Both industries have their share of great people and charlatans, good intentions and malicious ones. It’s really up to the individual to choose where he ends up.

That said, the industry has really transcended just “pickup” because “pickup” doesn’t work without certain prerequisites. Tactics don’t work without conversational skills. And techniques don’t work without the ability to NOT weird people out. There’s a whole category of basic social skills and life skills that have to be in place before any of the tactics or techniques can work. Things like having friends, a job, basic social skills, passions, etc. Even self esteem and confidence are rapidly becoming understood as things that have to be in place before a technique can work. So more and more, I’m finding myself teaching THOSE things in lieu of more traditional “pickup techniques.” And to that end, I no longer see myself as simply a dating coach. I am a PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT coach. I am a SUCCESS coach. I am a LIFE coach. And that is both what drives me and what makes me successful.

There are factions emerging I’ve noticed here in Australia, which is about being a “natural” in other words being yourself, learning to be comfortable with being interested in women, figuring out what makes you happy and going for it, and realising that you’re accountable for your situation and no one else is.

These factions are small and less mainstream, but they take a practical approach, that does everything it can not to manipulate people, esp. women.

All I’m saying is that there are guys out there teaching men “how to pick up women,” by teaching them to be comfortable, honest and confident with themselves, rather than asking them to pretend they’re someone else.