I Would Rather Play Russian Roulette Than Buy Your Online “Course”

Every time I scroll through these newsletters, I feel like I’ve slipped into a parallel universe. Are people actually paying for this? I’ve never once read one of these posts and thought it deserved my money.

Most of it seems to be ChatGPT created bullshit.

Here are some examples of the kinds of articles I'm talking about:

AI Side Hustle Clickbait

• 7 Untapped AI Side Hustles Quietly Printing $5K/Month in 2025 (No YouTube Scams)
• 5 Untapped AI Side Hustles Quietly Printing $5K/Month in 2025
• I Tested 10 Viral AI Side Hustles — Here’s What Actually Made Money
• 5 AI Side Hustles That Actually Make Real Money (And You Can Start Today)
• How My Friend Started Making Money With AI Writing (Without Spending a Single Penny)

“Make Money Online” Guru Energy

• You Need Proof FIRST: Why It’s Hard to Sell “Make Money Online” Products Without Proof
• The Dark Side of Making Money Online No One Talks About
• How I Made $10,000 Writing Online (And How You Can Too)
• Why Most People Fail at Online Business (And How to Avoid It)

Writing / Newsletter Grift Titles

• How I Gained 1,000 Subscribers in 30 Days on Substack
• The Exact System I Used to Grow My Newsletter Fast
• Why Your Writing Isn’t Getting Read (And How to Fix It)
• The Secret to Writing Online That No One Tells You
• How to Turn Writing Into Passive Income

Common Patterns Worth Calling Out

• “Untapped” opportunities
• Exact dollar amounts ($5K/month, $10K/month)
• Short timeframes (30 days, 90 days)
• AI as the magic ingredient
• Vague proof, no specifics
• Always ends with selling something

Why Scammy Medium & Substack Newsletter Titles Actually Work

This isn’t about intelligence. These patterns work because they target insecurity, impatience, and uncertainty — not because people are stupid.

1. “Untapped”

Why it works:
It implies scarcity and insider access. If it’s “untapped,” that means:

• You’re early
• Everyone else is missing out
• There’s still time

People are terrified they’re late to everything.

Reality:
If it’s on Medium’s homepage, it’s already tapped out.

2. Exact Dollar Amounts ($5K/month, $10K/month)

Why it works:
Specific numbers feel real.
“Make money online” is vague.
“$5,347 last month” feels believable.

It also helps people imagine a better version of their life.

Reality:
The number is usually cherry-picked, exaggerated, or based on a short-term spike.

3. Short Timeframes (30 days, 90 days)

Why it works:
People hate long timelines. Real progress is slow and boring.

Short timeframes:

• Feel low-risk
• Feel manageable
• Delay disappointment

Reality:
If it actually worked in 30 days, no one would be selling it on Medium.

4. AI as the Magic Ingredient

Why it works:
AI promises:

• Less effort
• Less skill
• Less self-doubt

It tells people they don’t need to be good — just automated.

Reality:
AI lowers the barrier so far that everyone produces the same junk at scale.

5. “I Tested X So You Don’t Have To”

Why it works:
It positions the writer as honest and helpful.
Readers feel like they’re skipping the painful part.

Reality:
Most “tests” are anecdotes, unverifiable claims, or selective results.

6. Friend Stories (“My Friend Did This”)

Why it works:
It avoids accountability.

• It’s not me claiming this
• It’s someone I know

It feels casual and trustworthy.

Reality:
The friend is usually fake, exaggerated, or the author themselves.

7. “No One Talks About This”

Why it works:
It flatters the reader.

• You’re smart
• You’re not like everyone else
• You found the real truth

Reality:
Everyone is talking about it. That’s why you saw the post.

8. Subscriber Growth Bragging

Why it works:
Numbers feel like proof.

• 1,000 subscribers
• 10,000 followers

People assume growth equals quality.

Reality:
Subscribers can be imported, bought, or built elsewhere. Growth ≠ substance.

9. “Exact System” or “Framework”

Why it works:
People want rules and certainty.

• Step 1
• Step 2
• Profit

Systems feel safe.

Reality:
Writing doesn’t work like an assembly line. Systems fall apart in real life.

10. Always Ends With a Paywall

Why it works:
Sunk-cost psychology.

• You already read this far
• Might as well pay

Reality:
The paid version usually says the same thing with more words.

The Real Reason All of This Works

These titles don’t sell writing.
They sell relief from uncertainty.

People aren’t buying knowledge.
They’re buying hope that they’re not doing it wrong.

Honest writing is slower, quieter, and harder to market — which is exactly why it matters.

Dont get me wrong, I use AI. I used it to write those lists above instead of spending the time to write them all out myself. That's what makes it a good tool, it summarizes information quickly for you so you don't have to do as much work.

I feel sorry for the people who get scammed into paying for this kind of junk. The titles are exciting and pull you in, thinking you will make money right away just by doing what they say.

You don’t need to pay for a course on any of this stuff. It’s already freely available on the internet. You could learn the exact same information from a free AI website. What you're being sold isn't what they are advertising. It's sort of like a pyramid scheme, they just teach you how to scam like them.

I would love for platforms like Medium and Substack to crack down on this kind of content. These people aren’t Gurus or experts, they’re grifters.

You are the product, not the customer.

Write What You Feel

Another problem with that kind of content is that it tricks people into thinking they should do it too. Writing more slop on these platforms helps no one. I would much rather read your real thoughts and feelings than regurgitated junk. Your writing doesn’t need to be perfect. Even if you are trying to sell a product, just be yourself. I guarantee you will do way better that way, and people will see you are being honest.

I think there is going to be a revolution. People are going to get sick of reading all of this fake content and start to push back harder on it. People don't want to read generic, robotic content. They want to hear real stories from real people in their own words.

There is nothing wrong with using tools to help you write, brainstorm, and outline your articles. I do it all the time. I use ChatGPT to help me brainstorm and outline ideas. It even helps when I get stuck or need a better way to explain something more clearly.

There is no magic trick to gaining followers and subscribers. As I'm writing this, I have zero subscribers to this blog. That's ok, I'm going to keep writing, and hopefully one day people will find me.

Don’t Give Up

Keep going, remain your true self, and eventually your audience will find you. Keep posting and keep refining your content.

Writing on those platforms can be very discouraging. I would love to just write on this page, but it's hard to grow on a self-hosted blog. I cross post between them until hopefully one day I have enough followers to write mainly on here.

Every time I see articles like the ones above, I think about giving up. But I remember that most of those people are a scam, and I'm not writing for money. I write because I like to do it. If one day I can offer good enough content that people want to pay for, then that would be great.

I don’t have many followers, but I’m going to keep being myself and posting about what I’m interested in writing. If people like it, that’s just a bonus. I don’t do it for other people, I do it for myself. The audience is just a great bonus.