How $600k+ made me depressed

Hey there, solopreneur!

2 years ago, I did something that made absolutely no sense to anyone around me:

I walked away from a wildly successful business that was printing money.

The AI Solopreneur had exploded beyond my wildest expectations - 100k followers in 65 days, multiple six-figure launches, speaking invitations flooding my inbox...

But internally?

I was fucking miserable.

Let me share what happens when you find yourself trapped in a business that aligns with your bank account but not with who you actually are...

Let's rewind to early 2023. I was in Thailand, licking my wounds after losing a LOT of money in the FTX collapse. From a place of scarcity and fear, I spotted an opportunity in the AI explosion and jumped in.

Without much thought, I launched The AI Solopreneur.

Here's the thing: I was never a full on "tech guy." My background was in music production and later on investing& trading markets. Sure, I found AI interesting, but it was just one small slice of who I was.

But the growth was immediate and intoxicating:

• 100k subscribers in about 65 days

• Products selling out instantly

• Revenue flowing in effortlessly

• Consulting requests I never asked for

Suddenly, I became "the AI guy."

Conference invitations started coming in. I flew to America to speak on stages. Everyone wanted my take on the latest AI developments.

It should have felt amazing. On paper, it was a dream scenario.

But something felt... off.

I'd accidentally created a trap of my own making, and with each passing day, I could feel the walls closing in.

The transition happened so subtly I barely noticed it at first.

I went from being a multifaceted human with creative interests, financial passions, and artistic inclinations to... just "the AI guy."

Every conversation. Every DM. Every introduction. "This is Ole, he's an AI expert."

That label - which represented maybe 10% of who I actually am - had somehow consumed my entire identity.

I've always believed in living as freely and expressively as possible. I wanted to create art, explore finance, build meaningful products from scratch. But now I was boxed in, answering the same questions about prompt engineering day after day.

Then came the courses.

I started selling education because that's what everyone in my position does, right?

High margins. Scalable. Decoupled from your time.

But here's what no one tells you: teaching something you're only partially invested in is soul-crushing.

I wasn't just "the AI guy" anymore - I was "the AI teacher."

Two identities I never wanted, wearing me like a suit that was two sizes too small.

And the worst part? Everyone kept telling me how lucky I was. How perfect this all was. How I'd found my calling.

Meanwhile, I was drowning inside.

Around March or April 2024, my body decided it had enough of my bullshit.

It started with pain in both my arms. Intense, debilitating pain that made typing - the one thing I needed to do for my business - almost impossible.

I tried everything:

• Physical therapy

• Massage

• Rest

• Different keyboards

• Ergonomic setups

Nothing worked. The pain persisted, sometimes getting worse.

My body was sending me a message my mind refused to hear: This path is wrong for you.

Did I listen? Hell no.

Instead, I pushed harder. I worked through the nights, used stimulants to keep going, and finished my second course while literally unable to use my arms properly.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I got COVID right before launching the course. And after pushing through that, I flew to the US for a conference - still sick, still in pain.

I'll never forget sitting alone in that hotel room. Six degrees outside. Gray NYC skies. Rain beating against the window. My arms throbbing. My body destroying itself from the inside.

And that's when it finally hit me like a freight train:

What the fuck am I doing?

This wasn't me. This wasn't the life I wanted. This wasn't worth any amount of success or money.

Everything external was telling me I was on the right path - the trend, the demand, the following, the revenue.

But my gut, my soul, and now my literal body were screaming the opposite.

And let me tell you - there is nothing harder than walking away from something that works when your only reason is "it just feels wrong."

When I got back from that conference, I was a mess. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally too.

I finally sought help from a somatic coach who helped me understand what was happening: I was on the express train to complete burnout.

The symptoms were textbook but somehow I'd missed them all:

• Waking up more exhausted than when I went to sleep

• Exercise (which had always energized me) now drained me further

• My mind racing constantly with anxious thoughts

• The things I once loved brought no joy

• Constant tension in my body that never released

I was in a physiological state of constant alarm. My nervous system was stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

So I did the unthinkable. I stopped selling my products. I started transitioning away from being "the AI guy."

With a baby on the way (plot twist!), I gave myself permission to explore, to test, to find a new direction.

Some days it feels like I'm not getting anywhere. Like I've thrown away a golden opportunity for... what exactly?

But then I remind myself: You can't force alignment. You can't trick yourself into loving something just because it makes logical sense.

(Funny enough, now I like thinking about AI much more again because I don't HAVE to do it)

Here's what I've learned from this whole messy journey:

Your body knows before your mind does

Your gut feeling isn't woo-woo - it's your body's intelligence speaking. When something feels physically wrong as you work, pay attention. The body keeps the score.

Try before you commit

Nothing teaches you more than stepping into a role temporarily. How does it feel when people introduce you by that title? The experiential truth speaks volumes.

Hard ≠ worth doing

We glorify struggle, but there's a difference between productive struggle and fighting your own nature. Working against internal resistance is 100x harder than working on something aligned.

Success can be the ultimate distraction

Making good money clouds your judgment about whether you should be doing something long-term. External validation drowns out the quiet voice saying "this isn't it."

Never do something just to do something else later

"I'll just do this for now and then I'll do what I really want." This is the most dangerous trap. The risk of sliding down the security curve your whole life is real.

You can't force transitions

I'm giving myself this whole year to connect with what's next. Every time I try to force it, my body tenses and creativity stops. There's a difference between discipline and forcing.

Riding trends you don't love is burnout fuel

Jumping on a hot trend without genuine passion is the express lane to burnout. Without intrinsic motivation, you're just feeding a machine that will eventually consume you.

I'm sharing this because maybe you're in a similar place right now.

Maybe from the outside, your business looks successful. The metrics are good. The money is flowing. Everyone's telling you how lucky you are.

But something deep inside feels off.

If that's you, know this:

• It's okay to search for what truly lights you up

• It's not failing to walk away from something that works but feels wrong

• It's not failing to try something and discover it's not for you

True fulfillment comes from alignment between who you are and what you do. When those two things match, you become an unstoppable force.

I'm still figuring out my next move. Some days that uncertainty is uncomfortable. But even in this in-between space, I feel more alive than I did at the peak of my "success."

I don't want to build a business teaching AI, but I’m still using it in every step of my business.

Its not my identity now, but just a tool for me to build the business I want!

Because now I'm moving toward something that will let me express my full self - not just the 10% that happened to catch a trend.

And ultimately, that's what I want for you too.

A business that makes you money AND makes you come alive.

Because life's too short for anything less.

Ole's Bookmarks

I'm very passionate about helping people fight #1. I think its one of the biggest problems of our lifetime.

If you haven't watched the Jony Ive interview - do it! Inspires me to create beautiful things and not soulless AI slop apps.

TLDR : dance more!

See you next week 🫡 

Ole