Most people are overwhelmed by conflicting advice about how to make money online. One guru says affiliate marketing. Another says drop shipping. Others promise day trading or crypto shortcuts.
In 2026, most of those paths are either overcrowded, replaced by AI, or structured in a way where it is easier to lose money than make it.
The real opportunity today is understanding where AI creates leverage and where it destroys outdated work. This guide breaks down 25 legitimate ways to make money in 2026 into four clear buckets: what to avoid, what works fast, what scales to serious income, and what builds long-term wealth.
Key Takeaways
AI is replacing low-skill digital work but amplifying high-value outcome-based services.
The fastest way to earn online is to sell specific results, not hours.
Medium-tier AI services create predictable monthly income through retainers.
Long-term wealth in 2026 comes from assets, equity, and automation, not gigs.
Shiny object syndrome destroys more income potential than bad ideas.
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Table of Contents
The 4 Buckets of Making Money in 2026
Not every opportunity is equal. Each income model falls into one of four categories:
Trash: Outdated or structurally flawed
Easy: Fast income, beginner friendly
Medium: Skill-based income with scale
Hard: Long-term wealth and asset creation
Most people fail not because they were in the wrong bucket, but because they switch buckets every few weeks.
Bucket 1: What to Avoid in 2026
These models either shrink in relevance or are replaced by AI.
Income Potential: Zero or negative
Time Frame: Months wasted
Best For: No one
Avoid:
NFT flipping
Short-term crypto trading
Multi-level marketing
Basic captioning and subtitles
Low-level data entry
Fiverr microtasks with no growth path
Generic print-on-demand
Day trading without obsession-level expertise
Before pursuing any idea, run it through this filter:
Is AI already replacing this?
Is the industry shrinking or going obsolete?
Is it easier to lose money than make money?
If the answer is yes to any of these, move on.
Bucket 2: Easy AI Income (Beginner Friendly)
Income Potential: $5K to $10K per month
Time Frame: 30 to 60 days
Best For: Beginners building momentum
These models require basic execution and consistent outreach.
Short-form video editing using AI tools
Social media copywriting
AI chatbot setup for small businesses
AI receptionist setup for local companies
UGC content coordination
Virtual or executive assistant services
The key is outcome-based offers. Do not sell time. Sell results.
For example:
Help businesses get 20 qualified leads per month
Save founders 10 hours per week using AI systems
Increase booking rates through AI reception automation
The formula is simple:
Identify pain
Promise a specific result
Reduce risk
Limit spots to create urgency
Do daily outreach
This bucket teaches you how to craft and sell value.
Bucket 3: Medium AI Income (Scalable Skills)
Income Potential: $10K to $50K per month
Time Frame: 3 to 12 months
Best For: Skilled operators who want stability
This is where you stop doing tasks and start owning outcomes.
AI automation agency
LinkedIn growth systems powered by AI
Micro SaaS tools for niche problems
AI content agency
High-end motion graphics using AI
AI workflow consulting for SMBs
CRM automation implementation
AI-powered email marketing systems
Sales funnel optimization with AI
AI-powered lead generation systems
Two rules define this bucket:
Build measurable case studies
Sell monthly retainers tied to outcomes
Recurring revenue builds stability. Outcome-based pricing builds leverage.
Instead of charging per hour, charge for revenue growth, cost reduction, or time saved.
Bucket 4: Hard AI Plays (Long-Term Wealth)
Income Potential: $1M+ per month
Time Frame: 2 to 10 years
Best For: Builders and empire thinkers
This bucket requires systems, leadership, and patience.
Investing in AI-first founders
Building AI software products
Buying small businesses and automating them
Building a personal brand for deal flow
Subscription communities powered by AI curation
Licensing AI playbooks and internal systems
AI SaaS platforms
AI-driven marketplaces
AI-enabled roll-up acquisitions
These are asset-based models. You are not trading time. You are building equity.
Long-term wealth comes from:
Ownership
Recurring revenue
Automation
Brand leverage
Compounding assets
The hockey stick only happens after the flat years.
How to Move from Beginner to Wealth Builder
Step 1: Tie your strongest skill to a fast-growing AI industry.
Step 2: Systematize your service and sell outcomes.
Step 3: Build a small, high-quality team slowly.
Step 4: Layer AI into operations to increase margins.
Step 5: Use content to create inbound deal flow.
Most people fail not because they chose the wrong bucket, but because they switch buckets too often.
You can do anything, just not everything.
Conclusion
In 2026, making money is not about chasing trends. It is about understanding leverage.
AI eliminates low-value work and multiplies high-value outcomes. The winners will be those who:
Pick one bucket
Sell specific results
Build systems
Stay consistent
The real separator is execution. Focus long enough, and compounding does the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to make money with AI in 2026?
AI service setups like chatbot implementation or short-form editing can generate income within 30 to 60 days if paired with daily outreach and a clear outcome-based offer.
Are beginner AI businesses saturated?
Low-skill tasks are saturated. Outcome-based services tied to measurable business results are not.
How much can you realistically earn with AI services?
Beginner services can reach $5K to $10K monthly. Scalable agencies and automation systems can reach $10K to $50K monthly within a year.
Is building AI software still worth it?
Yes, but it is a long-term strategy. Software creates recurring revenue and enterprise value, but it requires patience and system building.
How do I avoid shiny object syndrome?
Commit to one path for at least 1,000 days. Document progress publicly. Do not reset every time something feels slow.
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Full Transcript
The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch/DhEMFeo_gL8
00:00:00.240 I know for a fact that you’re tired of
00:00:02.399 searching the internet for the best ways
00:00:04.319 to make money online. Every day,
00:00:06.720 thousands of internet gurus tell you to
00:00:08.880 try affiliate marketing or drop
00:00:10.639 shipping, and they’re all full of
00:00:13.040 Those things don’t work in 2026,
00:00:15.679 especially not in the new era of AI. In
00:00:18.240 my AI venture studio, Martell Ventures,
00:00:20.400 I’ve created dozens of companies that
00:00:22.240 now generate millions, and I can tell
00:00:24.000 you there’s only a few real ways to make
00:00:26.480 money online. To make it simple, we’re
00:00:28.720 breaking everything into four buckets.
00:00:31.519 Trash, the stuff you shoulding run away
00:00:33.600 from. Easy, businesses you can launch in
00:00:36.559 under three months, earning 5 to 10K a
00:00:38.640 month. Medium, skills that can be
00:00:41.120 profitable within a year, making 10 to
00:00:43.440 50K a month. And hard, long-term plays
00:00:46.879 that may take more time, but can make
00:00:48.719 you millions if done right. I’ll tell
00:00:50.800 you the income potential, difficulty,
00:00:53.680 how long it’ll take to make money, and
00:00:56.640 who is best for each bucket. So, without
00:00:59.840 further explanation, let’s get into the
00:01:01.920 real ways to make money in 2026. [music]
00:01:04.479 Starting with bucket number one, the
00:01:06.720 trash bucket. The income potential for
00:01:09.119 this bucket is zero or even worse, could
00:01:11.680 be negative. Difficulty, I mean, it
00:01:13.920 looks easy, but it gives you nothing
00:01:16.080 back. time frame wastes months [music]
00:01:18.960 before you realize it was dead on
00:01:20.799 arrival. Who is it best for? No one. NFT
00:01:24.479 flipping. The hype is freaking done.
00:01:26.720 Look at all the projects that launched.
00:01:28.880 Nobody made money. The ones that thought
00:01:30.560 they made money have lost money. And if
00:01:32.640 you’re going to start there and you
00:01:34.000 haven’t made money ever online, that’s a
00:01:36.320 losing recipe. Next, crypto trading
00:01:40.159 moves really fast. Most people don’t
00:01:42.560 have the patience and it’s [music]
00:01:44.240 without any crazy skill. Unless you’re
00:01:46.320 the person that tries to frontr run the
00:01:48.159 whole freaking trade, most people lose
00:01:50.000 money every freaking day. Next,
00:01:52.640 multi-level marketing. If the way you
00:01:55.200 make money is getting paid to recruit
00:01:57.360 people to join your thing and you don’t
00:01:59.840 shape the business and you don’t
00:02:01.680 actually sell anything and you actually
00:02:03.439 spend more money to buy product to try
00:02:05.200 to get up the leaderboard, that’s not a
00:02:06.960 business you want to be in. Most of
00:02:08.318 these are scams. Next, basic caption or
00:02:11.120 subtitles. [music] Now, AI does it
00:02:13.360 faster, cheaper, and way better. After
00:02:16.560 that, we have low-level data entry. This
00:02:19.840 is wild to watch that people still think
00:02:22.000 they’re going to make money on this
00:02:23.280 because AI tools have replaced this work
00:02:25.520 completely. Fiverr Microtask, my
00:02:28.560 favorite website on the internet 5 years
00:02:30.800 ago. Trying to make money this way. It’s
00:02:33.280 not the worst on the list, but it has
00:02:35.040 zero long-term growth. Next, we got
00:02:37.360 print ondemand. Here’s the thing, it’s
00:02:40.800 really crowded and everyone sells the
00:02:43.360 same stuff. And last but not least, my
00:02:46.560 favorite, day trading. Here’s the deal.
00:02:48.640 If you’re not completely into it,
00:02:50.800 obsessed on it, and just want to just
00:02:52.959 live the day trading life, it is way
00:02:55.040 easier to lose money than to make any.
00:02:58.080 Basically, all these are like trying to
00:03:00.560 race across the ocean in a car. [music]
00:03:02.879 You keep drowning because you need a
00:03:04.800 different vehicle. So, to make sure your
00:03:07.360 idea isn’t in this bucket, I need you to
00:03:09.920 run your idea through the trash filter.
00:03:12.800 Three simple questions. One, is AI
00:03:16.319 already replacing this? Two, is the
00:03:19.599 industry shrinking or going obsolete?
00:03:22.720 Three, is it easier to lose money than
00:03:25.200 to make money? If you answer yes to any,
00:03:29.040 move on immediately. Now, let’s talk
00:03:32.319 about the first bucket that actually
00:03:34.239 pays real money. Bucket number two, easy
00:03:37.040 bucket. The income potential, 5 to 10k a
00:03:40.400 month, no problem. The difficulty, low,
00:03:43.680 simple skills, fast turnaround. Time
00:03:46.560 frame, 30 to 60 days to actually get
00:03:49.200 paid. And it’s best for beginners trying
00:03:52.000 to gain some momentum and build some
00:03:53.920 skills. You don’t need a degree for
00:03:55.680 these. These just need basic execution
00:03:58.480 and learning how to talk to customers.
00:04:00.400 Just get your first dollar online. Build
00:04:02.400 some confidence and learn how clients
00:04:04.319 work. Here are some examples. The first
00:04:06.080 one, basic short form editing. If you
00:04:09.040 haven’t seen all the people that have
00:04:10.480 like these clipping accounts and people
00:04:12.000 like edit these short form videos all
00:04:14.000 over social media, I mean, the demand is
00:04:16.107 [music] huge. Every person now seems to
00:04:18.238 be a content creator and AI makes it
00:04:20.720 incredibly easy. So, it’s easy to get
00:04:22.800 paid fast. Love this one. [music] Next,
00:04:25.120 we got social media copywriting. Every
00:04:27.840 business in the world needs to learn how
00:04:29.840 to use words to get customers to buy and
00:04:32.240 they need somebody to help them. And the
00:04:34.320 tools are getting so good. Just get the
00:04:36.639 client, do the work, get paid. Next,
00:04:39.199 we’ve got the AI chatbot setup for small
00:04:42.080 businesses. I love this one because
00:04:44.080 every small business needs more time
00:04:46.320 back. And if you can be the person that
00:04:48.080 comes in and help them set this up, they
00:04:50.400 will pay you money because it’s easy for
00:04:52.720 them to redeploy their time to make more
00:04:54.720 money than what they paid you. use this
00:04:56.639 one. Next, we’ve got the AI
00:04:58.639 receptionist. Along those same lines,
00:05:00.880 it’s crazy today when you can use tools
00:05:02.800 like your.com that you can get paid to
00:05:05.520 set up for small businesses to take all
00:05:07.600 the inbound calls to qualify, [music]
00:05:09.840 sell, fill up schedules, answer
00:05:11.840 questions, and it’ll do it without being
00:05:14.720 upset, complain, take time off, or call
00:05:17.440 in sick. Helping businesses do this is a
00:05:20.479 great way to make money. Next, we’ve got
00:05:22.720 UGC content. Brands want to pay for real
00:05:26.880 people showing their products, not
00:05:28.720 professional models. Helping a brand
00:05:30.800 connect with a creator and you’re the
00:05:32.800 middleman and you get a piece of this.
00:05:34.400 My buddy in Dubai, this is his whole
00:05:36.400 business and they’re already doing 100K
00:05:37.983 [music] a month. So, you can make 5 to
00:05:39.919 10 starting with this one. And last, the
00:05:42.560 virtual or executive assistant. It’s one
00:05:44.479 of my fave categories cuz I wrote a book
00:05:46.000 called Buy Back Your Time. See, rich
00:05:47.759 people hate wasting time and they’ll pay
00:05:50.000 you to get it back. The best part is you
00:05:52.479 get paid to hang out with smart people
00:05:54.639 that can teach you about life to help
00:05:56.639 them get done. Nob brainer. A great
00:05:59.120 example of this bucket is my buddy Mark.
00:06:01.440 No background, no experience. He decides
00:06:03.600 to start approaching companies to help
00:06:05.199 them take long form content that they
00:06:06.880 were creating using AI to break it down
00:06:09.440 into short form clips. And that simple
00:06:12.319 process of using AI tools, making it
00:06:15.039 repeatable, and turning around really
00:06:16.639 quick has scaled now. Whereas a
00:06:18.240 freelancer, he earns $30,000 a month
00:06:20.639 with only seven clients. This bucket is
00:06:22.880 about learning how to master a high
00:06:24.639 income skill. Because if you already
00:06:26.880 knew how to make millions, you’d be
00:06:28.400 making millions. Which means you’re
00:06:30.160 going to have to invest in yourself to
00:06:31.919 develop the skills to add value to the
00:06:33.919 world. If you want to try any of these
00:06:35.600 ideas, follow these specific [music]
00:06:37.840 steps. First, create your outcomebased
00:06:40.720 offer. Don’t sell your time. Map to a
00:06:43.520 pain the customer already has. help them
00:06:45.680 make money or save time around an area
00:06:48.160 that they’re really in pain around
00:06:50.000 because pain is a perfect way to figure
00:06:52.080 out what they’re willing to pay for.
00:06:53.759 Make a promise that’s specific around a
00:06:56.319 result in a very specific time frame.
00:06:59.039 That’s how you create a compelling offer
00:07:00.800 and then just remove all the risks. Just
00:07:02.720 tell them what the guarantee is and then
00:07:04.400 say, "Because it’s just you, [music] you
00:07:06.080 can only take so many clients, so I’m
00:07:07.840 only looking for three or five clients."
00:07:09.360 That creates urgency and it’ll get them
00:07:10.800 to buy right away. And for what it’s
00:07:12.319 worth, if you [music] want to make this
00:07:13.759 super easy, I can send you my exact
00:07:16.240 offer template. So, all you have to do
00:07:18.160 is copy and paste it. It’ll save you
00:07:20.639 hours of tweaking and adjusting and
00:07:22.319 testing. Just DM me the [music] words
00:07:23.840 YouTube offer on Instagram or click the
00:07:26.479 link in the description below and I’ll
00:07:27.919 send it over. So, once you have your
00:07:29.840 offer, just do one daily outreach.
00:07:32.240 That’s a non-negotiable. If you want to
00:07:33.680 make money online, set it and forget it.
00:07:35.599 It’s just a habit. So, reach out to one
00:07:37.440 potential client every day until you get
00:07:40.400 customers. But you just have to have a
00:07:41.840 clear offer. That’s what this bucket
00:07:43.199 will teach you. That skill of crafting
00:07:45.039 an offer, getting somebody to understand
00:07:46.720 it, and paying you. [music] This will
00:07:48.400 get you the best chance to be successful
00:07:50.479 in this bucket. That being said, if you
00:07:52.639 already have experience [music] or you
00:07:54.160 want income that’s more consistent, the
00:07:56.319 medium bucket might actually be better
00:07:58.240 choice.
00:08:00.000 Bucket number three, the medium bucket.
00:08:02.720 Essentially, the income potential is 10
00:08:04.479 to 50K per month minimum. Difficulty
00:08:07.120 level, it’s medium, but multi-kill work
00:08:09.759 tied to real business outcomes makes you
00:08:11.840 money. You’re not just doing task
00:08:13.599 anymore. You’re solving revenue and
00:08:15.520 growth problems for businesses. And the
00:08:17.520 time frame to make real money could be 3
00:08:19.919 months, maybe worst case 12 months, but
00:08:22.560 you’re setting up your future. And it’s
00:08:24.400 best for people that have some skill but
00:08:26.560 want more stability and scale. When I
00:08:29.120 look at Sam on my media team, Sam didn’t
00:08:31.680 ask for a step-by-step instruction to be
00:08:33.839 successful. He just framed the outcome.
00:08:36.240 He took ownership and he delivered.
00:08:38.399 Because of that, he got opportunities to
00:08:40.719 step up. That’s why you’ve probably seen
00:08:42.240 the video of me giving him his dream
00:08:44.240 car, a Porsche GT4. It wasn’t because he
00:08:46.560 was doing little tiny tasks. [music]
00:08:48.000 It’s because he actually delivered the
00:08:49.760 outcome. And for me, that became vastly
00:08:52.560 more valuable. And that’s what’s
00:08:54.080 different about this bucket. You’re no
00:08:55.440 longer just doing the skill. You’re
00:08:57.120 actually tying your pay to an outcome.
00:08:59.760 The only way for your clients to make
00:09:01.360 more money is for them to focus on
00:09:02.800 solving bigger problems which mean you
00:09:04.560 come in and take the smaller [music]
00:09:05.680 problems off their plate. So what are
00:09:07.440 some examples in this category? The
00:09:09.279 first one automation agencies. This
00:09:11.519 one’s the new hotness. Why? The demand
00:09:13.920 for this alone makes it a fantastic
00:09:16.320 opportunity and it makes you bulletproof
00:09:18.800 for the future. businesses are literally
00:09:21.440 drowning in opportunity to automate and
00:09:23.920 it makes them money quickly and it saves
00:09:25.839 them time at scale and it’s going to
00:09:27.680 futureproof [music] you for other
00:09:29.120 companies. Next, we got LinkedIn growth
00:09:31.760 systems powered by AI. Every CEO or
00:09:34.800 leader out there, they need more reach.
00:09:36.720 They need people to know who they are.
00:09:38.160 They need people to know, like, and
00:09:39.440 trust them. And if you’re the kind of
00:09:40.720 person to come in and own that outcome
00:09:42.720 of getting that attention, that
00:09:44.399 audience, that trust, [music] they will
00:09:46.080 pay you to help them grow. Next, we’ve
00:09:48.000 got micro SASS, near and dear to my
00:09:49.920 heart, and really AI tools for small
00:09:52.080 businesses. These are like really small,
00:09:54.640 tiny tools that help save people time.
00:09:56.880 So, you can have like a plugin, an
00:09:58.959 extension, an app for a marketplace,
00:10:01.296 [music] but the cool part is you charge
00:10:02.720 monthly for simple, clear value, and
00:10:05.040 that’s how you stack revenue. Next,
00:10:07.519 we’ve got an AI content agency. This one
00:10:10.399 is super fun, especially if you love
00:10:12.399 content. I mean, brands are always
00:10:14.320 looking for more content that’s aligned
00:10:16.320 to help them create associations [music]
00:10:18.640 to help their business. So, you use AI
00:10:20.880 to produce high volumes without
00:10:22.959 shooting. It’s crazy. So, look into like
00:10:25.519 Hey Genen, 11 Labs, and other tools like
00:10:27.680 that that’ll make this job easy. And for
00:10:29.519 these last two options, just take a
00:10:31.200 screenshot for all the AI tools that I
00:10:33.040 put up on screen so that you can make
00:10:34.480 this option way easier. And last, we
00:10:36.399 have highquality motion graphic [music]
00:10:38.320 designers. The more AI can do all kind
00:10:41.120 of lowquality stuff and like people are
00:10:43.040 shooting more and more content. What’s
00:10:44.800 missing is somebody to understand how to
00:10:46.640 do motion graphics. This is the
00:10:48.480 separator. This is where you make
00:10:50.079 content [music] look pro. So you want to
00:10:51.519 learn After Effects plus all the AI
00:10:53.440 tools that help you make and deliver
00:10:55.279 premium assets fast. And for these last
00:10:57.680 two options, take a screenshot of all
00:10:59.600 these AI tools that will make it so much
00:11:01.440 easier for you. If you fall in love with
00:11:03.519 this bucket, here are two pro tips that
00:11:05.680 you need. One, build three to five
00:11:08.560 measurable case studies that you can
00:11:10.800 tell to other people. That way, it’ll
00:11:12.560 allow you to sell to more clients fast.
00:11:14.079 So, if you’re just starting off, maybe
00:11:15.519 you find people that represent your
00:11:17.360 ideal customer profile and offer to
00:11:19.519 either do it at a discount or free. I
00:11:21.360 don’t love free, but let’s say discount.
00:11:22.959 And in return for that discount, they
00:11:24.800 agree to let you use their project as a
00:11:27.279 case study to talk to other customers
00:11:28.880 about. Two, sell outcomebased monthly
00:11:31.920 retainers instead of one-off projects. I
00:11:34.560 still see people in today’s age that are
00:11:36.880 selling their time for [music] money.
00:11:38.880 You have to disconnect from that. Don’t
00:11:40.640 get stuck in it. Don’t start there.
00:11:42.160 Don’t get in the trap. When you can sell
00:11:44.160 outcomes, especially like monthly
00:11:46.000 retainers for a specific outcome, that
00:11:47.920 creates predictability and reoccurring
00:11:50.000 revenue in your business. And that is
00:11:51.680 the most beautiful place to get. And
00:11:53.680 that is how you make real money online.
00:11:56.160 But if you want to build something way
00:11:58.160 bigger than yourself, something that
00:11:59.839 could actually [music] change your
00:12:01.040 entire life, the hard bucket is where
00:12:03.200 it’s at. Bucket number four, the hard
00:12:05.760 bucket. The income potential here could
00:12:08.320 be like a million plus a month.
00:12:10.160 Honestly, millions. The difficulty level
00:12:12.320 though is high cuz it’s going to require
00:12:14.320 systems, leadership, and honestly
00:12:16.399 long-term thinking. It’s hard to get
00:12:18.480 into and it may need some capital or
00:12:21.279 expertise, but you will see a massive
00:12:23.279 return. And the time frame to get to
00:12:25.279 this level, if you start from zero,
00:12:27.279 could take two to 10 years or more,
00:12:29.440 depending on your level of effort. It’s
00:12:31.440 best for people who want to build
00:12:33.279 something bigger than themselves.
00:12:34.880 Essentially, an asset or even better, an
00:12:36.959 empire. [music] And the reason why is
00:12:38.800 because you’re building something that
00:12:40.480 someone else might actually buy. The
00:12:42.880 people in this bucket are my kind of
00:12:44.800 people. So, let’s run through some
00:12:46.240 examples. The first, [music] investing
00:12:48.320 in AI first founders. This is my world.
00:12:51.200 See, back in the day, I’ve been doing AI
00:12:53.360 investing for over seven years.
00:12:55.200 Companies like Flex Pay or Intercom,
00:12:57.600 etc. These are all companies I was
00:12:59.040 involved in in the early days. And
00:13:00.560 what’s cool about it is that if you have
00:13:02.320 the capital and you invest in them, when
00:13:04.320 they win, you win. When you get equity
00:13:06.800 without running the company yourself,
00:13:08.480 you get a lot of time back. So, this is
00:13:10.000 a great way to create leverage and
00:13:11.519 create an empire. I’ve personally
00:13:13.600 invested in over a 100 companies using
00:13:15.760 this method. And starting from 2026,
00:13:18.079 this is going to get way bigger. A lot
00:13:20.000 of people are going to be able to do
00:13:21.040 this one. Next, we got software AI
00:13:23.519 products. Essentially, this is my world.
00:13:25.519 This is what I build at Martell
00:13:26.639 Ventures. We have built or partnered
00:13:28.800 with people that have launched a new AI
00:13:30.639 company every month for the last year
00:13:32.160 and a little bit. And I’m telling you,
00:13:33.760 this one has made me more money than
00:13:35.519 anything I’ve ever done my whole life.
00:13:37.519 The key to make it work is you got to
00:13:39.519 build tools that solve real problems in
00:13:41.600 a way that’s unique. Most of the
00:13:43.839 applications that I’m working on,
00:13:45.440 honestly, the AI [music] isn’t powerful
00:13:47.519 enough yet for it to work. Not only is
00:13:50.079 it a great way to generate reoccurring
00:13:52.000 revenue because it’s software, but you
00:13:53.839 build some value where people will pay
00:13:55.920 you 10 [music] to 50 times more than
00:13:58.079 your topline revenue for the business.
00:14:00.320 Next is buying small businesses and
00:14:02.480 using AI to automate 30 to 50% of it.
00:14:05.680 It’s so crazy how there’s like these
00:14:07.519 really simple businesses that are still
00:14:09.360 stuck in the 80s. My friend Jason bought
00:14:11.600 a campground a couple years ago and all
00:14:13.360 he did was put in AI powered booking
00:14:15.839 software, management software,
00:14:17.120 maintenance software, and the thing
00:14:18.720 prints cash today, but buying a boring
00:14:21.440 business that somebody else is done with
00:14:23.519 using AI is a great way to create real
00:14:25.839 wealth. Next, we’ve got personal brand
00:14:28.079 or content machine for deal flow. I
00:14:30.320 break it into content and commerce.
00:14:32.959 You’ve seen this with Mr. Beast and
00:14:34.639 Feastables. You’ve seen this with Logan
00:14:36.160 Paul and Prime. You’ve seen [music] this
00:14:37.519 with all these content creators. But if
00:14:39.680 you can build a personal brand, build
00:14:41.600 distribution, then you have a way to
00:14:43.760 introduce customers to a product that
00:14:46.320 creates equity, that creates enterprise
00:14:48.320 value, and this is in the hard bucket
00:14:50.160 because most people are willing to stick
00:14:51.680 with it. It takes time. It takes
00:14:53.600 commitment. It takes dedication. You got
00:14:55.519 to be consistent. Most people would
00:14:57.279 rather take the easy way. That’s why
00:14:58.720 it’s in the hard bucket. Next, we’ve got
00:15:00.800 subscription communities powered by AI
00:15:03.440 curation. I’ve seen so many of these
00:15:05.440 online communities now where essentially
00:15:07.360 people pay every month to be part of a
00:15:09.519 group so that they have access to
00:15:11.199 knowledge and experience and the AI is
00:15:13.760 designed to answer their questions to
00:15:15.760 support them. It’s faster, it’s easier,
00:15:17.760 and you can build a business from it.
00:15:19.920 And last, licensing AI playbooks. This
00:15:23.199 is where most companies don’t realize
00:15:25.120 their system prompts is their new IP,
00:15:27.760 their intellectual property. So, if you
00:15:29.440 have a business that has created these
00:15:31.040 playbooks that are AI powered, you can
00:15:33.199 copy paste those and sell them to other
00:15:34.959 businesses by making them passive
00:15:37.040 income. Like, just go look at all the
00:15:38.720 custom GPTs you can buy. A lot of people
00:15:41.040 are like creating innovation inside
00:15:42.959 their own business and licing it to
00:15:44.639 other companies [music] and making a ton
00:15:46.240 of money. This is a really cool one that
00:15:47.839 I think a lot of people are sleeping on.
00:15:49.440 The hard bucket is near and dear to my
00:15:51.040 heart because it’s a reflection of my
00:15:52.720 life. I mean, a lot of people see me
00:15:54.320 today and they see all the success and
00:15:55.920 the accolades, but they don’t know where
00:15:57.440 I started. I started as a software
00:15:59.519 programmer at 17 writing code and it
00:16:02.160 took me almost seven years to finally
00:16:04.639 find any software any traction what I
00:16:07.279 was doing and eventually at 28 I sold my
00:16:10.000 company and I became a multi-millionaire
00:16:12.000 and it’s the thing that ultimately made
00:16:13.759 me financially successful but better
00:16:15.920 than anything it created the confidence
00:16:17.839 in my abilities that I could then apply
00:16:19.519 to my other companies. So don’t forget
00:16:22.000 you don’t get the hockey stick without
00:16:23.759 the flat first year. So, you have to
00:16:25.839 learn how to invest and reinvest and
00:16:28.480 recommmit if you ever want to be
00:16:30.240 successful. Here’s [snorts] how you do
00:16:31.920 this for yourself step by step. One, tie
00:16:35.839 your strongest skill to a fast growing
00:16:38.240 industry. If you don’t know what that
00:16:40.000 is, ask AI. It’ll tell you. Second is
00:16:43.120 systematize your service. Don’t sell
00:16:45.360 your time. Sell an outcome so that you
00:16:48.160 can build the system around delivering
00:16:50.160 that outcome and create automation so
00:16:52.880 it’s systematized. Third is build a
00:16:55.040 small team slowly. Surround yourself
00:16:57.279 with killers. I believe the first 12
00:16:59.360 people that come into your business will
00:17:00.880 dictate your success. You want to be
00:17:02.800 slow on making sure they’re the right
00:17:04.480 fit for what you’re trying to do. And
00:17:06.000 for what it’s worth, avoid adding
00:17:07.919 headcount where AI could do the job for
00:17:10.240 you. Number four, layer AI into your
00:17:13.280 operations to increase your margins. Get
00:17:15.520 rid of the cost. Get AI to build that
00:17:18.000 automation. And last, use content to
00:17:20.480 create inbound deal flow. If I would
00:17:22.720 have known when I started creating
00:17:24.000 content that not only would bring
00:17:25.760 opportunities to me, but it would bring
00:17:27.280 talent, it would bring friendships, it
00:17:29.520 would bring invites to things that you
00:17:31.360 couldn’t even pay for, I would have
00:17:33.039 started a long time ago. So, no matter
00:17:35.039 what you decide to do in this bucket,
00:17:36.960 just make sure you create content around
00:17:38.400 it. None of this matters. If you fall
00:17:40.320 into the trap that destroys more
00:17:42.000 businesses than anything else, the shiny
00:17:44.559 object syndrome. Most people fail not
00:17:47.600 because they were in the wrong bucket,
00:17:49.520 but because they switch buckets every
00:17:51.760 few weeks. I got a friend, he’s the same
00:17:54.000 age as me. I’ve watched him go from like
00:17:55.919 one idea to the other idea to the next
00:17:57.919 idea to another idea, and he hasn’t
00:18:00.400 found any traction. Why? He keeps
00:18:02.480 resetting every time. Every 2 or 3
00:18:04.720 years, it’s like, "Oh, that didn’t work
00:18:06.160 cuz of this. I’m going to do this now."
00:18:07.760 Here’s why. When you start from scratch,
00:18:10.240 you can’t be wrong. If you stick long
00:18:11.919 enough with something it doesn’t work,
00:18:13.360 then it can feel demoralizing. But the
00:18:15.360 real way to win is to stay in the game
00:18:17.440 long enough to win. See, winners lose
00:18:19.760 more than losers by definition of being
00:18:21.679 a winner. I know it sounds crazy, but
00:18:23.600 that’s what it’s going to take. So,
00:18:25.039 don’t get distracted. Focus. Follow one
00:18:28.400 course until successful. Pick one of
00:18:30.799 these options out of these buckets and
00:18:33.200 execute. Just remember, you can do
00:18:35.440 anything, just not everything. So,
00:18:37.600 here’s how you avoid the shiny object
00:18:39.600 syndrome. One, commit to a,000 days of
00:18:42.880 focus. Don’t stop. Be consistent. Two,
00:18:46.960 document [music] the journey. Put it in
00:18:48.880 public. Build in public. It’ll actually
00:18:51.200 hold you accountable because everybody’s
00:18:53.039 going to be waiting to see what you’re
00:18:54.240 going to post next. If you just do these
00:18:56.240 two things, it’ll increase your
00:18:58.160 probability of success more than
00:18:59.760 anything else you could do. And the most
00:19:01.440 important thing is that you commit.
00:19:03.760 Don’t just hear all of this and do
00:19:05.600 nothing. The separator in 2026 is the
00:19:09.039 people that show up and do. And those
00:19:11.200 are the folks that make it this far. So,
00:19:12.880 if that’s you, I want a commitment. Type
00:19:14.960 commitment below. Look me in the eyes
00:19:17.120 and let me know you’re one of the people
00:19:18.720 that are different. You’re the one
00:19:19.840 that’s not just going to do shelf help,
00:19:21.600 listen to a lot of stuff, and put it up
00:19:22.960 on a shelf, but you’re actually going to
00:19:24.559 focus until you get results. And
00:19:26.559 remember, if any of you are
00:19:27.760 entrepreneurs out there and you want my
00:19:29.280 exact offer template to help you get
00:19:31.039 clients, just DM me the word YouTube
00:19:32.960 offer on Instagram or click the link
00:19:35.200 below and I’ll send it right over. And
00:19:37.039 if you want to learn how to scale any
00:19:39.120 business from absolutely very beginning
00:19:41.440 to the end, click here and I’ll see you
00:19:43.280 on the other