How To Build A $10k+ Per Month Course Business (Starting With $0)
How Losing My Job Led to Earning 6-Figures in AI
I felt so humiliated…
...I’d just started my career as an electronic engineer and a year later, my manager sat me down in the dimly lit boardroom and laid down a letter and a pen.
He said in a soft tone to me that my contract would not be renewed. It’s just a nice way of saying to me that I was fired. I was honestly heartbroken. On my drive back home, I was pondering all about how would I tell my parents, tears rolled down my eyes, “Was I really that bad?” I asked myself.
It was at this moment, that I swore that I would never let this happen to me again! I will not put my right to earn money in someone else’s hands!
I told my parents, who were more than supportive telling me that this was a blessing in disguise. Words that I didn’t want to hear but were very true. I was earning a measly R12'000 per month which is around $700 per month more or less before deductions which was still low for a fresh graduate.
Then began the search…
I could not find a Job
Yeah, so while I was fortunate enough to be supported by my parents, I had begun the search for a new job, but there were no vacancies. I’d been posting my resumé just about everywhere and contacted many recruiting agencies. But nothing…
In my spare time, I remember waiting in long lines for hours on end to claim from the Unemployment Income Fund or UIF. It was honestly a waste of my time as I’ve only been working a year and also I get bored easily.
While waiting in line…
…I got an email…
…It was a job interview!
An unexpected turn of events
I was ecstatic and told my parents the moment I got home. A few days later, I got ready, put on my freshly ironed shirt and pants, made my hair neat, and drove off, in hope, to the job interview.
When I arrived, I’m not sure if it was the gloomy weather but I didn’t really get a great feeling. I parked outside on a small half-grassy and muddy patch walked to an old grim-looking building and sat in a waiting area. I swear stepping into that room felt like I was transported back to the early 1900s. The heavy, antique torn furniture, faded wallpaper, and dim lighting created a sense of being frozen in the 1990's.
My mind was already telling me that I didn’t want to work here. But having a limited choice, I had to suck it up and go through with the interview. I met with the manager there, and I judged him right away. He looked like a male version of Edna Mole (from The Incredibles) with his old-school mushroom haircut and thick black glasses.
The interview started.
The job he was offering me wasn’t really an engineering job, it was more like an electronic part procurement position. Not to say that this job was below me, you know we have to start and continue somewhere, but I could already tell that this job would not be fulfilling. I remember being a yes man saying that I was interested in the job just for the sake of having a job.
“Okay great!” said the mushroom-haired manager, “It’s between you and another guy but we’ll keep in contact with you.”
I walked back to my car with my shoes half covered in a gritty mix of mud and concrete aggregate. I drove off in disgust.
I DO NOT WANT TO F$%KEN WORK HERE!
Before I got onto the highway that would take me home, something compelled me to drive straight, leading to the university where I studied. I could feel the tension lift as I walked around the campus reminiscing the good ol campus days.
This is when I bumped into one of my old lecturers. “Have you considered doing a Masters?” he asked.
The Spark
So over the next few years, I’d spend doing my Masters, working on an exciting topic: Vision-based adaptive Cruise Control. I was lucky enough to get a bursary from an R&D company. I mean, to study while getting paid, was awesome!
Don’t get me wrong it was a lot of hard work and I nearly flunked my dissertation haha. After a solid revision and a deep meditation session (aka prayers). I passed!
Toward the end of my master’s degree, I made the transition to full-time work at the R&D company that paid for my studies. I mean it definitely was the logical decision better than that sh!tty concrete hell hole that I was interviewed at. Okay fine, it was my dream job. I was really happy to be working for a company that was working on the latest technologies.
I was stuck in a low-paying 9–5 job.
So while I was happy working with this R&D company. I wasn’t getting paid anywhere close to market-related for an engineer with Masters. Well, it was research and the culture was pretty chilled. My kinda vibe. I had the freedom to work on my own, in a relaxed environment. I learned a lot here and it was great…
…But I wanted more from life.
I started reading some books and soon realized that a job is NOT meant to make you rich.
This began my journey into entrepreneurship even though I didn’t know it at the time. I started some online programs that had big promises to make big bucks, you know those so-called “get-rich-quick schemes”, but nothing I tried ever worked.
And then…
…I started creating courses.
It was the only thing that worked. I was at a point where I had some level of expertise in circuit design. I began turning my knowledge into content and eventually courses and sold them on Udemy.
I was amazed when I got my first sale which was around $29. I remember telling my wife, and we compared it to 1 Nandos meal (my favorite Portuguese restaurant). Then I started getting another sale and then another…I could buy many Nandos meals.
I was beyond ecstatic!
But it was not all sunshine and rainbows. I ran into stagnation on Udemy at some point as they changed their algorithm and also took a big cut from my sales which should not have happened.
So I tested a few Learning Management Systems (LMS) and eventually settled on Kajabi for hosting my AI course. The profits started to grow.
The smooth transition to freedom.
I remember at my R&D job, they started retrenchments, this was just after the COVID era. People were shitting their pants at losing their jobs, but not me.
My passive income from selling courses was outperforming my 9–5 salary. I took a lot of that money and saved it to a buffer which I would then use to fund my business which at the time I focused purely on selling courses on AI.
It was funny watching my colleagues fret about filling in their KPI’s and career ladder which was rigged against us. I preferred spending the time focusing on my side hustle which would earn me even more money.
I reached a point where I was able to negotiate with my boss that I wanted to work only 3 days a week but at a higher rate. The other 2 days I would work on developing my business.
I remembered the feeling of satisfaction that I felt during my walks while also feeling sorry for all the people who had to drive to work on those days that I didn’t have to work.
A year later in April 2024, I proudly typed out my letter of resignation. My wife was worried like crazy because what if things didn’t work out? But I assured her that I saved up a buffer that would sustain me and my business for the next two years. You can think of it as seed funding but you still retain full ownership of the business.
This was me keeping my promise to myself that I made earlier in my life, you know that thing about not putting my right to earn money in someone else’s hands!
I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I learned from those failures.
It was not an easy road, but I documented everything, I tried various tools both traditional and AI tools, and tested what works and what doesn’t. I spent a lot of time learning and failing until I eventually reached over 100K subscribers on YouTube. It was one of the proudest moments in my life.
I continued to reinvest in my education and learn more about AI, as it was my passion. What I learnt, I taught through my courses. So it was a cycle of learning and teaching. This helped me to scale my business to 6 figures.
I also spent a lot of time learning how to run a business as I had zero formal training. I read a lot of books about who were my mentors picked the best strategies and tested them to see what worked for my business.
Creating courses in AI was the best decision of my life.
If I had to do it all again, I would. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have achieved success in a fraction of the time, but hey, that’s life.
But building this business has established me as an authority in AI with over 50K followers on LinkedIn, with many other achievements.
I’ve been able to wake up when I want, travel the world, and even buy my dream car, which is a Haval H6 GT. Look, it’s not a Lambo but definitely a step up from my 2001 Toyota Corolla. Also, it gets me to my destinations safely and in luxury.
Speaking of travelling the world, I’ve done a couple of international business/leisure trips to Silicon Valley, visiting the Golden Gate Bridge in the US and even enjoying the Top Gold driving range in Dubai and being able to afford luxury hotels like the Taj, facing the Burj Khalifa.
My wife and I have even travelled to Tomorrowland in Belgium to enjoy our favourite EDM DJ’s.
But here’s the thing, anyone can do it, even you!
Over the past 7 years, I’ve documented all of my knowledge, learnings, and mistakes to avoid in a system that I call the AI Course Creator Accelerator Program or ACCAP. With just one hour a day over 10 weeks, you can have your course creation business up and making money with the main goal of leaving your regular 9–5 job.
ACCAP is a LIVE coaching session with me personally taking you through all of the steps and strategies to select a niche, build your first course, market it, and start making money!
I focus on creating courses in AI with AI, but you can essentially apply my learnings to just about any niche that you want to get into and are passionate about.
We DON’T waste your time with fluff, once you start ACCAP you’ll get valuable but actionable steps that you can take to accelerate your AI business in just 10 weeks. Not years like it took me.
So, what do I do next?
Now, if you are ready to take the leap, then you can join my next LIVE cohort which will be happening soon. I am not sure when registrations will open up for the next ACCAP, so for now you can fill in this free survey to see if you qualify.
I want to be upfront: I don’t consult with anyone, I’m only looking to help those who are committed to making their own success a reality
This AI Course Creator Accelerator Program or ACCAP System is not for everyone. For instance:
- If you prefer the steady income of a 9–5 job and do not want to earn 10x your salary.
- If you believe you can simply piece together a course with no value and without consistent effort, this is not for you.
- And, if you’re not ready to put in focused work over a short period, then this program isn’t for you.
This survey will determine whether you are a fit for the program to make 6 figures from courses. I want you to note that this is not a get-quick thing. You will need to be consistent and put in hard work. But if you do, I can guarantee that you will make money within 10–15 weeks if you follow the program or your full money back.
Click Here to fill in the free survey, if you are wanting to leave the 9–5 grind and live life on your own terms and experience true freedom. I’ll be in contact if you qualify.
So yeah, that’s my journey, my friend. I wrote this post not to brag but to inspire and I wish you the love for life and success that I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.
Ritesh Kanjee
Founder of Augmented AI
