Hello World!

Hello everyone. My name is Wenzel, like Denzel Washington, but with a W. I'm 40 years old and have never worked a day for anyone but myself.

The name reflects my approach: work smart, not hard. My entire career has been about finding efficient ways to achieve financial independence without the constraints of traditional employment. And the early realization that time should not be exchanged for money.

What not to expect. How to get rich (fast). The word "rich" was one of the reasons I didn't like this domain name for a long time.

Although it perfectly describes my 'way of life', it can be somewhat misleading because many people automatically associate the word 'rich' with having a lot of money and do not consider other aspects, such as having a lot of free time.

Although I have always earned very well and could have earned even more if I had not been so lazy, my focus here is not primarily on financial wealth but on achieving a good work-life balance and not trading time for money.

The following part is a short story about my personal life and how I became self-employed and dropped out of college. Feel free to skip this part if you'd like.

My personal story:

I went to a business school in Germany and found it quite interesting. Due to lack of ideas I started to study it at the University of Heidelberg. But within the first month I realized that it was much more boring than school and I wouldn't have been able to finish it.

Luckily, I had already started running a small affiliate marketing website, which didn't make me a lot of money, but it showed me that you CAN make money online.

So I decided to drop out of college. The "lazy" part of the website's name is very aptly chosen to describe my character in certain areas of life.

Since I didn't want to fill out any forms or have any work associated with dropping out of college, I just stopped paying the college fees (they are minimal in Europe), but I knew that eventually they would kick me out.

I was still living with my parents and I didn't want to tell them right away, so for the first few months I kept leaving the apartment and telling my parents that I was going to college (it was in another city, but only ~1h away by train).

I started earning really well and within a few months I had made around 30-50k Euro. That was the moment I told my parents. They've been super supportive from day one. Of course, it was "easier" for them to accept that I was now self-employed once I showed them my bank statement, but I'm sure they would have been fine with it even if I hadn't made a penny.

Since that day (around September 2004) I've been self-employed and never looked back.

(This is how Midjourney imagined me looking as I left the college campus for the last time) Prompt used: The scene depicts a young guy, around his early twenties, with a determined expression on his face. He's standing at the entrance of a college campus, the grand buildings and green lawns visible in the background. His backpack is slung over one shoulder, but it's half-open, spilling books and papers. He's tossing a stack of study papers into the air with a dramatic flair, as if letting go of all his academic burdens. The papers flutter around him, capturing the motion and emotion of his decision. The style is reminiscent of a vibrant, dynamic comic, with bold lines, exaggerated expressions, and a slightly exaggerated perspective to emphasize the drama of the moment.)

I want to discuss on this website how to make money independently of time and place and which tools can help.

What bothers me about this sentence is that it is completely trite. Most people using it want to sell you something or describe completely unrealistic goals.

The worst are the so-called network marketing people who are just scum.

But there are good and easy ways to make money online with and without capital.

1. Online (Marketing): I discovered early on the importance of not trading time for money, as opposed to traditional employment. Through affiliate marketing, I earned money around the clock, benefiting from passive income and geographic independence.

2. Cryptocurrencies: My first significant exposure to crypto was in 2016 when a friend convinced me to buy Bitcoin. Although I missed out on earlier opportunities, I learned the value of asymmetric bets - small investments with high potential returns.

3. Artificial Intelligence: The next decade will see a significant increase in innovation driven by the use of large language models and AI. Over the past ~1,5 years, I have dedicated myself to learning as much as possible about this rapidly evolving field. With AI, I can scale my efforts without hiring traditional employees. AI provides efficiency and responsiveness that complement my work style, making it a critical component of my future projects.

Even though I've listed online marketing as the first pillar, it will probably be the least discussed topic here. This is mainly because millions of articles and resources are already available, and it's the least innovative of the three.

Artificial Intelligence is mentioned last, but it is the most interesting and impactful topic I plan to spend the most time on.

LazyButRich represents my journey and philosophy. It is built on the pillars of online marketing, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. I aim to share my experiences and insights on these topics and encourage others to work smart and not trade time for money.

PS:

If you've read this far, you're 1) my hero and 2) a legend! This is my first piece of long-form content, and since English isn't my first language, I'd be super stoked if you could leave a comment with feedback on the article. How was it written? What can I improve? What topics should I cover next? THANK YOU!