire from scratch.
Let's dive into his story.
From agency hamster wheel to solo creator
Jack began as a graphic designer working across agencies in New York, climbing the ladder from junior designer to creative director.
But as he moved up, he noticed something most don't dare to say out loud:
The work felt increasingly meaningless.
Endless meetings. Poorly defined objectives. Risk-averse clients.
Despite putting in 100-hour weeks and landing multi-million dollar contracts for the agency, the fulfillment wasn't there.
At one point, he pitched a project that brought millions in revenue for the agency and got nothing more than a thank you.
That was the wake-up call.
He asked himself, "Why am I giving my life to something I don't even control?"
So Jack left and started freelancing.
Then, quietly set up an “agency” (even though it was just him by himself) to land a client.
And this all snowballed into a real business.
Eventually, he pivoted entirely into creating products, graphics, courses, and digital art that scaled without client calls or project managers.
What he's built: Visualize Value and beyond
What started as a side project—posting one visual per day on Instagram—became a brand followed by hundreds of thousands.
Visualize Value was born from a simple insight:
The internet rewards clarity.
Jack distilled timeless principles (many from thinkers like Naval Ravikant and Seth Godin) into punchy, elegant visuals.
(These visuals were also included in the cult classic books of this decade, The Almanac of Naval Ravikant.)
These weren't just pretty pictures, they were lenses that helped people think better.
As more people shared and reposted them, Jack's audience exploded.
Currently, he has a combined audience of 1.2 million across different platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
He monetized that attention through:
Courses like "Build Once, Sell Twice" and "The Permissionless Apprentice"
Visualized summaries of iconic essays and books
Collaborations and digital art projects sold as NFTs
Jack’s work at Paris Photo Fair, 2024.
What makes Jack's model different is how lean it is.
Lean team. No investors. No meetings.
Just a clear point of view, distributed visually and monetized creatively.
Mental Models that helped him
Clarity over complexity: Jack's design roots taught him to simplify without dumbing down. His content is direct, visual, and easy to grasp.
Momentum through output: He started by making something every day. One visual, one post, one tweet. That consistency gave him momentum, and momentum compounded into growth.
Permissionless creation: Jack never waited for someone to hire him or give him a brief. He applied for a job that didn't exist by creating work only he could make. That work attracted the opportunities.
Narrow offering, wide application: Instead of offering everything under the sun, he focused on one deliverable storytelling through visuals. Whether it was a pitch deck, an NFT, or a course, it all followed that core competency.
Internet-native distribution: He understood how content moved online. Twitter was where thinkers hung out. Instagram was where visuals spread. He tailored his content accordingly.
His journey in a flash
Interning in New York via Craigslist: Jack's first break came from cold-emailing design studios via Craigslist. One reply turned into a job with a seasoned ad executive who became a key mentor.
Realizing the inefficiency of agency life: After hopping between 7–8 agencies, Jack saw the same pattern: too many layers, not enough output. This realization pushed him to build his own studio.
Moonlighting as an agency: To land his first big client, Jack pretended to be a larger agency. He set up a Squarespace site, gave himself a name, and pitched professionally—while working solo in his pajamas.
Discovering leverage through visuals: Posting visual breakdowns of ideas gave him infinite surface area. He wasn't just working for clients anymore. He was building an audience.
Going all-in on product: When demand for his service became too high, Jack created courses instead of hiring a team. It let him scale without sacrificing freedom.
Top Quotes from Jack
"You apply for a job that doesn't exist by making things only you can make."
"I realized the value was in the object—not just in selling the service."
"Every artifact I made became a magnet for the next opportunity."
"Momentum gives you momentum."
Final thoughts
Jack's journey is the clearest case study we've seen yet for one simple idea:
The internet rewards clarity, consistency, and ownership.
He didn't invent a new tool. He didn't chase trends.
He simply communicated timeless ideas better than anyone else and let the internet do the rest.
And he's still just getting started.
We'll close with his humble quote:
"You can change your life by publishing on the internet. I'm living proof."
Dive into our episode with Jack below.
Cheers,