From Student to $20K/Month: Aman’s Online Business Blueprint

Aman, a 23-year-old, transformed from a broke college student to earning over $20,000 profit per month from his online business. This achievement allowed him to quit his software engineering job, which previously paid almost half of his current online income. His journey began after watching a video by Ali, a doctor turned entrepreneur, who shared his own experiences of making money online.

The Spark: A Video That Changed Everything

In May 2020, at 19, Aman watched Ali's video with his family. The video detailed how Ali, a doctor, was also generating passive income from platforms like Skillshare and YouTube. This revelation was groundbreaking for Aman, who had previously only considered traditional careers like engineering, medicine, or law. The idea of financial freedom through entrepreneurship had never crossed his mind until then. Within a week of watching that video, Aman launched his first Skillshare class.

The Mindset Shift: Internal Locus of Control and Bias to Action

Ali notes that while 2.1 million people saw his video, most don't take action. Aman, however, was different. He attributes his immediate action to an "absurd level of self-belief," feeling that if someone else has achieved something, he could replicate at least some of that success with enough time and effort. This reflects an internal locus of control, where individuals believe they control the events in their lives, rather than external factors.

Aman also demonstrated a strong "bias to action." Instead of over-analyzing or planning extensively, he immediately started working on his ideas. For his first Skillshare course, he borrowed a friend's microphone, spent a few hours drafting content, filmed it in an afternoon, and launched it within three days. This contrasts with the common tendency to get bogged down by research, gear acquisition, or fear of external judgment.

The First Step: A Modest Beginning

Aman's initial Skillshare course, a basic programming class on C#, generated $1,500 over four years. While this might seem small, it was a crucial first step. Many aspiring entrepreneurs expect their first venture to be a massive success, but Aman emphasizes that "the first thing you do does not have to be the last thing you do." His "frankly shitty C# course" was merely an entry point into the world of entrepreneurship, providing valuable feedback and inspiration to continue.

Ali reinforces this idea, comparing it to learning to ride a bike: you learn by doing and falling, not by just watching. He suggests that the first few business ideas are likely to fail, and that's a good thing, as it builds essential skills like website creation, coding, payment processing, and customer acquisition.

The Power of Consistency and Persistence

Aman's journey involved consistent effort over several years. After his Skillshare course, he launched a blog and email newsletter, then a YouTube channel. Despite initial low viewership (only 100 subscribers in his first year), he committed to posting weekly. He used a "Beeminder" app that charged him $100 if he missed a weekly YouTube upload, demonstrating his commitment to consistency.

This relentless effort, even without immediate results, is a common theme among successful online entrepreneurs. Ali notes that it often takes "5, 10, 15 of these small random things before even one thing works out." Aman's experience confirms this, as it took him three to four years of consistent effort before he saw significant breakthroughs.

Embracing Difficulty and Overcoming Friction

Both Ali and Aman acknowledge that entrepreneurship is hard. Many people quit when they encounter friction, mistakenly believing that if something isn't effortless, they're not cut out for it. However, recognizing that difficulty is an inherent part of the process helps in persevering. As Ali puts it, "if it was so easy, then everybody would do it."

Aman illustrates this with an example of trying to find a singing teacher, highlighting the numerous small hurdles and delays that can occur even for simple tasks. The key is to push through this friction, understanding that it's normal, and to focus on achieving the outcome rather than just putting in effort.

The "Not Right Now" Fallacy

A common excuse for inaction is "the timing is not right." However, Ali and Aman argue that the timing is almost never perfect. This mindset, often a form of procrastination, can derail dreams. They emphasize that if you want to do something, you often just need to act now, assuming the timing will never be ideal.

Investing in Knowledge and Skills

A significant turning point for Aman was realizing the value of investing in educational resources. He started reading business books and, crucially, paid for coaching programs. His first investment was in Captain Ced's YouTube coaching program, where he became an exemplary student, attending every call (even from a plane using Wi-Fi and a VPN) and preparing extensively.

This coaching helped him refine his content strategy, improve titles and thumbnails, negotiate sponsorships, and identify a valuable niche: teaching others how to secure software engineering internships. This led him to launch his own program, a software engineering accelerator.

Aman addresses the common objection that courses are scams by highlighting the concept of "loss aversion." People are often more afraid of losing a small amount of money than excited about potentially gaining a large amount. He argues that investing in one's own knowledge and skills can yield a much higher return than traditional investments like the stock market. He also stresses the importance of making the investment "ROI positive" by actively engaging with the program and applying the learned knowledge.

The Rewards: Freedom and Flexibility

After four years of consistent effort and strategic investments, Aman's business became highly profitable. In the latter half of 2023, his monthly revenue ranged from $22,000 to $55,000, with an average profit of $20,000 per month. This allowed him to quit his software engineering job four to five months before reaching this level of profitability.

The primary benefits for Aman are a sense of security and unparalleled freedom and flexibility. He no longer has to ask for time off or adhere to rigid schedules, allowing him to work from anywhere and pursue his passions on his own terms.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Aman's advice to those looking to make money online is:

• Invest in educational resources: While university degrees are expensive and often outdated, targeted online programs can provide valuable, up-to-date knowledge.
• Invest in yourself: Prioritize learning and skill development over other investments.
• Keep going and stay consistent: Entrepreneurship takes time and effort, but it is possible to build a profitable online business from scratch.
• Embrace the grind: Understand that it won't be easy, but persistence is key.

He confidently states that it's possible to make $10,000 a month online from almost nothing, provided one is willing to invest in themselves, stay consistent, and keep grinding until it works out.