The Guru Paradox…

Why People Who Claim to Make Hundreds a Day Are Really Just Selling You the Dream

You ever lie awake wondering how a guy who claims to make £500 a day from “passive income” still finds time to host three webinars a week?

If he’s cracked the code, why is he selling it to you for £47 (or dollars lol), complete with bonus “action plan” and a stock photo of a sunset over Bali?

Better yet: why is he selling it at all?

That’s the paradox at the heart of the whole “make money online” movement; once you see it, you can’t unsee it. The emperor isn’t just naked; he’s standing on stage with a PowerPoint presentation explaining how you too can be naked and rich.

Let’s get one thing straight before the pitchforks come out: making money online is possible. I do it. Plenty of honest people do it. But the gap between promise and reality is a canyon, and most people fall in, clutching a half-finished course and blaming themselves for not “taking action” hard enough.

This isn’t a hit piece. It’s a map of that canyon. A flashlight, maybe. A reminder that you don’t need to buy someone else’s shortcut when you can carve your own path, a little slower, but infinitely sturdier.

The Emperor’s New Income Stream

Let’s run a quick thought experiment.

Imagine you stumble upon a method that genuinely and consistently brings in £500 a day. It works. It’s repeatable. It’s scalable.

What would you do?

If you’re even vaguely rational, you’d probably:

Do more of it. Build another site, another campaign, another whatever-it-is.
Keep quiet about it. You’d guard it like your Wi-Fi password.
Maybe tell a friend or two. People you trust. The ones who won’t ruin it.

What you wouldn’t do is rent a Lamborghini in Marbella, film a 90-minute webinar, and flood YouTube with “never-before-revealed secrets.”

But that’s exactly what the gurus do, and they do it for one simple reason:

The product is the product.

They’re not making their money from the system; they’re making it from selling the system.

It’s beautifully circular, in a snake-eating-its-own-tail sort of way. The make-money-online gurus make money online by teaching people how to make money online by teaching people how to make money online.

Turtles all the way down. With affiliate links.

I’ve watched this happen for years, same script, new actors. Same rented car, same villa background, same “only 100 spots left” urgency. It’s marketing theatre, and we keep buying tickets.

The Anatomy of a Guru Launch

Here’s the basic anatomy. Once you know it, you can smell it coming from three Facebook ads away.

Phase 1: The Tease
A few screenshots of “earnings” (usually from course sales, not the system itself). Some vague talk about “finally cracking the code.” A sprinkle of lifestyle shots, laptop by the pool, smoothie nearby.

The goal isn’t to teach; it’s to itch. To make you feel like everyone else is cashing in while you’re still watching.

Phase 2: The Webinar
The “free training.” Ninety minutes, give or take. The first hour is a blend of backstory, pseudo-inspiration, and FOMO marinated in sincerity. The “method” finally appears around minute 72 — vague enough to sound plausible, useless enough to force you to buy the course.

You’re tired, slightly hypnotised, and by the time the offer appears, it doesn’t sound like a pitch; it sounds like salvation.

Phase 3: The Launch
Countdown timers. “Only a few spots left.” “Normally £997, today £47.” Bonuses stacked like supermarket deals. Testimonials that may or may not be affiliates hoping for a refund.

Phase 4: The Upsell
Ah, you bought the course? Excellent. But the real gold is in the advanced training. Or the mentorship. Or the inner circle (only £97 a month).

And just like that, you’re on the conveyor belt, gently upsold, psychologically warmed.

Why This Model Works (for Them)

Here’s the twisted brilliance: it is a great business model.

Once you’ve built the course, you can sell it infinitely.
No fulfilment issues. No stock. No customer service beyond an occasional “password reset.”
High margins. High scalability. Low conscience required.

And unlike the methods they teach, which usually stop working once everyone piles in, the course model itself never goes out of fashion.

I used to admire the cleverness of it. Until I realised the cleverness was built on other people’s disappointment.

The Psychology of the Perfect Mark

Nobody thinks they’re the mark.

The people who buy these courses aren’t stupid; they’re hopeful. Maybe desperate. Maybe just tired of the grind and ready to believe in something simple.

And I get it. I’ve been that person, not naive, just hopeful enough to ignore the warning signs.

The whole system preys on that hope. It’s designed to whisper, “You’re one click away from freedom.” And when it doesn’t work? Well, it’s not the system’s fault. You didn’t “take enough action.” You didn’t “believe in yourself.”

It’s genius, really. You can’t disprove it. The system never fails, only the student does.

The Kernel of Truth

Not every course is a con. Some are genuinely useful. Some teach skills that still matter.

The problem isn’t the idea of learning; it’s the illusion of ease.

It’s harder than they say. What’s sold as “push-button simple” often takes months of learning, testing, and failure.
It needs real skills. Copywriting. Marketing. SEO. Customer service. Stuff no guru can summarise in a 40-minute training.
It’s not passive. Every “hands-off” system eventually needs hands-on troubleshooting.
Timing matters. What worked in 2019 might be dead in 2025.
Competition exists. When thousands copy the same method, the pie shrinks fast.

When I first tried affiliate marketing, I made exactly £3.12 in two months, less than the coffee I drank trying to figure it out. But it was mine. It was real.

That’s the kernel of truth: there are ways to earn online. They just look far less glamorous in real life.

So What’s the Alternative? (The Positive Bit)

Let’s trade cynicism for clarity.

The truth is simple, and it doesn’t fit on a webinar slide: making money online is the same as making money offline; you provide value to people, and they pay you for it.

Everything else is just packaging.

Start with a Real Skill

Forget “systems.” Build a skill.

Something you’re good at, or willing to get good at. Writing, design, video editing, coding, marketing, consulting, fixing, teaching, and building.

The internet is one enormous marketplace. If you can solve problems, someone will pay you.

Solve Actual Problems

People pay for problems to disappear.

“I’ll teach you my system” isn’t a problem-solver; it’s a distraction.
But “I’ll build your website,” “I’ll edit your podcast,” “I’ll help you sell more,”, that’s the real stuff.

The internet doesn’t reward shortcuts. It rewards usefulness.

Build in Public

The secret weapon isn’t stealth, it’s transparency.

Share what you’re learning. Talk about the wins and the flops. Build an audience around honesty, not hype.

The long game won’t make you rich next month. But two years down the line, you’ll have credibility, and that’s worth more than any funnel.

Learn the Fundamentals

If you want staying power, master the basics:

Marketing: Find your audience and learn how to speak to them.
Copywriting: Learn persuasion without sleaze.
Traffic: SEO, ads, outreach, pick one and understand it.
Sales: Close deals without cringing.
Customer care: Keep people happy.

None of it’s sexy. All of it works. And most of it’s free to learn if you’re willing to dig.

Start Embarrassingly Small

Your first offer will feel too small. Your first post will get no likes. Your first client will pay too little.

Good. That’s how it starts.

My first website looked like it was built by someone’s confused uncle, but it worked, because it existed.

Ship. Learn. Repeat.

Be Prepared to Suck (for a While)

Nobody tells you that your early stuff will be awful. But it will. It’s supposed to be.

The only way to get good is to be bad first. Every polished success story has a pile of unseen drafts underneath.

The gurus won’t say this, because “embrace mediocrity until you improve” doesn’t sell. But it’s the truth.

Play the Long Game

Here’s the real secret: time compounds.

Most people quit three months in. The ones who stay? They start to see results six, twelve, and twenty-four months later.

We overestimate what we can build in a weekend and underestimate what we can build in a year. The gurus sell the weekend. Real builders live the year.

Six months will pass whether you’re building something or not. Might as well build.

The Real Question You Should Ask

Next time you see someone promising hundreds a day, don’t ask, “Is this legit?”

Ask, “If this is so good, why are they selling it instead of doing it?”

If the answer doesn’t click instantly, walk away.

Your future self will buy you a drink for that one.

Final Thoughts

I understand the appeal. I’ve stared at those same headlines, hoping one might finally be true. The promise of freedom, flexibility, the laptop life…it’s intoxicating.

But the truth is quieter than that. The truth looks like work. Learning. Failing. Re-trying.

The internet is full of opportunity, yes…but it’s allergic to shortcuts.

So start with a skill. Solve a problem. Build in public. Learn the fundamentals. Start small. Suck for a while. Play the long game.

That’s the real secret.

And yes…I’m giving it to you for free.

The irony of writing about not buying courses while I sell ebooks and newsletters isn’t lost on me. The difference? I’m not promising you riches. I’m sharing what I’ve learned, what I’ve seen, and maybe saving you from a few traps I fell into myself.

Make good choices.