First $ Online: The Simple System You Can Steal (Even With No Funnels or Followers)

Hey, it’s Vikko.

I want to share the exact steps I followed to earn my first $ online using a skill I already had.

No funnel.
No fancy landing page.
No audience.

Just one offer, one DM, and one “yes.”

It wasn’t a game-changing amount… around $60.

But I’m telling you… it felt like I made six figures!

Because after months of building in public, learning, and posting…

It was the first time I got paid online for something I created from scratch.

And in today’s email, I want to show you exactly how I did it in 4 simple steps.

The First $ Framework (Steps 1–4)

Here’s the system I followed:

1. Pick a problem to solve using a skill you already have

2. Outline what the offer will contain

3. Message warm leads with a presale ask

4. Get prepaid (money = proof)

Let’s break each one down.

Step 1: Pick a problem to solve using a skill

Most people start by asking:
“What should I sell?”

Wrong question. That leads to paralysis.

The better question is:
“What real problem can I solve using a skill I already have?”

For me, that skill was productivity.

Back when I was a developer, I was drowning in tasks.

I wanted to grow, get promoted, and build something beyond the 9–5…

But I was stuck.

So I built my own system.

Through trial, reading, and reflection, I made it work.

I got promoted.

Eventually, I became a project manager.

And I thought: if I used this system to get unstuck…

Maybe others could too.

That’s when I realized: I could help other people using the same skill that helped me.

That was the spark.

Step 2: Outline what the offer will contain

This step took longer than I thought.

At first, I built a full-blown training program:

5 sessions, 2 hours each. Packed with frameworks and systems.

I was proud of it…

Until I delivered it.

By session 4, I realized: this is way too much.

People weren’t asking for everything.

They just wanted one thing:

Help me get my time and focus back.

That’s when it clicked:

Now when I outline offers, I focus on 3 key wins max.

Forget the 20 bonuses.

Get them from zero to one.

That’s enough.

Step 3: Message warm leads with a presale ask

Here’s where most people freeze.

They build in silence. They obsess over details.

They ask: “Would someone actually buy this?”

Instead, I made a list of warm leads: people I’d talked to about productivity, personal growth, or side projects.

Not random strangers.

Friends. Classmates. Co-workers.

Then I sent this message to James (a college friend, not his real name):

“Hey James! How’s everything going? I’m testing something I’ve been working on… A personal productivity system that helped me balance work, family, fitness, and side projects (while growing my account to 1,500 followers) using just 1 hour a week.

Thought you might find it useful since you’ve been into personal growth too.

No pressure at all. Just wanted to offer it in case you’re open to trying it. If it doesn’t help, I’ll refund you 100%.”

He said yes.

I didn’t have a sales page.

I didn’t even have a full outline yet.

But I had:

• A problem worth solving

• A system that worked

• And someone who trusted me enough to give it a shot

That moment? I swear, I felt 10 pounds lighter.

I wasn’t stuck anymore.
I was in motion.

Step 4: Get prepaid (money = proof)

The last piece: ask for payment.

I almost hesitated here.

But I remembered something I heard from Noah Kagan:

So I did.

Around $60.

He sent it.
No drama.
No negotiation.

And when I saw that payment hit?

It was like the fog cleared.

I wasn’t just some guy “working on stuff” after work.

I had a business.
A buyer.
A real result.

Not because of the money. But because it finally clicked:

I don’t need to wait for a perfect funnel.
I just need to solve one problem, for one person, and ask.

That’s when the fear broke.

That’s when the momentum started.

Recap

If you're trying to make your first dollar online, here’s the path I recommend:

1. Pick a real problem to solve (using a skill you already have)

2. Outline a simple, outcome-driven offer

3. Message warm leads with a no-pressure ask

4. If someone says yes, ask for payment

Forget the funnel.
Forget the tech.
Forget the fake “launch energy.”

Focus on proof.
Not perfection.

To your growth, Vikko

P.S.

I’m helping a few people earn their first $ online using a skill they already have.

No funnels, no followers, no nonsense.

If you want in, just say “Sprint.”

Let’s move.