99% of "side jobs" will only be an accelerator to bankruptcy by 2026.

Most people think they are starting a business, but in reality, they are just picking up coins while a steamroller approaches from behind.

Dan Martell categorizes all the money-making methods in 2026 into 4 levels. The scariest thing is not "hard mode," but being trapped in "trash mode" and mistaking it for opportunity.

This is the brutal truth about wealth distribution over the next 3 years.

1. Trash Bin
The projects here are very obvious: extremely low difficulty, negative returns. Essentially, it's fighting Moore's Law with your time.

Speculative: NFT flipping, intraday trading, Meme coin gambling. Unless you have insider information or a front-running algorithm, you are liquidity itself.
AI-downgrade impact: basic subtitles, beginner data entry, Fiverr micro-tasks. When GPT-5 can complete these tasks at a cost of $0.01 in one second, your human labor value drops to zero.
Ponzi schemes: multi-level marketing (MLM). If your income comes from "recruiting downlines" rather than "selling products," stop immediately.

Lightning Rod Rule: If AI can do it, or it's very easy to lose money, it's trash.

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2. Simple Bucket

This is the starting point to escape the salaried class. The goal is not to get rich but to build cash flow and confidence.

AI leverage services: — AI receptionists: use AI to answer calls for small businesses. — Chatbot deployment: help traditional businesses deploy automated customer service. — Short video clipping: use AI tools to produce content in bulk.

Core logic: Don’t charge by the hour. Charge by "results." You're not selling the time to set up the bot, but the 40 hours it saves.

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3. Medium Bucket

Once you have skills, now you need scale. This is the watershed between six-figure and seven-figure annual income.

Automation agencies (Automation Agencies): connect Zapier/Make and LLMs to build automated digital pipelines for businesses.
Trust assetization: — Personal branding management on LinkedIn. — High-end motion graphics design (Motion Graphics).

At this stage, you are no longer a "jack-of-all-trades." You are a "surgeon" curing corporate inefficiency. You want monthly retainers (Retainers), not one-time project payments.

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4. Difficult Bucket

This is the realm of building empires. It takes 2-10 years, requiring capital, patience, and strong resilience.

Asset acquisition + AI reshaping: buy boring traditional businesses (like campgrounds, laundromats), inject AI systems to reduce operating costs, and earn profit margins.
Software and distribution: — Invest in AI-focused startups. — Build a content engine similar to MrBeast, with massive distribution rights.

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No matter which bucket you choose, the fastest way to die is "Shiny Object Syndrome." Switching directions every two weeks is equivalent to killing yourself at the starting line forever.

You need a "1000-day commitment." Pick a track, document your process publicly, and stick to it for 3 years.

In 2026, focus will be a more scarce asset than Bitcoin.