Starter Story

Meet The Kid Who Made $1M with ChatGPT | Starter Story

Jul 7, 2025
Guest
Joe Popelas
Joe Popelas, a 20-year-old computer science student and house music DJ, shares his remarkable journey of making $1 million through AI-generated e-books. He reveals how he identified market opportunities and leveraged ChatGPT for content creation. Joe discusses the importance of financial insights and navigating profit margins, achieving a stunning valuation of $930k. His marketing strategies, especially using Pinterest ads, play a pivotal role in boosting revenue. Join him as he explores the booming world of AI publishing and encourages others to tap into this unique opportunity.
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INSIGHT

How a College Student Made $1M Selling AI-Generated Ebooks

Joe Popelas, a 20-year-old computer science student, built a business nearly valued at $930,000 by creating and selling AI-generated ebooks.

He used GPT-3 to generate books in niche markets, marketed primarily through Pinterest ads targeted at middle-aged moms, and scaled from zero to over $390k in profit, mostly self-funded from his part-time minimum wage job.

Joe emphasizes the importance of learning how to use AI tools effectively, structuring books properly, and using detailed landing pages to convert buyers, making this a scalable and repeatable business model.

His strategy includes starting with broad Pinterest ad campaigns to test niches and then focusing on conversion campaigns, showing how AI-driven content combined with smart digital marketing can generate substantial income even while attending university.

ANECDOTE

Building AI Book Business

  • Joe Popelas started building AI-generated ebooks after seeing a publishing company make $2 million monthly from simple books.
  • He created 40 AI books within two months, reaching his first profitable day by October 3.
ADVICE

Start Smart with AI Books

  • Learn how generative AI models work and master prompt settings to get the best output.
  • Find a niche with high traffic and ambitious people to emotionally connect and sell your product effectively.
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