@mimsical One neat thing I enjoy watching over and over again:
1. Noted Expert (NE) in field who happens to be a great communicator gets globally recognized when some world event yanks their field into sudden relevance.
2. NE amasses followers and a platform.
3. World moves on from catalyzing event.
4. NE starts Thinkfluencing™ in fields slightly adjacent to their own, still mostly an expert, and the followers follow them on this journey.
5. Thinkfluencing™ expands farther afield. They're sharp, compelling, charismatic, so it basically works great. NE gets invited to NPR and stuff.
6. NE starts writing about your favorite pet subject. Obviously they're 107% wrong about everything, so you shout about it into the void. NE hasn't touched on your friend's subjects, though, so it doesn't affect their overall reputation among your peers.
7. ... (left as an exercise for the reader)
8. That quote from Nolan's Batman: "You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain."