How to Make a Million Dollars, by Marshall Brain | Hacker News Reader

How to Make a Million Dollars, by Marshall Brain

marshallbrain.com

29 pointsprakash18 comments

"What do you do if you want to short-circuit the process and make a million bucks in a couple of years? There is only one way in America to accomplish that reliably.."

Yeah, everyone who starts a business makes a million bucks in a couple years.

If your definition of reliable equates to the odds of a business making a million bucks in a couple years, please remind me never to let you babysit my child.

I take it you didn't click on the the next slide...

"In America, starting a successful business is the surest, most controllable path available to you for making a million dollars in less than 42 years."

Maybe you get your million dollars in two years, but only after thirty years of practice?

Good talk overall, though the format is a kind of annoying on the web. The one comment I would make is regarding his book suggestions: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is not a total waste of time, but very close, unless you're completely oblivious to the idea of wealth.

Here's the only useful piece of info from it: buy cash-producing assets like real estate or businesses, not flashy cars or glitzy vacations.

A better book is "How to Get Rich" by Felix Dennis.

I totally agree on your points about "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Very dubious advice overall. I was fanatical about those books, and indeed, had many of them. It took me a lot of brainwashing to shake many of his notions on wealth.

I will investigate Felix's book. Thank you very much for sharing.

Felix's Book --> http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=283983

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is a weird book, but I took another thing away from it: practice making money. Since the article also mentions that, I suppose that is the reason it recommends the book.

I second the vote for "How to Get rich" by Felix Dennis. It's a great read and something a bit different.

I bet I could make a million dollars by selling an ebook about how to make and sell ebooks..

Good luck buddy. :) Bet is on.

If you set the price at one million dollars, you only have to sell one of them. And then there's the added benefit of having something to sell with a million dollar price tag: some people think it's actually worth a million dollars!

But then the only ones who can afford it are specifically those who don't need it...

To make it more logical, title it "How to lose a million dollars with one click".

I've always loved this site. Thanks for posting!

PS: Read also "Manna".

Manna is a mildly entertaining story, and a completely unworkable idea. Post-scarcity economies are nice to think about, but they don't solve all of humanity's problems. A lot of them, yes, but not all. Manna would have been better if it acknowledged this.

Agreed.

That being said, it is nice to sometimes read something just for the sake of daydreaming about a nicer world -completely unworkable like you said- but entertaining nonetheless.

My favorite utopian moment from the Manna story:

"Live Your Life means that you are able get the most out of your life, as opposed to the least. Instead of dying in Terrafoam, or dying in some job that you hate, you live your life in the Australia Project in freedom and prosperity. Live Your Life means that you are in control -- again, the emphasis on freedom of choice. You decide what you want to do, and then you are able to do it. You reach your full potential. Live Your Life is the idea of thinking about your life as a whole, as something that you get to design and control. Does that make sense?"

Who needs to read that. How to make a million dollars - be passionate about hacking and never give up. That's the way to make a million dollars.

Interesting talk.

But he makes it sound so easy. ;)

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