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How I went from failing grades to 1 million views at 12 years old.

I'm going to tell the story of how I went from bad grades to 1,000,000 views on YouTube as a 12-year-old, and taught myself one of the most important skills of my life... and how you can too!

Failing grades

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When I was 12, I was stuck. My report card said:

"Simon is in danger of failing the year."

Even when I tried really hard, I'd study for hours only to see a big C+ on my test.

Around this time, I realized something important:

If I was going to build my dream future, I had to teach myself the skills that would get me there.

Discovering coding

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I got lucky (sidenote: In future newsletters I will discuss how to create luck) while playing Call of Duty online. A friend from Saudi Arabia told me his school taught computer programming—coding—to kids. This was back in 2007. That blew my mind.

I Googled coding and discovered that it lets you build websites, apps, and products using nothing but your own two hands. I was hooked.

I started learning coding from free YouTube tutorials and the public library. I watched videos, scribbled notes, and studied those notes on the train to school. And then, I came across this quote:

"The best way to learn is to teach."

So I started my own YouTube channel, teaching coding to others.

At the time, I knew barely more than what I was teaching, and had a high-pitched voice. But it worked! After creating dozens of videos, teaching helped me learn deeper and faster.

What happened next?

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  • Those videos got over 1 million views.
  • YouTube paid me my first $1000.
  • Coding became the skill that changed my life.

Coding taught me how to solve problems creatively, think logically, and—most importantly—turn ideas into reality.

Knowing how to code would end up being a skill that would change my life. Coding was high in demand and was extremely practical to build things of value! I could make money with my coding knowledge.

Not only is it fun to learn, with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) one can build things 10 times faster than what used to be possible. It gives you power within technology.

This works for any skill

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The secret isn't just for coding.

Whether you're learning to play guitar, bake bread, solve math problems, or speak a new language—teaching is the fastest way to get better.

Why? Because science shows that:

  • 90% of what we teach, we retain. (See image below)
  • Teaching engages multiple parts of the brain, boosting understanding and long-term memory.
  • Explaining concepts to others forces you to clarify your knowledge, making it easier to identify gaps and improve.

Whether you teach a sibling, a friend, or even post a short video online, you'll not only help someone else—you'll lock in what you've learned.

The learning pyramid graph
The learning pyramid

Your challenge

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Teach something important to you.

  • Share it with a sibling, a friend, or post a short video online.
  • It doesn't have to be perfect—remember, I started teaching coding with barely more knowledge than what I shared.

Teaching activates the most effective form of learning, and you'll get better faster while helping others.

👉 What skill do you want to teach? Send a reply to hello@dream.career and tell me—I'd love to hear.

Watch my lack of entertaining coding video

Insights for teenagers to
build your dream career.

Learn the timeless skills to turn your goals
into reality and build financial freedom.

No spam, ever.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and confirm that you are 13 years or older.

Who is the author?

Hello! wave icon I'm Simon Komlos.

When I was 4, my parents told me I’d been adopted from a Hungarian orphanage. At first, I didn’t understand what that meant—but the idea stuck with me. It made me wonder: "Why me? Why did I get this chance?" That question lit a fire in me. I wanted to prove I deserved this second chance and make the most of it.

Simon Komlos at age 6Simon at age 6

Around 6, I declared to my parents that I would become a millionaire. As my parents had never even seen close to a million dollars, their surprised reaction made me wonder: how could I make that happen?

At 12, I started experimenting with entrepreneurship—coding, creating, and failing over and over again while learning valuable lessons.

At 26, my co-founders and I sold a financial education company for $36 million. We had partnered with over 300 U.S. financial institutions and helped millions of young people learn financial literacy.


Simon with co-founders. Building Zogo.comSimon with co-founders. Building Zogo.com

But that success was my 20th try at starting a business! I’m not particularly special—I got bad grades in school and was such a late bloomer I constantly felt behind my peers. But I started early, learned from failures, and focused on building skills, habits, and mindsets that turned my childhood dream into reality through a journey of entrepreneurship.

These same tools can help you create a life where you can be creative, make money, help others, and have the freedom to pursue what excites you. My mission is to break these big ideas into simple, actionable steps so you can take control of your future.

© 2024 Komlos, LLC. All rights reserved