The Four Fastest Ways to Make Money

Have never changed from ancient times to today

01 Information Gap

What I know, you don’t

The information gap is at the forefront of opportunities. Profiting from information that is hard to pass on is a true business skill. The “canned goods for airplanes” strategy is an example of making money through information gaps. In 1989, Mu Zhongli traveled by train from Wanzhou to Beijing to promote bamboo crafts and oranges. On the train, Mu Zhongli met a man from Henan, who told him that the former Soviet Union was facing disintegration and was preparing to sell Tupolev-154 airplanes, but couldn’t find buyers. So Mu Zhongli stopped promoting bamboo and oranges and started asking around if anyone wanted to buy airplanes. Eventually, he learned that Sichuan Airlines was planning to purchase large aircraft, and Mu Zhongli became a “middleman.” As a result, this innovative international business not only earned him a net profit of 100 million yuan but also made him famous overnight. Material monopoly only makes you poor, but information monopoly makes you foolish. A person’s ability to acquire information directly determines their level of wealth. The essence of making money is exploiting information gaps.

02 Cognitive Gap

What I understand, you don’t

What I understand, you don’t. There’s a saying: cognition determines your ceiling, effort determines your floor. The harder the money, the more difficult it is to earn. The essence of making money is value exchange. When you are valuable, earning money becomes relatively easier. You can never earn more than your cognition. Every bit of your wealth is a reflection of your understanding of the world. Every penny you lose is due to a flaw in your understanding of the world. If your virtue does not match your position, disaster will follow. The greatest fairness in this world is that when a person’s cognition is insufficient to manage their wealth, society has countless ways to harvest them. Only when your wealth matches your cognition will you be truly free.

03 Execution Gap

You and I both understand, but you don’t act; I do

Execution is the key to widening the gap between people. In the movie “Bright Sword,” there’s a scene: Li Yunlong discusses forming a special team with Zhao Gang, selecting skilled fighters. Zhao Gang says, “Alright, you handle it quickly!” Li Yunlong replies, “No need to rush, I’ll do it right away!” In life, some people have good ideas but fail to achieve results for a long time. What they lack is the courage to act immediately. Instead of shouting loudly, it’s better to roll up your sleeves and get started. Thinking alone is a problem; doing is the answer. True execution isn’t a momentary impulse but strong action and long-term persistence. People with strong execution set clear, feasible goals, then give themselves deadlines to push forward. Regularly review progress, adjust your pace, evaluate results, and identify gaps.

04 Competition Gap

You and I both do it, but I do it better

Inamori Kazuo once said, “Don’t avoid what you don’t know or find difficult. First understand it thoroughly, then master it. You will be better than others because most people are unwilling to put in the effort to study deeply and are automatically eliminated. Your persistent effort gives you a big advantage.” Research shows that the time needed for human knowledge to update has shortened from 100 years, to 20 years, to 10 years, and now to about 3 years. Rapid knowledge updates mean that competition in modern society is not just about education but also about learning ability. An ancient saying goes, “Broad observation and selective absorption; deep accumulation and subtle expression.” “Broad observation” means being open-minded, exploring widely, and reading extensively. “Selective absorption” is about filtering out the false and keeping the true, improving inwardly. Improving inwardly and being open outwardly allows one to break free from cognitive limitations. Everyone’s future is full of infinite possibilities. In this fast-changing era, knowledge is the core competitive advantage. The way of heaven rewards diligence, the way of earth rewards kindness, the way of business rewards trust, and the way of industry rewards excellence. Instead of being broad and superficial, it’s better to be focused and specialized. When you master something to perfection, that is success.