The Fastest Way to Grow is to Study Making Money, Not Just Keep Learning

I believe this article is well-written, and I dedicate it to those who want to make money. Many people think that growth means continuous learning—reading books, attending classes, getting certifications, and stuffing themselves with knowledge to become stronger. But the reality is that ten years of your learning might not lead to as much progress as someone else’s one year of studying how to make money.

This doesn’t mean learning is useless, but rather that “what you learn” is more important than “how much you learn.” If everything you learn can’t be monetized, you’re just using diligence to numb yourself. How do you grow quickly? Study the logic of making money, because the process of making money forces you to solve real problems, and the process of solving problems is the fastest way to grow.

1. Making Money is the Most Ruthless Way to Grow

Buffett once said: “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” This sounds harsh, but that’s reality. Many people study desperately but never think about “how to turn what they’ve learned into money,” and end up getting poorer the more they learn.

Here’s an example: A literature master’s student studies classical poetry every day but never thinks about how to make money from writing. In the end, they might only become an ordinary editor earning a few thousand per month.

Another person who also loves writing studies social media, monetization, book publishing logic, and teaching others to write… Two years later, they might already be earning millions annually from writing.

It’s not that literature is useless, but “applying what you learn” is key. The process of making money forces you to learn about markets, human nature, and business—these are the things that truly make you stronger.

I once saw a video on a platform about a man in his 30s whose home was filled with books everywhere you looked. But this knowledge-loving person, despite being over 30, was unemployed, had previously worked as a security guard, was single, couldn’t find a suitable partner, hadn’t made money, and was still living with his parents in a 40-square-meter small house.

2. Making Money Exposes Your Weaknesses and Forces You to Evolve

Psychology has a concept called “growth mindset.” What does it mean? Cognitive “growth mindset” is similar to the saying “everything that happens benefits me.” For example, if you’re deceived by a scumbag, what do you learn from this experience? Your character flaws? How to improve your ability to judge people? How to handle intimate relationships?

Behavioral “growth mindset” means: being goal-oriented and continuously improving. For example: You want to make money from short videos, but find no one watches them, so you study algorithms, editing, topic selection, and even psychology (how to make people stay longer).

You want to do e-commerce, but products don’t sell, so you study traffic, conversion rates, user needs, and even negotiation (how to get lower wholesale prices).

These aren’t things “learning” can teach you, but things “making money” forces you to learn. The process of making money is constantly facing problems and solving them, and every time you solve a problem, you become stronger than yesterday.

3. Making Money Lets You See the Truth of the World

Many people learn a bunch of theories but still have wrong perceptions of the world. For example: You think hard work leads to success, but reality is that choices are a hundred times more important than effort.

You think education determines income, but reality is that business acumen and execution ability are key.

Studying how to make money lets you see the underlying logic of how society operates. Here’s an example: One programmer only knows how to code, earns 20,000 per month, and thinks it’s high. Another programmer studies how to take on freelance projects, create products, and do live streaming. Two years later, they might already be earning millions annually. What’s the difference? The former is stuck in an employee mindset loop, while the latter uses business thinking to break through.

4. How to Use “Money-Making Mindset” to Accelerate Growth?

(1) Learn Skills That Can Be Directly Monetized

If you want to make money, don’t learn things that “sound impressive but can’t make money.” For example: Learning philosophy is not as good as learning marketing psychology (philosophy is certainly good, but it’s harder to make money from). Learning history is not as good as learning business thinking (history is interesting and can inspire and empower people, but the latter can make money).

You can certainly learn money-making skills first, then supplement with interests later.

(2) Use “Minimum Viable Product” to Test the Market

Don’t wait until you’ve “learned perfectly” before taking action. Make something simple first to test the waters. Want to write? First publish 10 articles on a platform and see if anyone reads them. Want to do consulting? First take on a few low-priced or even free projects to see if the market buys in, then continuously adjust.

Market feedback is the best teacher.

(3) Study People Who Make Money, Not Just Theory

Don’t just read books; look at how real-world winners do things. Learn from people with results. Want to start a business? Study those small business owners who earn millions annually, not just MBA case studies. Want to do social media? Analyze viral accounts, not just take “writing courses.”

Growth path = Find benchmarks + Imitate + Optimize.

5. Final Point: Don’t Use “Learning” as an Excuse to Escape Reality

Many people are addicted to learning because learning is simpler than making money. Learning makes you feel “I’m improving,” but if you don’t implement it, that’s just self-comfort.

Real growth is learning a bit, using a bit, earning a bit, and iterating cyclically.

So, don’t just focus on learning—go study making money. Because making money is the fastest way to grow in the world. Let’s encourage each other.