**
There is an app that an amateur built in just 24 hours.
The next day's sales were approximately 3 million yen (approx. $20,000).
It wasn't made by a corporation or a genius. It was made by a single individual and AI.
You might think that's amazing. At the same time, you might feel it has nothing to do with you.
But this story is relevant to you.
Today, you are likely still selling your time to work. There is a ceiling to that way of working.
I used to be the same way.
Getting rejected 100 times for one contract. Walking 1,000 doors to get 10 sales. The more sales increased, the heavier my feet felt like lead.
That was selling off my life bit by bit.
So I understand the limits of working by selling your time.
Moreover, even that expertise is now starting to be swallowed by AI.
In this era, some people have moved from being "used by AI" to "making AI work for them." Today, I will share the stories of 10 such people.
There Are Only Nine Business Models
Have you ever seen the Japan Company Handbook? It's that thick book packed with listed companies.
That handbook divides all businesses in the world into nine categories. These are the "Business Model" classifications.
Whether it's Toyota, a convenience store, or a bank—every company, at its core, makes money through one of these nine models.
They are:
- Manufacturing/Sales Model: Make it and sell it yourself.
- Manufacturing Model: Focus solely on making things.
- Retail Model: Stock items and sell them in a store.
- Wholesale Model: Act as a middleman for distribution.
- Service Model: Deliver intangible value.
- Real Estate Rental Model: Rent out what you own.
- Finance Model: Move money.
- Information/Communication Model: Connect people.
- Other Models: Anything that doesn't fit the above.
Does it look difficult? But these are all around you.
A ramen shop is a Manufacturing/Sales model. A convenience store is a Retail model. A hair salon is a Service model. An apartment landlord is a Real Estate Rental model.
There are almost no truly "new" businesses. What's new is simply placing AI on the "side that works" for you.
The 10 people I'm about to introduce are the same. They all earn through one of these nine models.
So, please don't just chase the impressive numbers.
"Which of the nine did this person choose?"
"Why did it sell with that model?"
Try to follow the flow with me. These 10 cases will serve as a textbook for the nine models.
How People Are Earning Globally
First, five people from overseas. All numbers shown are publicly disclosed by the individuals themselves.
① An App That Just Displays Sales
Marc Lou.
A tiny app that simply displays the sales of paid members on a screen. He built this in 24 hours and sold about 3 million yen the day after it was released.
Why could he make it in one day? Because he didn't write it from scratch. He reuses his own code boilerplate every time.
Why did it sell from day one? Because he released it by riding on a post that was going viral on X at the time. He borrowed existing attention.
Lesson: Don't build from scratch. If you have your own "template," it takes shape in a day. Even if you're unknown, you can sell from day one by riding on a trend.
② AI That Creates Professional Photos from Your Own Pictures
Pieter Levels.
A service where AI learns from your photos to generate professional-looking shots. He runs this alone and makes about 20 million yen a month.
However, this was his 71st success. He failed over 70 times before this. Moreover, he shared the entire process on X.
Because he kept showing his failures, he had fans before he even hit a success.
Lesson: Don't try to hit a home run with just one project. Build many. If you share the process, even failures turn into the asset of a fanbase.
③ A Tool Where AI Writes Code Based on Verbal Descriptions
Maor Shlomo.
A tool where AI writes the code when you describe the app you want to build. He developed it basically alone without hiring engineers.
As a result, it was sold to Wix for about 12 billion yen in 6 months. At the time of sale, monthly profit was about 30 million yen.
Lesson: Even alone, if you leave implementation to AI, you can build something at a scale that gets acquired by a major company in six months.
④ AI That Turns Everyday Photos into ID Photos
Danny Postma.
Upload a few everyday photos, and AI turns them into ID photos in a suit. He simply solved a common frustration: "ID photos are expensive and a hassle."
He reached an annual revenue pace of 15 million yen in 14 days by himself. Currently, it's about 45 million yen a month.
Lesson: You don't need grand ideas. Just solve one common frustration cheaply and quickly with AI. That's enough.
⑤ Notion Templates That Save Time
Easlo.
Earns about 110 million yen a year just by selling templates for a tool called Notion. He hasn't written a single line of code.
At first, he didn't even have anything to sell. He kept giving away free templates on X and built an audience. One day, he received a $100 tip.
"People are happy to pay for templates that save time."
Realizing this, he monetized. Now, about 3.56 million people on X are his potential customers.
Lesson: You don't need to know how to code. First, give away useful "templates" for free to build an audience. Products can be made later.
However, I will be honest. Most individual developments of this kind don't even reach a few thousand dollars a month.
These are records of the few who hit it big.
But those who hit it big had clear commonalities.
Three Things Common to Those Who Succeeded
Looking at these five, only three things stand out:
① They were posting content before they had a product.
Everyone had an audience before they started selling.
② They disclosed their numbers.
Transparency itself became trust and a way to attract customers.
③ They didn't hire people; they made AI work.
That's why the profit stays entirely in their hands.
The world is now quietly splitting into two: those who "make AI work" and those whose "jobs are taken by AI."
The difference isn't talent. It's just whether or not you know this pattern.
There Is One Japanese Person Doing These Three Things
Did you notice? There is a Japanese person doing exactly these three things.
It's me.
I posted content before selling. I disclose my numbers without hiding them. I don't hire people; I make AI work.
But it wasn't always like this.
I once lost everything.
I sold a business I built at a young age and gained tens of millions of yen. I lost all that capital due to ignorance about taxes and investment scams. I was betrayed by someone I trusted and could no longer trust anyone.
What I finally reached was AI.
People betray. But logic does not.
A partner with no motive to lie simply responded to my instructions. Having been betrayed by people repeatedly, I felt relief for the first time.
From there, I rebuilt using only logic. Recently, I revitalized a restaurant that had been in the red for a year by systematizing it with AI. In the first month, sales increased 2.2 times.
What I am doing now is a business to replicate this "pattern" in Japan.
You don't need to learn new skills. You don't need to be able to develop apps or become a new expert. You just need to refine the experience you already have and transfer it onto AI.
I won't say I'll save you. I just want to see if the same pattern can truly be replicated.
Regular People Tried It in Japan
You might have thought these were just overseas stories. So, what about regular people in Japan?
Here are five examples of people who gave permission to share. These numbers are based on materials provided by the individuals.
⑥ Designing the Transfer of Company Tasks to AI
An engineer with 15 years of experience in SME system development.
People who can code are already saturated. He was buried as a "handyman" used cheaply and conveniently.
From there, he became a "Designer who reads operations and transfers them to AI." He focused on monthly advisory and spot construction for AI automation design. Monthly revenue: approx. 1.28 million yen.
"For the first time, I escaped being the one used cheaply."
⑦ Preventive Labor Design to Avoid Trouble
A labor and social security attorney in their third year of independence.
"How much will you do payroll for?"
They were exhausted by price wars.
From there, they moved to "Preventive Labor Design x AI Supervision." An advisory service specialized in work rules and systems to prevent trouble before it happens. Monthly revenue: over 1.5 million yen.
"I completely stepped out of the price competition."
⑧ A Non-Indulgent AI Learning Support Course
A former public junior high school teacher.
"People who are good at teaching" are also saturated and buried in the world.
From there, they became a "Support partner for learning that doesn't indulge, using AI." A home study support course and a parent community. Monthly revenue: around 600,000 yen.
⑨ A Design Course for Repeat Customers
A hair salon owner running the shop alone.
High ratings for both skill and personality. But there was a limit to the time available for treatments, and sales had plateaued.
From there, they became a "Person who designs systems so customers keep coming back." A course that systematized repeat design for solo salons. In addition to shop income, they earn nearly 800,000 yen a month.
⑩ Materials on How to Form Hypotheses Before Sales Meetings
A corporate salesperson for a manufacturer, currently employed.
Excellent sales performance. But there was anxiety: "If the company's brand is removed, nothing will remain."
From there, they moved to "Hypothesis Design before meetings x AI." Materials and support focused on how to form hypotheses before entering a sales meeting. Monthly revenue: around 300,000 yen.
"I gained a weapon that remains even if the brand is removed."
One thing is common to these five.
They didn't "become new experts." They refined their current expertise and put it on AI. That's all.
Is Your Experience Really Useless to Everyone?
They aren't geniuses. They just turned their experience and strengths into products using AI.
So, what about you?
Is your experience really useless to everyone?
Or is it something someone is looking for right this moment, just not yet put into words?
Even the person who made 3 million yen in 24 hours was just an individual at first. They escaped the way of working by selling time not because they had talent, but because they knew the pattern.
Finally, a Little About My Story
As I wrote earlier, I lost tens of millions of yen.
I knew nothing about taxes. That money wasn't money I earned; it was "money I was only temporarily holding."
And then, an investment with a celebrity as the face. The rest disappeared there.
What I believed in wasn't information. It was "authority."
When I could no longer trust people, I met AI.
A partner with no motive to lie, I rebuilt using only logic.
I'll tell you the result first.
I am currently unemployed. Yet, I live in a luxury high-rise apartment.
The view from 140m above ground.
It's not me working. It's AI.
How did I get here from the side that lost everything? I've put that entire record into one Note.
It's not a pretty success story.
I wrote about debt, betrayal, and distrust of people without hiding anything.
If you're having a hard time right now, it might be a story that resonates with you.
Today's Story Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
I talked about 10 people earning with AI. But what I really want you to see isn't the numbers.
It's what you are losing just because you "don't know."
It's not just money.
- Salary: Limited by time, with a ceiling.
- Expertise: Being swallowed by AI before you realize it.
- Physical Strength: Feet get heavier with each passing year.
- Time: Once used, it never returns.
Try adding them all up.
For a lifetime, that is "life itself."
It's the same as the words I wrote at the beginning. Working by selling your time is selling off your life bit by bit.
**
Why Can I See This Fork in the Road?
Because I was on the earning side and also fell to the side of losing everything.
The record of both is in that Note.
By the time you finish reading, you too will have taken a step out of the "side that is taken from."
Will you remain on the side whose jobs are taken by AI? Or will you move to the side that makes AI work?
The one who decides is you, today.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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