Taking this to extreme :)
100 True Fans ? try 1
Internet has enabled visibility so you need to only find one true fan who is willing to sponsor you 100,000 per year.
Funny, but this is not wrong either. It turns out anyone who has a good job is already building something one entity really wants -- themselves. The only difference is that they pay with their time.
Actually that's how art has worked for a looong time. Most pre 19th century artists that we remember now had a rich patron who put food on their table (and possibly influenced what they did).