Income grows fastest when your work aligns with how you think, learn, and execute.
Most young people try to make money by copying what others are doing. They see someone earning well in tech, design, sales, or content and assume they should follow the same path. But the truth is simple: income grows fastest when your work matches your natural strengths and the way your brain prefers to learn.
In the new AI economy, this matters more than ever. AI has removed many of the old barriers to entry. You no longer need a degree to write, design, research, or support sales teams. You don’t need years of experience to help a business grow. You don’t even need to be an expert to start earning. But you do need to understand yourself—how you learn, how you think, and how you execute—so you can choose the path that gives you the highest chance of building real income quickly.
That’s where Studying Levels (SLs) come in. They give you a simple, honest way to understand your learning capacity and choose the most effective path for earning money in the AI economy.
What Studying Levels (SLs) Actually Measure
Your Studying Level (SL) is not about intelligence. It’s not about grades. It’s not about how “smart” you think you are. SL measures one thing: how much you enjoy and can handle learning technical or complex subjects.
Some people love diving into math, coding, engineering, or technical AI. Others feel drained just thinking about it. Some can push through technical studying if they see a clear benefit. Others thrive only when learning by doing.
SL helps you avoid wasting years forcing yourself into a path that doesn’t fit you. It helps you choose the most efficient and effective way to start making money—based on who you actually are, not who you think you’re supposed to be.
There are three main SL categories. Each one leads to a different path for earning income quickly and sustainably.
SL 0–3: Low Studying Level
For the hands-on learner who thrives on action, not textbooks
If you’re in SL 0–3, you don’t enjoy technical studying. Programming, engineering, law, accounting, robotics—these subjects feel heavy, confusing, or simply uninteresting. Even if you know they could make money, studying them feels almost impossible. You mostly only study technical subjects when someone forces you to.
But here’s the good news: you don’t need technical studying to make real money in the AI economy.
You thrive on practical work. You learn by doing. You pick things up quickly when you can see the result immediately. And the AI economy rewards this more than ever.
The best path for SL 0–3 is simple: focus on high-impact customer-growth skills that don’t require deep technical studying. These are skills that help real businesses get more customers, close more deals, and grow their revenue. They’re practical, fast to learn, and directly tied to income.
Examples include:
• Writing simple outreach messages for small businesses • Creating short-form content using AI tools • Helping businesses clean up their websites or product pages • Doing basic research to help a founder make decisions • Editing or rewriting content to make it clearer and more persuasive • Supporting sales teams with follow-up messages, summaries, or proposals
These skills don’t require technical depth. They require clarity, consistency, and the ability to learn by doing. And because AI tools can help you produce high-quality work quickly, your value comes from your ability to execute—not from studying complex subjects.
A real example: A 19-year-old who hated school started helping a local gym rewrite their weekly emails using AI. He didn’t study marketing. He didn’t take a course. He simply learned by doing. Within two months, he had a track record of results and three more gyms paying him monthly.
That’s the SL 0–3 advantage. You don’t need to study deeply. You need to act quickly.
SL 4–8: Medium Studying Level
For the adaptable learner who can study when needed, but prefers balance
If you’re in SL 4–8, you can study technical content if you put in effort or see a clear benefit. You don’t enjoy every subject, but you can push through when necessary. You’re not naturally drawn to technical studying, but you’re not allergic to it either.
This is the most flexible category—and the most common.
Your best path is a mix: practical customer-growth work combined with selective studying. You don’t need to commit to a technical path immediately. You don’t need to choose a major or career right now. Instead, you should focus on earning real income first, then decide later whether deeper studying is worth it.
For the next two years, your focus should be:
• Learning customer-growth skills • Helping real businesses grow • Building a track record of results • Using AI tools to accelerate your work • Studying only when it directly improves your earning ability
This approach gives you the best of both worlds. You get real experience, real income, and real confidence—without locking yourself into a path you might regret.
A practical example: A 21-year-old college student with an SL around 6 started helping local restaurants improve their online menus and Google listings. She didn’t need deep technical studying. But she did learn enough about SEO and analytics to show restaurants how her work improved their visibility. That combination—practical work plus targeted studying—helped her earn more than many full-time graduates.
If you’re SL 4–8, you can always go to college or pursue a technical path later. But earning first gives you options. It gives you leverage. It gives you clarity. And it prevents you from spending years studying something you may never use.
SL 9–10: High Studying Level
For the naturally curious learner who thrives on complexity
If you’re in SL 9–10, you enjoy learning technical subjects on your own. You pick up complex ideas quickly because curiosity drives you—not grades, not pressure, not rewards. You can spend hours learning math, coding, engineering, or technical AI without feeling drained.
This is a powerful advantage in the AI economy.
But even with a high SL, the smartest path is not to disappear into studying for years. The smartest path is to combine customer-growth work with your technical curiosity. This gives you two engines of income: one that earns now, and one that compounds over time.
Your best path looks like this:
• Learn customer-growth skills so you can earn immediately • Study your technical subject deeply • Publish content about what you’re learning • Build a personal brand around your technical curiosity • Use your track record to attract opportunities
This combination is rare. Most technical learners hide in books or code for years without building visibility. But if you can show your learning publicly—through writing, tutorials, breakdowns, or simple explanations—you become valuable quickly.
A real example: A 20-year-old with a high SL started studying machine learning on his own. Instead of waiting until he was an expert, he published simple explanations of what he was learning. He also helped a few small businesses automate repetitive tasks using AI tools. Within a year, he had a strong track record and a growing audience. That combination opened doors to internships, consulting, and collaborations.
If you’re SL 9–10, your curiosity is your superpower. But your income grows fastest when you combine it with real-world execution.
Why Self-Awareness Comes Before Skills
Most young people try to choose skills before understanding themselves. They pick a path because it sounds impressive, or because someone told them it pays well, or because their friends are doing it. But without self-awareness, they end up frustrated, stuck, or constantly switching directions.
Self-awareness gives you clarity. It helps you avoid paths that drain you. It helps you choose work that fits your natural strengths. And it helps you build income faster because you’re not fighting against your own brain.
When you know your SL, you know:
• How much studying you can realistically handle • How quickly you can learn technical subjects • Whether you should focus on practical work or deeper studying • Which skills will give you the fastest path to income • How to use AI tools in a way that matches your strengths
This is why self-awareness is the first high-income skill. It shapes every decision that follows.
How to Use Your SL to Start Earning in the AI Economy
No matter your SL, the foundation is the same: help real businesses grow. Every business needs more customers, better content, clearer communication, and faster execution. AI tools make it easier than ever to deliver these outcomes—even if you’re just starting.
Here’s a simple framework to get started:
- Choose your SL category honestly.
- Pick 1–2 customer-growth skills that match your SL.
- Use AI tools to learn and execute quickly.
- Help one real business for free or low cost to build a track record.
- Use that track record to get your next three clients.
- Improve your skills based on real feedback.
This approach works because it’s grounded in reality. You’re not guessing. You’re not hoping. You’re building demonstrated results that businesses care about.
A Simple Example for Each SL
SL 0–3: You help a local cleaning company rewrite their website and outreach messages using AI. They get more leads. You now have a track record.
SL 4–8: You help a small restaurant improve their Google listing and online menu. You study just enough SEO to show the impact. They get more customers. You now have a track record.
SL 9–10: You help a startup automate a manual process using AI tools. You publish a breakdown of how you did it. You now have a track record and visibility.
Different SLs, same outcome: real income built on real results.
Your Next Step Today
Take five minutes and answer one question honestly: Which Studying Level are you—0–3, 4–8, or 9–10?
Once you know your SL, choose one customer-growth skill that matches it and commit to helping one real business this week. That single action can start your entire journey in the AI economy.