#202 · 60min open Q&A on how I make $400k/mo
Focus on revenue‑proximate automations—sales, marketing, and lead generation—because they directly increase income. Upwork is the simplest and most accessible platform, though it costs more than alternatives; its ease of use makes it a good starting point.
Automations don't let you do anything you couldn't already do manually — they just improve the speed and efficiency of the process. Speed matters for revenue (faster speed-to-lead, more orders fulfilled per unit time, more personalization squeezed in); efficiency mainly saves money. Given that, build and sell 'revenue-proximate' automations — ones close to the revenue line: sales automations, marketing automations, lead-gen automations. Focus on things that help clients make money, not just things that help them save money.
It's definitely the simplest and easiest — not necessarily the best platform cost-wise (it costs more than some alternatives), but it's the most accessible by far.
Just jump straight into applying to Upwork jobs. If you build the automation ahead of time and present it to the client, your marginal cost is only a dollar or two per application, and you control whether they see the proposal by bidding high. This gives you a higher reply rate, and Upwork no longer refunds connects, but you also aren’t charged if they don’t accept.
Accept any and all work on Upwork—think of it as an elevator that instantly connects you to large businesses you’d never meet otherwise. Even as a total newbie, you can land a client doing $10–$20 million a year within a week, giving you a powerful case study like 'I helped a $10 million/year business achieve X, Y, Z.' At this stage, don’t worry about qualifying or tightening the funnel; go broad to bootstrap experience, collect case studies, and start making money. The creator shares a personal example: a friend who jumped on Upwork while he was door‑to‑door went from zero to a legitimate $30 000/month income in three‑to‑four months by maximizing opportunity and landing a big‑ticket client whose needs matched his skill set—something the creator missed while grinding door‑to‑door for $5 000/month.