“The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026” is an entrepreneurship-focused YouTube video by Dan Martell that examines how the online business landscape has changed and presents 25 different ways people can approach earning income in 2026. Published on January 20, 2026, the video has accumulated more than 1.4 million views and approximately 38,000 likes, demonstrating substantial audience interest.
Rather than presenting every business opportunity as equally attractive, Martell organizes his ideas into different categories based on difficulty, earning potential and the time required to build them.
What Makes the Video Interesting?
The central attraction is its attempt to move away from generic “make money online” lists.
The video argues that many older online business models have become more competitive or less attractive because artificial intelligence has changed the economics of digital work. The presentation therefore asks viewers to think about business opportunities in terms of skills, market demand, scalability and long-term value.
A third-party summary describes the framework as four broad buckets: “Trash,” “Easy,” “Medium” and “Hard.” The categories are intended to distinguish low-value or declining opportunities from businesses that require progressively more skill, capital and time.
That framework is probably one of the video’s strongest educational features.
The “Trash” Category
The first section discusses business models that Martell argues are no longer attractive.
Examples include NFT flipping, crypto trading, multi-level marketing, basic captioning, low-level data entry, Fiverr microtasks, print-on-demand and day trading.
The important lesson isn’t necessarily that every one of these activities can never make money.
Rather, the presentation asks whether they provide a durable business foundation.
For example, basic data-entry work can face automation pressure because AI systems can perform many repetitive digital tasks quickly. Similarly, highly generic freelance services can become heavily commoditized.
This encourages viewers to ask a more useful question:
Does this business create a valuable skill or asset, or am I simply competing on price?
Easier Business Opportunities
The next group focuses on services that can potentially be launched faster.
The underlying principle is to begin by solving an existing problem for customers.
Service businesses can be attractive for beginners because they don’t necessarily require software development, large inventories or significant physical infrastructure.
The key challenge is finding customers.
This is where Martell emphasizes selling outcomes rather than simply selling hours.
For example, instead of saying “I provide social media services,” an entrepreneur could define a specific result they help a business achieve.
That distinction can make a service easier to market.
Medium-Level Opportunities
The presentation then moves toward business models that require more expertise and systems.
AI-enabled services, software, specialized consulting and other scalable models become more relevant.
The underlying progression is important.
A person can start with a skill, use that skill to solve customer problems, systematize the process and eventually build something that operates with less direct involvement from the founder.
This is a recurring theme throughout modern online entrepreneurship.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
AI is central to the video’s 2026 perspective.
Rather than treating AI purely as a replacement for workers, the presentation treats it as infrastructure that entrepreneurs can incorporate into existing businesses.
AI can potentially help with research, customer support, content creation, automation, sales processes and internal operations.
This changes the economics of some businesses.
A small company may now be able to accomplish tasks that previously required several employees or outside contractors.
However, AI itself does not automatically create a business.
The underlying customer problem still needs to exist.
The Importance of Long-Term Thinking
One of the more useful themes is avoiding constant switching.
Third-party summaries of the video emphasize the danger of “shiny object syndrome” and argue that entrepreneurs should commit to a direction long enough to develop expertise and momentum.
This is an important counterpoint to the typical online-business environment.
Every week produces another supposed opportunity.
One month it might be dropshipping.
The next month it might be AI automation.
Then a new social platform or software tool becomes the latest trend.
Constantly changing direction can prevent someone from becoming genuinely good at anything.
Audience Reception
The objective reception is strong.
The official YouTube listing records approximately 1.4 million views and 38,000 likes. Independent YouTube analytics similarly place the video above 1.3 million views and record more than 37,000 likes and around 1,900 comments.
Several third-party articles and summaries have also discussed the video’s framework, particularly its division of opportunities according to difficulty and scalability.
These are stronger signals than simply saying that viewers “loved” the video, because they provide measurable engagement while allowing qualitative commentary to remain appropriately cautious.
Limitations
The biggest limitation is that business opportunities cannot be evaluated purely through a universal list.
A business that works well for one entrepreneur may be unsuitable for another.
Skills, location, capital, experience, customer access and competition all matter.
Income figures mentioned in entrepreneurial videos should also be treated as examples rather than guarantees.
A business model can have high theoretical potential while still being difficult to execute.
Overall Review
“The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026” works particularly well as a framework for thinking about business ideas rather than as a guarantee of income.
Its strongest lesson is that entrepreneurs should evaluate opportunities according to demand, competition, skills, scalability and longevity.
The video also reflects an important change in online entrepreneurship: AI is increasingly becoming part of the operating system of businesses rather than simply being another trend.
With more than 1.4 million views, the video’s reception demonstrates significant interest in updated business models for 2026.
For someone searching for a new business idea, the most useful takeaway is not to copy a particular model blindly. Instead, use the framework to identify a real problem, determine whether customers will pay to solve it, and then build a business around that demand.
Original Video Credit
Creator: Dan Martell
Video: The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026
Published: January 20, 2026
Views: More than 1.4 million at the time of research.
Original video: Watch the original video on YouTube
All rights to the original video, footage, narration, graphics, music and editing remain with Dan Martell and the applicable rights holders. This article is original commentary and review and does not claim ownership of the original video.