The presenter credits a piece of advice from a millionaire he admired as a child: success does not need to be reinvented. Instead, a person should identify the patterns that already work and adapt them. The presenter reports that he applied this principle by studying what successful people were doing, which led to side businesses that grew into multimillion-dollar companies.

The presenter profiles seven side hustles and the young people who reportedly earn more than $100,000 a year from them. Each hustle is rated from one to five on three criteria:

• Time to learn: the time required to acquire the skill
• Money required: the capital needed to start
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: the effort required to reach that income level

A higher score indicates a greater requirement in that area.

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1. eBay Reselling

Case example: Kai Towers left school and worked a dead-end job after his mother died when he was a child and he never knew his father. He began selling items on eBay and reportedly turned $400 into$317,000 within one year.

Platform performance: The presenter cites eBay's second-quarter 2025 revenue of $2.7 billion, a 6% increase year on year. In the early years, eBay and Amazon competed for the same mass-market customers. As Amazon expanded into a logistics-driven retailer with Prime delivery, eBay focused on niche categories, including:

• Collectibles
• Vintage items
• Refurbished technology
• Trading cards
• Hard-to-find products

The presenter states that buyers in these niches continue to choose eBay over Amazon.

Niche strategy: Towers built his business around gaming accessories, selling items such as replacement thumbsticks, retro memory cards, and devices designed to improve player performance.

Starting method: Before purchasing inventory, a seller can build account history by selling unused household items. This approach:

• Teaches the platform's operation
• Builds sales history and positive feedback at no financial risk
• Generates capital for purchasing better stock

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 1. One month is enough to learn the platform after choosing a niche.
• Money required: 1. Household items can fund the first sales.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 2.5. Sellers must keep listings current and prices competitive.

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2. Brand Deal Flipping

Case example: Sue hit Amin was diagnosed with cancer at 16. He began brand deal flipping during his hospital stays. He reportedly generates more than $4 million per year, approximately six and a half years after starting.

Business model: A brand deal flipper connects an influencer with a brand and earns a fee from the transaction. This is a middleman business.

Clients and partners: Amin reportedly works with brands including Ubisoft, Netflix, and asa. He also works with creators and public figures including the Sidemen, Logan Paul, Steven Bartlett, RD, and Mark Tilbury.

Market context: When Amin started, brands were reluctant to spend on online creators. The presenter cites a May 2025 New York Times report that Americans watched more streaming content than cable and broadcast television combined for the first time. According to the same figures, YouTube accounted for 12.5% of television viewing, ahead of Netflix at 7.5%.

Middleman rationale: The presenter compares brand deal flipping to businesses such as Airbnb, which owns no properties; Uber, which owns no cars; Amazon, which began by connecting buyers and sellers; and DoorDash, which connects customers with food orders. Influencers benefit from having a third party manage negotiations, so they can focus on content.

Starting method: Amin began by following creators on Instagram and then identifying related creators through the platform's suggested-accounts feature. He reportedly earned $30,000 in profit within his first six months.

Earnings example: The presenter outlines the following scenario:

• One brand books five influencers through the middleman each month.
• Each influencer has an average deal value of $7,000, totaling$35,000 per month.
• The middleman earns a 30% margin, equal to roughly $10,000 per month.
• Annual revenue is approximately $400,000.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 2. Understanding YouTube is the first step, followed by an understanding of how brands operate.
• Money required: 1. A laptop and time to build connections are sufficient.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 2. Convincing influencers and brands to work with the middleman is the main challenge.

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3. Video Editing

Case example: Tom RAs began learning video editing while living in a university bedroom and facing student debt. He reportedly reached $100,000 in yearly profit. His clients have included Coca-Cola, Nintendo, and Gym Shark, through influencer collaborations.

Demand: The presenter states that video accounts for 82.5% of global internet traffic. Companies need video content to remain visible, and they seek editors who can turn messages into content audiences want to watch. Editors who increase a company's revenue can charge higher rates.

Artificial intelligence: The presenter argues that AI will not replace human editors for two reasons:

1. Emotion: AI cannot create tension, build anticipation, or identify the moment that produces an emotional response.
2. Innovation: AI imitates patterns from existing work. Editors create new work.

The presenter expects editors to use AI as a tool but not as a substitute.

Learning approach: Beginners often focus on transitions and visual effects. Clients generally prioritize fundamentals, including pacing and music selection. Practicing story construction builds the skill that holds viewer attention. According to the presenter, this skill accounts for 80% of what makes an editor valuable.

Starting method: Editing requires only a capable laptop and an internet connection. Paid software, faster computers, and additional storage are optional. Some skilled editors began on computers that could barely export a 1080p clip. Early work, such as short-form videos for smaller creators or businesses, builds a portfolio that attracts higher-paying clients.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 3. Editing requires months of practice, not years.
• Money required: 1. Equipment upgrades follow income.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 3. Multiple clients per month are required.

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4. Branded Drop Shipping

Case example: Jimmy Barlow began with a laptop and no money, connections, or experience. He reportedly earns around $40,000 in profit per month through branded drop shipping.

Classic drop shipping: In the traditional model, a store sells a product for a price such as $30 and buys the same item from a supplier such as AliExpress for about$10 plus shipping. The supplier ships directly to the customer. Advertising costs of $5 to$10 per sale, along with refunds, delays, and shipping problems, often reduce profit to a small margin.

Branded drop shipping: The backend operates similarly, but the product is positioned differently. The seller builds trust, designs better websites, and develops a brand that customers want to be associated with. The presenter gives an example of a $30 item sold as an$80 branded product. The approach aims to increase margins, reduce refund rates, and create more sustainable income.

Timeline: The presenter outlines the following stages:

• Month one: Build the store, test product ideas, and identify how components work together.
• Month two: Analyze data and focus on the approaches that produce results.
• Month three: Make the first sales, reach 50 to 100 customers, and scale advertising while reinvesting profits.
• Around month six: A consistent operator should have a store generating reliable monthly profit.

Unit economics: The presenter calculates the following:

• $10,000 per month equals about$333 per day.
• Each sale produces about $25 in profit after costs.
• Reaching $333 per day requires 13 to 14 sales daily.

Startup costs: The seller does not pay the supplier until a sale is made. The main risk is a short delay while customer payments clear.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 4. Profitability takes several months.
• Money required: 1. Startup costs are minimal because the model avoids upfront inventory purchases.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 2. The required sales volume is small.

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5. Brand Identity Design

Case example: Jack Watson grew up with little money and worked in an accounting job after leaving school. He spent six months researching and studying design. He then moved from a negative bank balance to earning $20,000 in his first month of brand identity work.

Service: Brand identity design covers the visual system of a business, including the logo, colors, fonts, images, and overall style. Because these elements shape how customers perceive a company, the presenter describes brand identity as one of the most profitable areas of graphic design.

Market size: The presenter cites a brand identity market valued at more than $9.5 billion in 2024, with a projected value of$40 billion by 2032.

Government example: The presenter compares the previous GOV.UK logo with the current version and states that the redesign cost $650,000, or roughly half a million pounds.

Competitive position: Many designers sell logos or social media templates for about $50. Fewer offer complete packages that make a brand appear professional and trustworthy. Watson reportedly charges$10,000 for a single project. The presenter uses a $2,500 full-package price as an example.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 4. Each project builds skills that support higher fees.
• Money required: 1. A laptop is the only requirement.
• **Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 2.** Four clients per month, or one client per week, reaches the target at$2,500 per package.

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6. Short-Form Content Strategy

Case example: Noah Briley began as a student who scrolled social media. He studied the hooks, captions, and transitions that held viewers' attention until he identified a formula associated with viral content. He tested the formula on TikTok and then created short-form videos for creators, technology companies, and banks. He reportedly earned more than $100,000 before turning 18, using only a phone.

Attention economy: The presenter cites two figures:

• The average TikTok user opens the app 20 times per day.
• TikTok reports that users spend an average of 90 minutes per day on the platform.

The presenter describes attention as a valuable resource and notes that creators such as MrBeast, KSI, and Jake Paul built wealth through it. A short-form content strategist can access this market without becoming a creator.

Service: The strategist helps small businesses, entrepreneurs, and coaches grow their online presence. Potential clients include local gyms, coffee shops, and estate agents with limited social media marketing knowledge.

Learning approach: The basics can be learned in a few days. Long-term skill depends on understanding why content performs, not only how it looks. One hour per day of analysis and production helps identify patterns.

Pricing: The presenter recommends combining two payment types:

1. A flat fee paid regardless of performance
2. A view bonus, which is agreed in advance and paid if a video goes viral

The presenter states that this structure aligns the strategist's incentives with the client's results.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 1. Basic skills take a few days.
• Money required: 1. A phone is sufficient.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 3. Reaching the target depends on pricing structure and producing several viral videos per month.

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7. Investing

Background: The presenter states that he began with no capital, built businesses that made him a millionaire in his twenties, and later increased his income through investing. He reports passive income of more than $17,000 per week from investments.

Rationale: The presenter argues that investing is the side hustle everyone should pursue, because income from money that works independently reduces dependence on active labor.

Access: The presenter states that investors once needed brokers, minimum deposits, and extensive research to purchase a single stock. Today, investors can begin with a few actions on a smartphone.

Starting method: Index funds offer a simple entry point. Selecting individual stocks requires technical and fundamental analysis. Most platforms offer fractional shares, allowing investors to begin with $1 or one pound.

Timeline: The presenter states that reaching $10,000 per month from investments can take many years. Once achieved, the income requires no additional work.

Ratings:

• Time to learn: 4. Index funds are simple, but analyzing individual stocks takes time.
• Money required: 1. Fractional shares allow investment with minimal capital.
• Difficulty of reaching $10,000 per month: 4. Accumulating sufficient capital takes many years.

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Summary of Ratings