Tim Ferriss's portfolio, the business of taste, and recommendations worth trusting.

Taste is becoming a moat

When asked who they trust most for in-depth product reviews, 38% of affluent shoppers chose creators. Just 8% chose celebrities. That's from a Precisify survey of 500 U.S. adults earning at least $150,000 per household with an interest in luxury. Read the survey coverage →

There's a valuable customer who can afford plenty of things but doesn't want to research all of them. They want someone with a good eye to say, "Get this one." Tony Piloseno turned his eye for color into Tonester Paints. Caleb Ulffers makes curation the attraction with "Little Luxuries." The same opportunity exists in coffee, furniture, fragrance, and travel.

AI can compare five espresso machines. But which one would the person whose taste I admire put in their kitchen? As information gets cheaper, trusted judgment may become more valuable. That trust can support recommendations, collaborations, and eventually an owned brand. For creators, taste could become a business asset that follower count barely captures.

Would you rather have 1 million average followers, or 100,000 affluent people who genuinely trust your taste?