How to make your first $1,000 online
Ali Abdaal walks through his 1K ladder framework, a four-step plan for earning your first $1,000 online by hitting $1, $10, $100, and $1,000 in sequence.
The gist
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Set up a payment processor and collect your first $1 from friends or family to clear the logistical and mental barrier most beginners never get past.
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Validate a product idea before building it by creating a pre-order page for a $9 digital product and only making it once someone pays.
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Reach $100 through warm outreach via direct messages, group chats, and LinkedIn rather than trying to sell to strangers.
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Get from $100 to $1,000 by offering one-on-one coaching at $100 to $500 per session, which means finding only 2 to 10 clients.
Ali Abdaal recommends it
"You will either need a Stripe account or a PayPal account. Stripe is accepted in a bunch of different countries. That would be my recommendation."
▶ Play at 3:2113 creators recommend it, including Chris Koerner, Amol Jain, and Florin Pop.
See all on the Stripe page
Ali Abdaal recommends it
"Stan Store is generally the one that I recommend for complete beginners getting started with making money online. We have like an affiliate deal, free trial type 30-day thing with them. It's sort of like Shopify, but for selling online products primarily."
▶ Play at 2:362 creators recommend it, including Robby Houston.
See all on the Stan Store page
Ali Abdaal recommends it
"For mission number two, we are applying the Kickstarter method and we are selling a product for $9. Crucially, we are not yet building the product. We are just trying to get one person to pay us $9 as a pre-order for a product that we have not yet created. Once we get the mone..."
▶ Play at 8:03What they recommend · 4 picks
"For mission number two, we are applying the Kickstarter method and we are selling a product for $9. Crucially, we are not yet building the product. We are just trying to get one..."
"Stan Store is generally the one that I recommend for complete beginners getting started with making money online. We have like an affiliate deal, free trial type 30-day thing wi..."
"You will either need a Stripe account or a PayPal account. Stripe is accepted in a bunch of different countries. That would be my recommendation."
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