Gen Z Success: Build Online Businesses, Skip Traditional Paths

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, Gen Z faces unprecedented challenges: AI threatens traditional career paths while property prices soar beyond reach. What if there was another way? Meet Jack Smart, who at 17 chose to bypass university and instead build online businesses under expert mentorship. Ten years later, he’s not only financially successful but enjoys the freedom to work from anywhere while his peers struggle with job insecurity and impossible housing markets. His journey offers valuable insights for young people questioning their future and parents wondering how to guide them in this AI-dominated era.

Jack’s story demonstrates how combining entrepreneurial spirit with practical skills development can create remarkable opportunities in the digital space. Watch this fascinating discussion between Jack and his mentor about navigating career options in the age of AI:

From Teenager to Digital Entrepreneur: Jack’s 10-Year Journey

At just 17, Jack Smart made a pivotal decision that would shape his future. While his peers prepared for university applications, Jack’s path diverged after attending a business showcase event. “I was always interested in business, had a passion for it and read Robert Kiyosaki books since I was 12 or 13,” Jack explains. When introduced to the concept of buying, renovating, and selling online assets, he recognized an opportunity that aligned with his interests.

With his parents as financial partners, Jack committed fully to learning the digital business space. Rather than accumulating university debt, he invested that time directly into practical skill development with immediate application. This decision wasn’t made lightly – it required weighing the traditional university route against industry mentorship. “It was a big decision to look at the benefits that university had or doing what I could do with industry mentorship,” Jack reflects. “I just thought with the space that I wanted to go into, I wanted to make sure that I’m getting the most up-to-date information from people who’ve done it.”

Over the decade since that decision, Jack has built multiple successful online businesses, primarily focused on creating and optimizing websites for local businesses. This entrepreneurial approach has provided him with both income and the flexibility that many Gen Z professionals increasingly prioritize. His story represents a compelling alternative to the conventional education-to-career pipeline that many young people feel pressured to follow.

The AI Revolution: Disruption and Opportunity for Gen Z

The conversation around artificial intelligence has shifted dramatically in recent months. What was once speculative has become tangible reality, with practical applications transforming how we work. Jack describes the current AI boom as reminiscent of another pivotal technological moment: “I wasn’t there for the dot com boom, but from hearing from people who’ve been in the dot com boom and now in the AI era, it sounds like it’s the same wave of opportunity passing through this space.”

This transformation presents both threats and opportunities. For Gen Z entering the workforce, AI’s rapid evolution is already eliminating traditional entry points. The internship and junior positions that once served as stepping stones are increasingly being automated, creating a challenging environment for those following conventional career paths. Fields like law and medicine, long considered secure professional routes, now face unprecedented disruption from increasingly sophisticated AI systems.

However, Jack Smart’s experience suggests that embracing rather than fearing AI creates significant advantages. In his current work, Jack leverages AI tools to accomplish in minutes what previously required teams of people and weeks of effort. “With what we’re able to do now, we can take whole troves of data, have interviews, take interviews that other people have done and just use that original information to create awesome written content,” Jack explains. This efficiency allows him to produce more value while maintaining the lifestyle flexibility he prioritizes.

Practical Skills vs. Theoretical Knowledge: The Value of Real-World Experience

A central theme in Jack’s story is the superiority of practical, applied learning over theoretical education in certain contexts. Traditional universities struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies like AI. “Things are changing so quickly,” Jack observes. “How long would it take to put what we’ve learned in the last few months and get that approved by the governing bodies to actually feed that back into our community?” This delay creates a significant gap between what’s taught in formal education and what’s needed in the marketplace.

Beyond technical knowledge, Jack emphasizes how his entrepreneurial path developed crucial interpersonal skills that classroom education rarely addresses. Building websites for local businesses required direct client interaction from a young age. The confidence and communication abilities he gained through these real-world experiences transformed him from someone who was intimidated by business calls to a confident professional who easily handles client relationships and public speaking.

Jack acknowledges that certain careers still require formal certification, but maintains that “the skill development and personal development that I got by being exposed to the work that I wanted to do rather than being locked in a classroom… I don’t think you can beat that.” This perspective challenges the assumption that university is the optimal path for everyone and suggests that alternative routes may better prepare young people for certain career paths, particularly in fast-evolving digital industries.

Building Online Assets: A Gen Z Alternative to Property Investment

Perhaps one of the most valuable insights from Jack’s experience is his approach to wealth building in an era when traditional property investment seems increasingly unattainable for young Australians. While previous generations could reasonably expect to purchase property in their twenties or thirties, many Gen Z Australians view this path as unrealistic given current market conditions.

Jack offers an alternative investment strategy: building and acquiring online businesses. Unlike property investments requiring massive deposits and long-term mortgage commitments, digital assets can be purchased at lower entry points while delivering comparable or superior returns. “With the skills that I’ve got, I can look at buying online businesses that are way more leveraged,” Jack explains. “These days, there’s awesome deals out there. We can buy these online assets that are making… We might buy them for 20 to 30 times their monthly profit now. So they’re assets that pay themselves off in two to three years if we don’t make any improvements.”

This approach also aligns with the lifestyle flexibility many young professionals prioritize. “I’ve got a pretty unique situation where I can work anywhere, anytime,” Jack notes. “The freedom of being able to pack up and move, and go wherever… takes a lot of stress off my shoulders.” By building online business skills, Jack has created an investment strategy that delivers both financial returns and quality of life benefits – addressing two of the most significant challenges facing his generation.

The Importance of Community and Mentorship in Entrepreneurial Success

Throughout Jack’s journey, one factor consistently emerges as crucial to his success: access to mentorship and a supportive community of like-minded individuals. While information about building online businesses is widely available, Jack emphasizes that having guidance from experienced entrepreneurs accelerated his progress significantly.

“All the knowledge is already out there. There’s so much that you can learn about this space,” Jack acknowledges. “But what I think helps a lot on top of that is the accountability and support of having a network of like-minded people. That has been the number one difference for me along the way, is having a support group that I can go to when I’m feeling stuck or have a question and be able to get real-world advice from people who’ve built digital empires from scratch.“

This insight is particularly valuable for young entrepreneurs who may feel isolated in their pursuits or struggle to navigate the complexities of business building without guidance. Finding mentors and communities that align with your goals can provide not only practical knowledge but also emotional support during the inevitable challenges of entrepreneurship.

Key Takeaways for Gen Z’s Future Success

Jack Smart’s journey from teenager to successful digital entrepreneur offers several valuable lessons for Gen Z navigating an uncertain future:

First, embrace AI rather than fear it. By developing AI skills now, young professionals can position themselves advantageously in a rapidly changing job market. Those who combine domain expertise with AI capabilities will be worth “three, four or five people at your level because of the leverage that you can get on your skills by knowing how to use AI.”

Second, consider alternative paths to success. University education remains valuable for certain careers, but it’s no longer the only viable route to professional fulfillment and financial security. Building practical skills through mentorship and real-world application can often yield superior results, especially in fast-evolving industries.

Third, explore digital assets as alternatives to traditional property investment. Building online businesses provides both financial returns and lifestyle flexibility that traditional investments may not offer, particularly for young people facing prohibitive property markets.

Finally, seek out supportive communities and mentorship. The guidance and accountability provided by experienced mentors and like-minded peers can accelerate your journey and help navigate challenges more effectively than going it alone.

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