If you have ever heard the word tech bro, you might have some questions about what that title entails. In this article, I will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions surrounding that title.
Who is a tech bro/sis?
Depending on who you ask, the answer will be different! Some people would tell you that tech bros are people who are in coding-related aspects of digital skills. At the same time, some would say that it encompasses everything regarding online digital skills — coding or non-coding! As for me, I would say that this argument is highly unnecessary.
Let me tell you a little about myself! I am a professional digital marketer, and I can also be referred to as a web design expert — I can work expertly on WordPress, Shopify, Wix, etc. Despite that, I don’t code (I learnt coding for some time, but I later got bored; so I dropped it). There are non-code alternatives in web design, and I have mastered many of those. Looking at the definition of some, I won’t qualify to be called a tech bro.
Actually, I don’t fancy calling myself a tech bro, and I don’t even do so. In fact, after working in the “foreign tech industry” for years, the first time that I would ever hear the term “tech bro” being used the way we know it here is in Nigeria. I have worked with colleagues abroad, and worked for foreign clients — yet I can’t remember anyone using the word “tech bro.” Instead, we simply use the word freelancer, or we use our respective roles or names to refer to each other.
Note: Freelance, freelancer, or freelance worker, are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term (Wikipedia). According to FlexJobs, A freelancer is a person who is self-employed, often working for multiple clients at one time and earning income per project.
In my opinion, the term “tech bro” has turned into a slang – and a status symbol. Like the way medical doctors are known as doctors, some people working in tech-related jobs in Nigeria also want to have a nice status tag — hence the popularization of the word “tech bro.”
I think that calling yourself such is really unnecessary. What’s important though is making sure you have a digital/tech skill, and you make enough from it to sustain yourself. If you are able to do that, then you shouldn’t care if you are referred to as a tech bro/sis or not.
But for the purpose of ease of understanding, I would be using the term “tech bro” regularly to explain how to get started earning online with digital skills!
How do you become a tech bro/sis?
To become a proper tech bro, you need to have a tech/digital skill! But it’s not as simple as it sounds! Learning and mastering the skills needed to be a proper tech bro isn’t something for the faint-hearted. You see, this field is supersaturated — and excelling in it is going to take a high level of commitment from you. When you decide that you are going to be a tech bro/sis, you should be ready to work really hard. Forget those telling you that you can learn a tech skill in 3 days or 3 weeks; these skills take a long time to master. All of the proper tech skills that I know of which can help you have a great career take very long to master. Among these skills, there are some that have a lower barrier to entry (easier to enter); but having a lower barrier to entry doesn’t mean it will be easy to master it and stand out — which is something that you need to do before you can get close to making the kind of money that made you want to jump into tech in the first place.
When you want to get into tech, forget all the hype that you have heard — most of them are just fallacies aimed at selling you the courses and products of the people making those claims! You should understand that getting into tech with these high levels of expectation can quickly lead to depression when you later find out things aren’t as rosy as you see on social media. People make crazy claims to make you buy their products (these products may be in the form of masterclasses, eBooks, software, courses, etc.) Some do this to boost their following on social media, and some do this just to chase clout. Don’t fall for these nonsensical claims! Always remember this; if it sounds too good to be true, it is probably not true.
But also don’t forget, it is possible to make good money in tech — but it is really hard and it mostly takes time to achieve a very good income level.
To be a tech bro, you need to have a laptop! Even though I have seen many people saying you can do some of these tech tasks with a mobile phone, I would never advise you to try it. Get a laptop — even if it is a lower-quality one (if that’s what you can afford).
When you want to get a laptop — and you have money to spare — it’s advisable to get a high-quality laptop with high enough specs to handle the tasks that you would need to be running on it. You should talk to laptop experts to know more. But if you can’t spare a huge sum for a laptop yet, then you can still get a lower-quality laptop that would serve you well pending the time that you would be able to get a better laptop.
When I first ventured into tech, I started by learning coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript, Python, etc) I was using an Intel Pentium 3825U with an HDD hard drive and about 8gb ram – It was doing averagely well enough to handle the software that I was using then! If you are not coding, it will even be easier to handle what you would be using! If the major tool you use is the Chrome browser, it will be even easier for you to use a lower-quality laptop. But if you can afford it, it’s better to buy higher quality laptops that can serve you better for longer periods of time.
For starters, at least, try getting a laptop with an SSD hard drive, good webcam (for video meetings), 8GB RAM, and a new generation Intel Core i3/AMD Ryzen 3. This is a minimum recommendation. If you can’t afford this, then buy whatever you can and manage it (must have a webcam) till you can afford a better laptop.
Careers in tech
There are many career paths that you can go into. According to authority sources such as Indeed and Coursera, tech skills (in the general sense) include: programming, digital marketing, UI/UX design, data analytics, data science, machine learning, technical writing, graphics design, systems and network administration, DevOps, product management, project management, etc.
Let me go into detail about some of these skills.
Programming: Programming is the process of creating software, applications, and websites using programming languages such as Python, Java, and JavaScript. Programmers write code that tells computers what to do and how to do it. Some of the career paths include: Software Developer, Web Developer, Mobile Application Developer, Game Developer, Embedded Systems Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Frontend Developer, Backend Developer, etc.
Digital marketing: Digital marketing is the practice of promoting products or services using digital channels such as social media, email, website, and search engines. Digital marketers use various techniques to reach their target audience and drive traffic to their intended destination. Some of the career paths include: SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, Content Marketing Specialist, Email Marketing Manager, Digital Marketing Analyst, CRM Manager, PPC Specialist, Inbound Marketing Manager, Digital Branding Specialist, Search Engine Marketing, etc.
UI/UX design: UI/UX design involves designing the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of digital products such as websites and mobile apps. UI designers focus on the visual aspects of the product, while UX designers focus on how users interact with it. Some of the career paths include: UI Designer, UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Information Architect, Visual Designer, Product Designer, UX Researcher, UX Writer, Prototyping Expert, Accessibility Specialist, etc.
Data analytics: Data analytics is the process of analyzing data to draw insights and make informed decisions. Data analysts use tools such as Excel and SQL to collect, clean, and analyze data. Some of the career paths include: Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Data Science Analyst, Quantitative Analyst, Data Visualization Expert, Data Analytics Consultant, Operations Analyst, Marketing Analyst, Big Data Engineer, etc.
Data science: Data science is a broader field that encompasses data analytics but also includes machine learning and artificial intelligence. Data scientists use statistical methods and machine learning algorithms to extract insights from data. Some of the career paths include: Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Business Intelligence Developer/Analyst, Research Scientist, etc.
Machine learning: Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that involves training machines to learn from data without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning algorithms can be used for tasks such as image recognition and natural language processing. Some of the career paths include: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Specialist, Natural Language Processing Scientist, Computer Vision Engineer, Robotics Programmer, Deep Learning Specialist, etc.
Technical writing: Technical writing involves creating documentation for technical products such as software manuals or user guides. Technical writers use clear and concise language to explain complex concepts to users. Some of the career paths include: Technical Writer (Software), Technical Editor, Documentation Manager, API Documentation Writer, Medical Writer, Technical Proposal Writer, Grant Writer, Technical Marketing Writer, etc.
Graphics design: Graphics design involves creating visual content such as logos, animations, illustrations, infographics, etc, using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, etc. Some of the career paths include: Graphic Designer, Art Director, Creative Director, Logo Designer, Multimedia Artist/Animator, Layout Artist, Brand Identity Designer, Flash Designer, 3D Artist, etc.
Systems and network administration: Systems and network administration involves managing computer systems and networks to ensure they are running smoothly and securely. System administrators are responsible for tasks such as installing software updates and monitoring network performance. Some of the career paths include: System Administrator, Network Administrator, IT Manager/Director, IT Security Specialist, Cloud Solutions Architect, IT Support Specialist/Technician, Database Administrator (DBA), etc.
DevOps: DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) with IT operations (Ops). DevOps engineers work to streamline the software development process by automating tasks such as testing and deployment. Some of the skills required for DevOps include knowledge of software development methodologies such as Agile or Scrum, scripting ability using languages like Python or Bash, and familiarity with cloud computing platforms like AWS or Azure. Some of the career paths include: DevOps Engineer, Release Manager, Automation Architect, Software Tester/QA, Integration Specialist, etc.
Product management: Product management involves overseeing the development of a product from conception to launch. Product managers work with cross-functional teams to ensure that the product meets customer needs and business goals. Some of the skills required for product management include strategic thinking ability, communication skills, project management ability using tools like Jira or Trello, and knowledge of Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban. Some of the career paths include: Product Manager, Program Manager (PgM), Project Manager (PM), Product Owner, etc.
Project management: Project management involves planning, executing, and closing projects in various industries including software development, construction, and marketing. Project managers use tools such as Gantt charts and agile methodologies to manage project timelines and resources. Some of the skills required for project management include leadership ability, communication skills, risk management ability using tools like SWOT analysis or risk matrices, and knowledge of project management methodologies like Waterfall or Agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban. Some of the career paths include: Project Manager (IT/Software Development), Program Manager (IT/Software Development), IT Project Coordinator and Agile Coach/Scrum Master, Product Owner, etc.
How to learn the skills
To learn any of these skills, many Nigerians end up paying big money to various institutes which is going to be tough if you don’t have enough money.
To learn those skills, you are probably better off going online to look for free materials. If you are a type that enjoys books, then look for free ebooks written on any of these skills; for me, I love videos and I believe that they are the best way to learn new skills.
If you go to YouTube, there are various videos on whatever skill you have decided to learn. If you don’t want to use YouTube, go to paid sites like Udemy, Coursera, Edx, and sites like that (What you will learn on Udemy or these sites is much better in quality than many of these big Nigerian institutes). If you want to use apps to learn, then there are various beautifully designed apps that you can find on Google Play Store or Apple App Store depending on the specific skill that you want to learn.
The learning process should look like this:
Note: I already explained some of the skills earlier in this article, but if you don’t understand properly or haven’t decided on what skills to learn, start from step 1; if not, move to step 2.
Step 1: Go to Google or YouTube, search for things like: “skills to make money online,” “top skills to make money online in 2024,” “best online skills to master,” “most profitable online skills to learn today,” “best freelance skills to learn in 2024,” “best digital skills for freelancing,” etc.
Step 2: Write down as many skills as you want from what you have got from your research.
Step 3: Go to Google or YouTube; start searching for each of them to gain a basic insight into what they are, some introductory aspects, difficulty level, and the ways to earn through it.
Step 4: Once you have done some basic research about these skills and gotten yourself familiarized with them, select 1-2 sub-skills that you like the most (You can only focus on one major skill at a time if you want to master it, but you can learn more than one sub-skill simultaneously. E.g You can learn Java and JavaScript simultaneously, but they are both sub-skills under programming).
Step 5: Go to Google and YouTube to start learning them deeply. For this, you might want to place more emphasis on YouTube. Search for videos like: “web development full course,” “CSS complete tutorial,” “Facebook ads for beginners,” “LinkedIn ads for newbies,” “digital marketing Simplilearn,” “graphics design course,” etc. Note that Simplilearn is the name of a YouTube channel. You can get several free courses from Google search (i.e, websites) or YouTube channels.
Depending on your niche, you might want to learn from YouTube channels such as Edureka, Simplilearn, Freecodecamp, Bro Code, My Lesson, etc. Find YouTube channels dedicated to teaching the skills you like and learn from those channels.
You can also use apps to learn. Go to the Google Play Store (for Android users) or App Store (for iPhone users) and search for the skill you want to learn. Choose two or three apps that look good and install them. For example, if you want to learn UI/UX design, search for “UI/UX design” and you will find several good apps to learn from. This applies to many skills. If you want to find good apps to learn from, it’s better to search for the name of the skill itself. For example, if you want to learn “Java,” search for “Java;” to learn “digital marketing,” search for “digital marketing;” and to learn “Python,” search for “Python.”
Note that there are many great apps for different skills, but it is harder to find apps for some skills — especially skills that share a name with popular apps. Skills such as Facebook ads, etc should be learnt via YouTube. Skills that have to do with running ads or paid marketing campaigns are better learnt on Youtube.
Note: most of these apps are free, but they will likely want to charge you small money for advanced classes and certificates — you can pay if you find them worthy and you can afford it; if not, you can check other apps or free sources explained here to learn more about the skill.
Also, apps are often not enough! You will most likely need to learn from other sources to master the skill. Also, you will need constant practice to master any skill.
If you don’t find these helpful, then there are other options that are paid for; either via online class platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, etc. You find offline institutes in your states where you can learn physically with a teacher.
Step 6: Be focused and keep learning till you become a pro. It will take some time, but it is an effort that is worth taking the time for.
How to monetize your skills
Once you have acquired a skill and you feel confident enough to look for jobs, then there are several options available for you. Some people may decide to start freelancing while others may decide to find traditional full-time jobs (normal job type).
Full-time job roles
These are the normal and common types of jobs those working for others engage in. These include people working for various kinds of establishments such as companies, government jobs, schools, etc. In this kind of job, you have a set number of hours that you must work daily which is normally 7-8 hours daily, and it is also often difficult to combine jobs — which is the opposite of freelance jobs which gives you freedom over the number of hours which you wish to work and also freedom of working for multiple companies at the same time.
When you have a tech skill, you can also decide to go the freelancing route. There are 2 types of people in this space; those working for companies in Nigeria, and those working remotely for companies abroad.
Note: Working remotely means that you work from home, and it is available for companies in Nigeria and companies abroad.
Depending on the type of skill that you possess, you can work for different types of companies in Nigeria and abroad. To work for Nigerian companies, you can use job boards/websites to look for jobs related to your skills. These platforms include Indeed Nigeria, Jobberman, Glassdoor Nigeria, Hotnigerianjobs, Myjobmag, LinkedIn Jobs, etc. These job boards have both onsite jobs and remote jobs.
Note: Onsite jobs refer to jobs where you have to be coming to the company’s premises to work — which is the opposite of remote jobs which give you the freedom of working from anywhere (including your bedroom).
To get foreign jobs and get paid in foreign currency, you can also use job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed USA (or other countries), Glassdoor USA (or other countries), Ziprecruiter, Weworkremotely, Turing, Remote.co, etc. You should note that getting full-time jobs with foreign companies is often incredibly complicated and difficult — but it is possible. Personally, I prefer freelancing over full-time jobs.
Freelancing
Freelancing involves the act of carrying out services for another in exchange for some reward — which is often money.
Freelancing is different from a traditional job because you are able to work for multiple clients at the same time without having to be a full-time employee for any of them.
According to Investopedia, “A freelancer is an independent contractor who earns wages on a per-job or per-task basis, typically for short-term work.”
But, it is also common for a freelancer to get jobs that go on for years without becoming a full-time employee of the said company.
When the term freelancing is used, it is mostly referring to online freelancing; but, there are also offline freelance jobs. In this article, I will stick to online freelancing.
You see, there are various platforms to get freelance jobs if you decide to go that route. Some of them include using LinkedIn, Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, cold pitching, etc. There are many guides online regarding how to get jobs via any of these platforms; but on this website, I will talk extensively about using Upwork to get freelance jobs.
Why Upwork?
There are many reasons why I use Upwork; and although getting jobs on Upwork in 2024 has even gotten harder due to various annoying and money-grabbing changes on the platform, I still prefer it to other platforms.
Let’s talk about some of the others:
Fiverr
Fiverr is one of the most popular freelance platforms out there, and a lot of freelancers make their living on it.
As amazing as Fiverr can be if you get really lucky, it poses some serious problems to a freelancer looking for a steady stream of income.
First of all, the business model of Fiverr is that a client will send a message to you based on your gig. That can be seriously difficult due to the numerous competitors who are much more credible than you due to their previous Fiverr work history — including those who are also probably using unethical tricks to fake their credibility on Fiverr. With this type of business model, you have little chance to prove yourself before your first few hires unless you want to fake your credibility which is really bad. Even though, after some time on the platform, you might start seeing requests from the buyer request page — which I don’t think is something to rely on.
Imagine if you had to wait for a client to contact you before getting a chance to work; I believe you might agree with me that it is risky to place one’s hopes on that.
The positive part is that once you actually start getting customers, you start getting more visibility, and your chances of being contacted gets higher. But is that really a stable way of making money? I guess not!
Another issue with Fiverr is the type of work commonly seen on Fiverr; they are mostly jobs that are for the short-term and with lower budget. There are opportunities to get longer-term jobs or higher valued jobs, but it is not as common as Upwork.
That being said, apart from a well-crafted gig, luck will also play a major role in getting jobs on Fiverr. You might be one of the lucky ones.
Freelancer.com
This is one of the most popular freelance platforms out there. Here, the model is a bit similar to Upwork because you get to send proposals to job postings; but, Upwork is better in many ways. Apart from the fact that the jobs here are lower in quality and value, they are also fewer.
Freelancer, like Fiverr, has a lot of positives; but, if your aim is to find a stable source of high income, you might want to try Upwork.
Note: there is no problem in trying out some of these platforms at the same time – you can never tell which one will work out well for you.
Apart from these 3 platforms, there are also several other platforms for freelancing; but most of them have various restrictions and challenges that will warrant me not explaining them here.
Some are for certain job categories, some don’t even allow Nigerians to register, and others make it very difficult to receive your funds.
Note: you can browse online for more freelancing platforms.
Upwork issues
You see, Upwork is good; but, it also has a lot of problems. Ranging from the fees, to the spam job posts, it is filled with problems. But despite all these challenges, it is still the best freelance platform that I know.
Must I be a tech bro/sis to make money online?
No! There are many ways to make money online without learning a tech skill. But unfortunately, the space has been filled with fake gurus (fake experts) who keep on making crazy and wild claims. Some of them do so to sell you something, some do it to boost their social media followers, and some just do it for clout chasing.
When you see some of these “gurus” who always seem to be making mad money online, don’t get intimidated — simply ignore their claims. Many of them make money from selling you a course, book, masterclass, etc. — not from actually practicing the online skill/business they claim to be experts in. In reality, you are their product; and the reason why they are so rich is because they sell these courses, etc. to you. In short, they make money by selling you the dream that you can get rich too.
Some of the other ways to make money online include: Kindle Publishing, affiliate marketing, blogging, starting a YouTube channel, e-commerce, etc
Note: these are the business side of making money online and they are what can give you passive income.
Let’s dive into some of these:
Kindle Publishing (Amazon KDP)
This is the process of writing books to sell on Amazon. The books may either be high-content books, low-content books, or no-content books.
To write and publish these books, you need to learn the art of writing and self-publishing deeply, i.e., it has a steep learning curve. Apart from that, there are a lot of challenges with making money this way.
First of all, it takes a long time to make and receive money on KDP, and it is not a very reliable way of making money.
Apart from the fact that making money here needs a lot of dedication, learning, luck, and perseverance, it is also simply too unstable.
Even if you manage to master it, you might still not make up to $100. If you manage to start making money, it might just be trickling (i.e., little money that comes at intervals). If you manage to start making a lot of money, you might face a copyright flag, or Amazon may simply suspend or ban your account for a mistake — either knowingly or unknowingly. If you manage to avoid falling into trouble, your income might suddenly stop either because your book falls in relevance, or an Amazon algorithm update affects your bestselling books negatively.
If I were you, I don’t think I can confidently place my future on this type of business. It is unstable and risky. If you want to place your financial security on something, it has to be something that is relatively stable and a money spinner.
Don’t misunderstand me, you can make a lot of money from Kindle Publishing; but it is a long, arduous, and unstable route. If you have some free time, I advise trying it out as a side hustle — NOT as a full-time hustle.
You never can tell — you might end up “blowing.”
Affiliate Marketing
This is the digital version of selling something for someone else in return for a commission.
If it sounds like something you have an idea of, it is exactly that; just that this time, it is the digital version.
If you have ever tried to sell something for someone else in return for a commission, you might agree with me that it is a long, arduous, and often unrewarding path.
At times, affiliate marketing gets very rewarding — but that isn’t until you get something in place.
These things might include blogging, email marketing, paid advertisements, etc; but, these are advanced techniques that you can use to pursue a more fulfilling and rewarding financial path.
Unless you want to be posting links on Facebook — and surely get reprimanded by Facebook — or spamming your WhatsApp status viewers with annoying things that they have no interest in, you will have to employ a wide variety of professional marketing tactics to sell through your affiliate links. These tactics could make you much more money if only you used them differently.
My biggest problem with Nigerian so-called affiliate marketing gurus is that lots of those who make a lot of money from it do so by promoting questionable products that sell dreams to people. Many of those sales pages contain long and crazy claims and promises — which are hallmarks of fake gurus. Yes, they are only employing the teachings of copywriting — but, copywriting is commonly used to sell dreams to people.
Don’t misunderstand me! if you have decided to make affiliate marketing (which doesn’t include selling questionable courses and products) your career path, then that is not bad if you are ready to expend the effort and money — but why not also make this a side hustle.
When I say side hustle, I mean that it shouldn’t be the sole reason why you are making these efforts.
If you are serious about affiliate marketing which doesn’t include promotion of questionable products using questionable means, you will need to pick a niche and have a blog. If you don’t have a blog, you will need to have a YouTube page where you can grow an audience. At the very least, you will need a thriving social media page or group.
To have any success with blogging, you need to master how it works. You will need to spend quite some money to set up a professional blog. To grow a blog, you will need to master the art of content marketing, email marketing, SEO, writing, graphics design, copywriting, etc. If you are able to grow an audience, you can now start seeing some success with affiliate marketing. If you are able to grow to that stage, then affiliate marketing should only be one of your options; because, at this stage, you have a wide variety of options to make money from.
To grow a YouTube page, you need to master the art of content creation, video editing, YouTube SEO, etc.
If you have ever tried to grow a social media page from scratch organically, you would know that it can be of the most frustrating and depressing tasks that you can ever undertake in the digital world.
If all of these sound like a crazy amount of work, it is because it is exactly so. It is a long road before you can smell success.
Blogging
I mentioned a bit about this when I was talking about affiliate marketing. You see, one of the most mocked people in Nigeria are the supposed bloggers because it is constantly believed that they carry fake news.
When you dive into the world of blogging, you will find out that blogging is entirely different from what many Nigerians think it is.
When I say blogging, I mean the process of creating a blog. When I say a blog, I mean a website that is filled with educative and immersive content that constantly produces high value to its readers.
To create a blog, you will need money to set it up — unless you want to use the free options which will not be very useful in growing an audience and making money.
Apart from money, you need to master a lot of things if you want to grow a blog. Not only that, you need to wait for at least 6-12 months (according to industry experts) to start growing meaningful traffic even if your SEO techniques are top notch.
Unlike what some supposed blogging guru might want to tell you about blogging, it is not as easy as many will like to make you believe. It is also a long, arduous, and tiring journey that might end up making you peanuts — especially if the only monetization you know is Google Adsense.
But if you become a master at blogging, and you manage to grow an audience of thousands or millions of hungry (i.e, hungry for your content) and passionate viewers monthly, you are on the right track. If that is coupled with excellent monetization knowledge and plenty of luck, then blogging might be a cool money spinner for you.
As you might already be able to guess, this is not for the faint-hearted.
Having a Youtube channel
Having a thriving YouTube channel is indeed one of the best and stable ways to make money online, but the journey to have that audience is very long and tiresome. It is definitely not for the weak or impatient.
You have to master a wide variety of skills to make this work. You have to master skills like content creation, script writing, video editing, video creation, YouTube SEO, graphics design, etc. If you are just starting out, you will probably do fine with just the basics of these skills; but, if you are serious about growth, then you need to master them — unless you have the money to hire professionals.
E-commerce
This involves selling things online. You can either sell digital products such as eBooks, courses, etc. or sell physical products such as clothes, electronics, etc. Jumia, Konga, Amazon, etc are examples of eCommerce businesses.
This is also a very tough way of making money online! Selling digital products comes with lots of tasks as you will need to create the product and find a viable way to sell it. All of these take lots of work and effort.
Unfortunately, there are many fake gurus in this niche and they will suck you dry if you are not careful. Because of how hard it is to succeed in this niche legitimately, many use dangerous copywriting methods to sell which can get really dark quickly. Copywriting is a field in writing, but the way many gurus use it is simply scary. Also, this is where the Nigerian affiliate marketing gurus shine the most — they suck people dry with promises of riches and dreams of a great life.
In summary, be careful when purchasing a product online! Don’t let anyone turn you into a sheeple! There are helpful digital products online, but beware of those making wild promises. There is no certain way to financial success, and don’t let anyone deceive you that their course is the only thing you need to succeed in life. It’s a lie. Despite the fact that I am a top-rated plus Upwork freelancer, I still can’t possibly claim that I have the perfect solution to getting jobs on Upwork. That’s simply how things work in the real world. Destiny, mastering of skills, proper mentorship, and perseverance all play huge roles in deciding if one will be successful in life. No-one has a sure path to financial success!
Summary
Though there are many ways to make money online apart from having tech skills, I would advise getting some tech skills as it would aid you in your pursuit of making money online via other means. Also, you should not rely on using your skills to get jobs alone — try building an online business for yourself so that you can be earning passive income too.
Are tech bros rich?
Due to the current high status associated with being a tech bro in Nigeria, there is a perceived feeling of wealth and affluence associated with those with the tag. Because of this, tech bros have overtaken medical doctors in the list of brothers with high future prospects (lols.) Guys now proudly associate themselves as tech bros to attain a high social standing. Among the Muslims, they are seen as Maasha-Allah brothers and Muslim sisters also dream of marrying a tech bro! Among the Muslims, a typical tech bro is given higher regards if he has gone to Umrah/Hajj and also has a car! To many, this is the hallmark of successful young brothers.
Well, let me burst your bubble. A typical tech bro is probably just a broke guy/girl trying to find their path in the tech industry. Even if a tech bro/sis starts making money, it’s usually not the huge amount many think of! Just like any career, we have different levels of achievement. Some tech bros are broke, while some are wealthy; some are unemployed, some are underemployed, while some are gainfully employed; some earn in Naira, while some earn in Dollars.
Those who earn in Naira are also of different levels -— depending on the company you work for, your level of expertise, and years of experience, your salary will be wildly different. A tech bro can earn ₦200k in a company, while someone with exactly the same skills and experience will earn ₦300k in another company. The salary wildly differs also depending on your niche. As a web developer, you will probably earn more than a digital marketer in Nigeria. There is a hierarchy among these skills also in Nigeria and abroad.
Those who earn in dollars are also of different levels — depending on the company you work for, your level of expertise, and years of experience, your salary will be wildly different. Also, depending on your type of job, your monthly earnings will also wildly differ. If you have a stable foreign remote job with a stable monthly salary, you are probably better off than your freelancer friend who needs to continue looking for jobs to earn something monthly. Freelancing has plenty of positives, but one of its biggest issues is job instability.
But the sweet part of being a tech bro is the incredible prospect of quick transformation of one’s fortunes. If you are a struggling tech bro, one foreign job alone can completely change your life. You can go from being broke to earning $500+ within a night. You could have looked for jobs without success or you could be earning a low salary and yet get a life-changing job in an instant. Of course, you would need to be on the lookout for good jobs (especially foreign jobs) to be able to achieve that kind of success. It’s very hard to find anything with such incredible levels of prospects — and this is probably why tech bros (even the struggling ones) might be seen as people with higher future prospects.
But let me burst your bubble again; the same way you could immediately be earning something crazy within a night is also the same way you could lose a high-paying job within a night – and it can easily come without warning. In fact, it will be like a dream when you experience such a thing. I have experienced this too. All you need to break your heart is a mail notifying you that your contract has been terminated — this is especially true for freelancers.
But another positive in this industry is that once you have started getting good roles, it might become easier to get another good role without having to suffer for months. You could lose a job today and get a replacement within a week if you are lucky; if you are unlucky, it could take several months to get another one — especially if you haven’t got a great CV or you don’t know how to look for jobs properly.
Another advantage tech bros have is that even if they don’t have good jobs, they could use their skills to create entrepreneurship opportunities for themselves. These are the reasons why real tech bros are hot — and rightly so.
Imagine a successful 23-year-old tech bro/sis making what his/her professor parents couldn’t make in Nigeria! It is very hard to reach that level — but it is possible if you are very lucky. Professors are at the pinnacle of academics in Nigeria — but successful tech bros make much more than they do. Oil company workers make mad money, but very successful tech bros are bigger boys. If you are a very successful tech bro making cool dollars, you are bigger than lots of businessmen.
Being a tech bro who knows his onions could mean that you have good future prospects, but it doesn’t mean you will be as successful as you dream of. Some tech bros are successful, while others are just broke or underemployed. If you see someone claiming to be a tech bro, don’t assume he/she has money. It’s simply false. In fact, in lots of cases, successful tech bro hide their status. Many aren’t known on social media and they don’t have a following.
If a guy tells you he is a tech bro, be careful. A friend jokingly told me that my own tech is “Intro Tech.” Some people’s tech are actually like that. Being a tech bro has become a status symbol today — so many people love to associate with it. Many guys looking to impress ladies also claim tech bro. Even people who haven’t finished learning HTML are claiming tech bro. To me, a real tech bro is a person who has mastered his tech skill to a good degree. Anything apart from that is “aspiring tech bro.” You don’t call a 100 level medical student a medical doctor — not to talk of thinking that he is a successful medical doctor. Imagine if 200 level medical students claim to be successful doctors, there would be chaos. This kind of chaos is what we are experiencing in the tech industry today.
Lots of people claim tech bro without actually having the skills or financial strength to back up the claim. Also, due to the kind of societal expectations of people called tech bros today, it’s better to avoid calling yourself such if you are not making something sensible from it. If you must attach yourself to “tech bro” by force, then you can simply call yourself “aspiring tech bro,” or “tech bro – in view.” Lolzz…
In summary, be careful — so that no-one deceives you with the claim of being a “tech bro.” After all, someone whose “tech” is Microsoft word might also be claiming to be a tech bro. Lolzzz…
Is tech a sustainable career path?
Well, this is a difficult question to answer — especially with the current threat of world war 3 making everyone scared.
But if World War 3 were to commence, getting tech jobs would be the least of our worries — we would probably be more worried about surviving. Well, I hope we never experience a nuclear war!
Apart from the threat of a world war, another reason to be scared is if Nigeria were to face troubles with some world powers who then punish us with punitive sanctions — as they did with Russia. If you were a Russian, 2022 would have been a really hard year for tech gurus working for foreigners due to the payment issues that arose from the sanctions. Luckily for the Russians, they are also a superpower so it was much easier to cope. For Nigerians, this can be deadly for tech bros who earn foreign currency.
Apart from these international relations problems that may arise, I think there isn’t much to fear regarding the tech industry. Something that many may fear is regards to tech companies going bankrupt, but this happens to traditional companies also. Even if many tech companies go bankrupt, many would simply rise to fill the space. That’s because our need for tech products is seemingly unlimited. Your company may also conduct layoffs which may affect you, but if you have a very good CV, it would probably be easier to get a new job — especially if you possess relevant skills.
So, I believe that having a career in tech is relatively stable. There are no industries without its own problems – and tech isn’t an exception. As a freelancer, your career path is less stable than someone with a full-time role. But the salary you might earn when you have a job should be able to cover for you when you are broke if you are able to save and invest well.
Let’s say you had a job paying you 500k monthly for about 4 months, then you lose the job and you were unable to get a new one for the next 3 months — the 2M you gained in the 4 months of working is enough to sustain you for even a whole year if you spend wisely. In summary, when you start getting jobs, spend, save, and invest with sense.
But I would advise you not to put all your eggs in one basket. If you have a good profession apart from tech, I would advise you to pursue both simultaneously. Doing this would give you some shield against “sapa” (being broke). If you have started making money in tech, anything can happen and you might find it hard to get new jobs — this can induce “sapa” if you don’t have something else. If you don’t have a good alternative profession, then find a way to get a consistent stream of alternative income — this could mean saving sensibly, investing sensibly, or starting a new business. In summary, have many alternative income sources! Do not let yourself be exposed to SAPA! A word is enough for the wise.
Are all of these make-money online courses scams?
Earlier in this article, I warned you about buying these courses and books that promise to make you wealthy, but are they all scams?
Well, it will depend on how you define scam! You see, many of these courses probably contain helpful information that may actually help you make some money — but be wary of their promises. I think that you might buy from some of them, but you shouldn’t expect anything from it. If it ends up making you money, great; if not, you won’t be pained.
Most of them lie in their ad copies — the testimonials, the promises of wealth, the time countdown, the originality of their content (many steal or copy from others), the worth of their products, the uses of their products or courses, the security of their website (for payment transactions), the stories of their own sufferings, etc. — but it doesn’t mean that the product itself is totally useless.
One of my previous clients (who isn’t religious) who sells digital products once said this: “But there’s no God in advertizing, that’s for sure. We sold our souls as soon as we stepped into ads and anything digital.”
As unfortunate as the statement above is, it’s the reality of what is perpetrated by many of those who sell these kinds of digital products. But despite the client above using those bad tactics, his products were quite useful.
So, if your definition of a scam is lying to sell — then most of these people who sell digital products with their ad copies are LIARS and SCAMMERS! But if your definition of scam is selling a totally useless product, then maybe many wouldn’t be called scam. As for me, I absolutely abhor these practices and I don’t use them!
To be sincere though, it can be difficult to blame them for doing so. They know that unless they advertise that way, you won’t buy their products. They understand that most human beings are greedy, deceitful, and hate the truth — so they employ all tactics to exploit those human traits.
They understand that if they don’t tell you what you want to hear, you would never buy their courses. They understand basic human psychology and they exploit it to their advantage. Most human beings generally like lies, and we abhor the truth. If someone honestly sells, it is hard to sell.
Let’s say an expert tells you that if you buy his course, you would understand the topic of the course very well, but he can’t assure you that you will make money — you likely would never buy that course. But if one amateur tells you that buying his course would make you millions and would make you as rich as he is today, you would desperately buy the course. If he tells you that he was once a broke guy like you, and that you can also become a big boy like him if only you buy his course — you would be desperate to buy the course; in fact, you would even borrow money just so that you don’t miss the “life-changing opportunity.” These are some of the reasons why these bad advertising practices will continue to be used! So, the blame lies on everyone!
When can I enter the tech industry?
Unless you are over 50, I don’t think there is a specific time-frame for when to enter the tech industry. For those over 50, they can still integrate their current profession into tech. Anyone can enter the tech industry as long as they can cope.
Secondary school students, university students, working graduates, etc can all enter into tech. In fact, it is much better to start tech earlier when you still depend on your parents than to start when you are independent. Parents should endeavor to introduce their children to the tech industry as early as possible to make them gain valuable and life changing skills that might help them later on in life.
For those in high level professions that are already raking in cool cash, you can also enter into tech. You can start learning tech afresh while keeping your nice job, or you can integrate your current profession into tech. For example, if you are an accountant with a very good job, you can either decide to start learning new tech skills, or you can decide to master accounting related tech fields which would help you to massively improve your employability and versatility in the accounting sector. In summary, tech fits everyone and there are several ways to utilize the opportunities in tech to better your financial strength.
Can tech be a side hustle?
Yes. Tech can either be your main hustle or side hustle — it depends on which one shows you more future prospects or makes you more money. Also, depending on the tech skill and the job type, you might find some flexible and some rigid. If you are a programmer working full time for a company, then combining that with being a medical doctor can be incredibly daunting — In fact, combining any full-time tech role with a full-time traditional career role can be daunting. If you have a professional traditional career that you want to protect, then it is better to look for freelance tech roles which will give you flexibility over the hours and time you want to work.
Conclusion
Tech can be very lucrative if you work very hard and get very lucky; however, before you decide to venture into it, make sure you have the strength and resilience to cope with its difficult spiritual, physical, and mental demands.
Nice post it was cool reading it