Ali Abdaal
July 26, 2026
The Two Halves of Making Money Online
TL;DR
Making money online requires both building something people want and having systems to sell it; most creators focus only on building, but automation tools like ManyChat enable passive selling when you're offline.
Key Takeaways
- 1Building a product is only half the equation—the selling side is what actually determines if you make money or just have a hobby.
- 2Social media links (link in bio, linktrees) create multi-step funnels where you lose audience members at each step.
- 3ManyChat automatically converts Instagram comments, DMs, and story replies into ebook downloads, webinar signups, email list subscriptions, and direct course sales without manual effort.
- 4Automation systems enable passive income by handling sales and follow-ups in real time even when you're offline.
- 5Most creators enjoy building but neglect the selling side, which is the critical factor for actual revenue.
Notable Quotes
“Part number one, building something cool, is fun—we enjoy it. But it's really part number two, the selling of the thing, that actually determines if you're making money or just doing this as a hobby.”
“You lose people at each step along the funnel when they have to see the post, go to their bio, click the linktree, and click the relevant link.”
“If you want to build a passive income empire, then you need systems that are able to do the selling even when you're not online.”
Chapters
1. The Two Halves of Making Money Online
Making money online requires two components: building something people want (half one) and authentically selling it (half two); most creators focus on building because it's enjoyable, but selling is what actually determines whether you make money.
2. The Problem with Traditional Social Media Selling
Posting on Instagram and relying on 'link in bio' creates a multi-step funnel (see post → go to bio → click linktree → click relevant link) where audience members are lost at each conversion point.
3. How ManyChat Solves the Selling Problem
ManyChat, an official Meta business partner, automates the sales process by converting Instagram comments, DMs, and story replies directly into ebook downloads, webinar signups, email list subscriptions, and course sales in real time without manual effort.
4. Building a Passive Income System
To build a passive income empire, you need systems that sell even when you're offline; ManyChat handles follow-ups, answers questions, sends links, and processes enrollments automatically after initial setup.
Key People & Entities
- ManyChat
- Automation platform and official Meta business partner that converts social media interactions into sales and signups
Glossary
- Linktree
- A landing page tool that groups multiple links in one place, often used in social media bios to direct audiences to different destinations.
- DM
- Direct message; a private message sent through social media platforms.
- Meta business partner
- A company officially certified and approved by Meta (formerly Facebook) to integrate with and provide services across Meta's platforms.
- Automation
- A system that performs tasks automatically without manual intervention, such as responding to comments or processing sales.
- Passive income
- Revenue generated from systems and products that continue to generate sales with minimal ongoing effort from the creator.