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  1. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    Something I'd like to add. And the reason I'm writing here and giving value is because when I started out it was through this forum and MJ's books and I was so miserable when I was browsing through this forum in 2018-2021 I just feel grateful for having made it. If you check my first posts, I...
  2. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    I have 1.3MM on VWCE right now and the rest in SXR8. 20k in stocks (NVIDIA and Microsoft) which I bought before I discovered ETFs. I doubled my investment in NVIDIA and I actually regret not buying more stocks of it. I knew NVIDIA was going to boom since 2023 when I realized they are selling the...
  3. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    I kept my business and it kept netting 50-60k a month on average. I was about to sell last year but for a terrible multiple (2X yearly EBITDA) so I just kept it and worked my a$$ off. Don't regret it to be honest. The offer was for 800k net upfront (approx. 1.2MM gross) and 800k (again, 1.2MM...
  4. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    I finally reached 1.9 million in world ETFs fully invested and there comes a sense of freedom from that. It's like being able to breath finally after a life of scarcity and survival. More than that, is realizing I no longer have to depend on my toxic family and parents no matter how bad things...
  5. RealDreams

    AI builds and flips... a new emerging Fastlane opportunity?

    - AI - 
    I agree. I succeeded mostly because I quit my job and went back living with my parents and had about $5000 saved up which allowed me to survive there lean for about 1-2 years. During that period I worked like a madman every day and coded my first app which failed. I cut the losses fast and built...
  6. RealDreams

    AI builds and flips... a new emerging Fastlane opportunity?

    - AI - 
    I think it can be an idea to make some money or quick bucks. But if someone wants to go big, isn't it a loop that never ends? Cause everything you build is not scaling, or you're not building brand equity. Over the years I learned to separate two ways of doing business: 1. service business /...
  7. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    Started hiring a few more people. Something I realized, at this stage it's easy to get complacent. Many people would get comfortable once they reach 1 million. I did get comfortable myself for a few months until I came back to my senses and realized I wasn't really rich or "done". It was...
  8. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    Something else I started to realize. The SaaS space is getting overcrowded due to the advance in AI coding agents. Everyone and their mother can now build a "SaaS". My own business took a big hit in traffic, but I think it's mostly related to the Google SEO update of late March 2026. We lost 40%...
  9. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    I have 300k in cash and 1.4 million fully invested in ETFs. Rest is in the business. I do have a project manager who does a bit of CS but we realized we waste a lot of time answering the same questions over and over, when there could be AI there as a middleware solving 80% of the problems. AI...
  10. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    F*ck. Been almost 2 years. Time flies. I'm nearing 2 mill net worth and I'm 26 right now. But let me tell you. It's not as fun as it seems like. Here's the thing. I've been stuck inside a cage and called it "business". I never scaled it or delegated properly enough. And what happened? I...
  11. RealDreams

    Lifestyle Inflation and High Standards of Living

    MINDSET 
    Was expecting this answer and I think it's actually true. I lost side of the positives and focus on the negatives. For sure. Just 2 years ago I had $500 in my bank account and couldn't find a job. My first business had failed and I was living with my parents. Thinking about that is mind blowing...
  12. RealDreams

    Lifestyle Inflation and High Standards of Living

    MINDSET 
    5-6k euro a month passive would be a decent amount, to cover up unexpected expenses also. But realistically, to have that, one needs to have at least 2 million invested in the stock market assuming a 3.5% withdrawal rate and taxes. Harsh reality. I grew up thinking 1 million was a lot of money...
  13. RealDreams

    Lifestyle Inflation and High Standards of Living

    MINDSET 
    I don't know how many active millionaires there are in this forum besides MJ, but I am facing new problems since I became one. One of this, is that I realized I've always wanted to buy a mansion, but a mansion in Europe is around 1.5 million euros. Second, I might sell my business, but that...
  14. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    well if you have a business that requires manpower the most obvious yet hardest thing to do is hiring people, else you'll burn out quickly and your health will get compromised. I was obsessed with keeping profit super high and postponed hiring, but after a certain point I felt "rich enough" to...
  15. RealDreams

    $2M net worth at 26: Here's what I learned so far...

    GOLD! MINDSET 
    After a few months I got to $1.1 million net worth at 25 making my dream come true. But sadly realized how little money it is in reality. Not trying to discourage anyone but I've found it to be a bitter truth in today's world. Yes, you can retire lean with that money, but if you're like me and...
  16. RealDreams

    Learning to Program is STUPID! (or SMART?!)

    GOLD! HOT! 
    I've been coding for 4-5 years and I do use AI but only for small scripts / non-production stuff. AI didn't wipe out the need to learn how to code. It still needs to be used by a skilled developer or you won't know if the code is right or wrong. Don't rely on AI for your success. Use it to your...
  17. RealDreams

    TikTok May Be BANNED In The US

    HOT! MARKETING 
    tiktok has been known to be addictive since it was released, yet people don't care. Consumer products/services/apps are the easiest way to make money cause people are that easy to control. I never installed tiktok once and I missed nothing, only gained. If you use tiktok for anything but...
  18. RealDreams

    Video game development is my passion and I’m making it my fast lane strategy.

    HOT! EXECUTION 
    as someone who "wasted" 2 years building a saas "mvp", if your goal is financial (making money) I would definitely try to MVP this and maybe build an alpha version and let people test it (your target customers) and tell you what they think about it. I didn't exactly wasted those 2 years because...
  19. RealDreams

    1 million dollars is nothing nowadays?

    MINDSET 
    I invest most of it. Have around $540k in ETFs right now. Wanted to buy an apartment next so I am keeping cash in the bank even if many would preach against that due to inflation. Also unsure whether to buy it here or in another country, I guess that's the biggest roadblock for me right now...
  20. RealDreams

    1 million dollars is nothing nowadays?

    MINDSET 
    Maybe that's me but I struggle living like that, financing with money that could disappear. Said differently, if I can't pay it in cash, I struggle financing it because there's risk involved. Even at 50-70k a month net profit I am not spending more than 2-3k a month in lifestyle, which does suck...

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