From Broke College Student to $20K/Month Online: A Success Story

The Journey Begins

Four years ago, Aman was a 19-year-old college student sitting in his living room when his brother showed him a video of a doctor-turned-YouTuber talking about making passive income online. This video opened Aman's eyes to the possibility of financial freedom outside of traditional career paths.

"I never thought I could start a business and achieve financial freedom," Aman recalls. "Watching that video made it tangible that someone could actually do this."

Inspired by what he saw, Aman took immediate action. Within a week, he had launched his first online course on Skillshare.

Taking Action vs Analysis Paralysis

What set Aman apart from the millions of others who watch similar videos but never take action? He credits his "absurd level of self-belief" and bias towards action.

"I feel like with enough time, effort and work, I could replicate at least a little bit of that success," Aman explains. "I don't know if it's delusional, but I have that self-belief."

This mindset exemplifies an internal locus of control - the belief that you can influence the events and outcomes in your life through your own efforts. It's a crucial mindset for entrepreneurial success.

Aman also has a strong bias towards action, often acting on ideas immediately rather than overanalyzing:

"Anytime I would discover something or decide on doing something, I would immediately start to take action, almost to a detriment in other areas of my life."

The Reality of Early Attempts

Aman's first Skillshare course on C programming, created in just a few days by borrowing equipment from a friend, has generated $1,500 over four years. While this may seem small, it was an important first step.

"What was great about that Skillshare course was the fact that it was just me taking action to do something," Aman reflects. "I think there's a common mistake that a lot of people make thinking that the first thing you do has to be the last thing you do."

This highlights an important lesson for aspiring entrepreneurs: your first attempts don't need to be perfect or wildly successful. The goal is simply to start and learn from the process.

Consistency and Persistence

After his initial Skillshare course, Aman continued taking action on various ideas:

1. Launched a blog and email newsletter
2. Started a YouTube channel
3. Consistently posted content every week

"I just set the intention I'm just going to post something every single week," Aman says. "So I just started making videos on studying, computer science, Quizlet versus Anki, Todoist, Things 3 - just like budget, bad quality productivity videos and studying in computer science."

For the first year, Aman only gained about 100 subscribers. But he persisted, driven by his intrinsic enjoyment of the process:

"I don't think it was a grind, but it also wasn't that much of a grind because I had that flame. It was like, 'Oh, I can't wait to get home, I can't wait to write a script.'"

The Importance of Enjoying the Process

Aman emphasizes that enjoying the journey is crucial for long-term success:

"I don't know if it's possible, maybe it is possible, but I don't know if it's really practical for anyone to do anything long-term enough to make it work if they hated every minute of it."

This aligns with the concept of "feel-good productivity" - finding ways to make the work itself enjoyable rather than relying solely on willpower or external motivation.

Investing in Knowledge and Skills

A major turning point for Aman came when he realized the value of investing in his own education and skills:

1. Reading business books
2. Purchasing coaching programs
3. Attending courses and workshops

"I procrastinated for months on doing this," Aman admits. "The first thing I actually invested in was Captain Sinbad's YouTube coaching program. I've been watching his videos for years. It was the first time I spent money on anything, and because of that, it created like a level of fire and drive to actually perform."

Aman approached these investments with intense dedication, determined to extract maximum value:

"If he said jump, I said how high. And that immediately supercharged everything because up until this point, I had a bunch of like raw potential."

Overcoming Loss Aversion

Many people hesitate to invest in courses or coaching due to fear of losing money. Aman addresses this mindset:

"Loss aversion is a big issue that a lot of people face, which is that they're more worried about losing $5 than they would be excited about earning $100."

He encourages reframing the investment in terms of potential return and risk reduction:

"Even if the program only gets me a few thousand in a year, it will have paid for itself, and the chances are it's going to get me a lot more."

The Breakthrough

After four years of consistent effort and strategic investments in his skills, Aman's business finally took off:

"I went from barely making 5-6K a month through like a handful of brand deals here and there, some random agency work on the side, to becoming profitable. I went from negative -$20K in the hole on the business for 2024, and immediately hit profitability in July."

His monthly revenue now ranges from $30,000 to $55,000, with profits around $20,000 per month - nearly double his previous software engineering salary.

The Freedom and Flexibility of Success

Aman reflects on how his life has changed:

"At this point, I can pretty confidently say I don't expect to have to go back to a 9-5 job if I don't want to. It's also nice that I have freedom and flexibility. I think that was like, for people like us, I think that idea of freedom was like a huge deal to me."

He no longer has to ask for permission to take time off or worry about working specific hours. The ability to work on his own terms from anywhere in the world has been transformative.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Aman offers several key pieces of advice for those looking to follow a similar path:

1. Invest in your education: "I have benefited immensely from paying for educational resources."

2. Take action and stay consistent: "It is still possible to make a profitable YouTube channel from not much. It takes time, it is not easy, it takes effort, but just know that if you are someone who is willing to invest in your knowledge and skills, keep on going, stay consistent, and just keep grinding until it works out."

3. Believe in yourself: "I can confidently say that one can make 10K a month online from almost nothing."

4. Enjoy the process: Find ways to make the work itself fulfilling and exciting.

5. Overcome loss aversion: Be willing to invest in yourself and your skills.

6. Persist through early failures: Recognize that your first attempts don't need to be perfect.

7. Develop a bias towards action: Don't get stuck in analysis paralysis.

Conclusion

Aman's journey from a broke college student to making $20,000 per month online is a testament to the power of consistent action, strategic skill development, and unwavering self-belief. While his path wasn't easy or quick, it demonstrates that building a successful online business is possible for those willing to put in the time and effort.

By sharing his story, Aman hopes to inspire others to take that crucial first step and persist through the challenges of building an online business. Remember, the key is to start, stay consistent, and continually invest in your own growth and education. With dedication and the right mindset, you too could build a business that provides the freedom and flexibility you desire.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDFdALGJ4dA