Transcription
So, you know that feeling when someone who's really not all that smart is making more money than you? I mean, are they secretly a genius or something? Well, here's the deal. Okay, those people probably are as dumb as you think they are, but most people don't realize that when it comes to building wealth, intelligence helps, but it's—well, it's actually kind of overrated. In fact, sometimes it's the very thing keeping you broke. In this video, we're showing you why intelligence doesn't make money, how dumb people get rich without trying, and of course, how to actually use intelligence to build wealth because when you know how to use it, you'll become unstoppable. Welcome to Alux, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.
Okay, so we're going to start off here today by talking about the intelligence myth. So here's the thing. Okay, growing up, everyone is told that being smart is the key to success. The smartest kids in class are expected to get good grades, go to top schools, and do big things in their careers. Meanwhile, the rest of the class is forced to accept that, well, life's going to be tough. This belief sticks with us. This is why people spend years chasing degree after degree; they think they'll get smarter the more they study and that that's naturally going to lead them to making more money. Society worships intelligence, but the problem is, if intelligence alone made people rich, well, the world's wealthiest people would be scientists, doctors, professors.
But just look at someone like Richard Branson. He struggled with dyslexia and he dropped out of school because he had terrible grades at 16 years old. He had no formal education and no clear direction in life, and yet, despite this, Branson started a magazine, launched a record store, then a record label, an airline, and now a space flight company. He's worth billions, but he's not your typical genius—not even close.
On the other hand, there's someone like Nicola Tesla, who actually was undeniably a genius. Tesla invented alternating current, which is the foundational technology behind every modern electricity system. So he's arguably one of the most influential inventors of all time. His patents alone could have made him the richest person of all time, and yet, despite his brilliance, Tesla didn't have any business skills. He died completely broke and in love with a pigeon—yeah, really, look it up.
So what Nicola Tesla's story shows us is you can read all the books, get all the degrees, and have all of the knowledge, but even being a genius doesn't automatically make you rich or successful. In a weird way, intelligence actually ends up holding us back a lot of the time. Now we're about to fill you in on the number one reason why smart people struggle to get rich, but before we do, we want to quickly tell you about something special going on here at Alux this month.
So you know we're on a mission to create at least 1,000 new millionaires through the Alux app, and we've already helped to mint a few so far. But to help even more of our community members succeed in their business goals for the month of April, we've got a fun little challenge for you. If you've been on the fence about jumping into entrepreneurship, this is definitely for you. Okay, because we're going to help you launch your business in 30 days. We've put together a curated bundle of expert-led collections that are designed to cover all of the essential skills you need to get your business off the ground. The collection will walk you through the whole process, from the idea stage to branding and building systems to scale. If you download the Alux app and scan this QR code on screen, you'll get 35% off the monthly membership, giving you time to work your way through that collection, which is more like a board of three exclusive business advisors: Terry Rice, Claudia Miklaus, and Michael E. Gerber. Now, a monthly subscription to the Alux app normally costs $29, but if you scan that QR code on screen, you'll get access for $19—just under 20 bucks—to get access to expert-level business insights for an entire month. Well, it's kind of a no-brainer if you ask me, but anyway, moving along to the number one reason smart people struggle.
So just imagine there are two people standing in front of a giant maze. One is a genius, and the other one is just a regular guy. At the end of the maze is pretty much anything you've ever dreamed of—whatever it is: money, success, freedom, you name it. Before going into the maze, the genius sits down at the entrance with a pen and paper, trying to understand and map out the entire route before taking a single step. Meanwhile, the normal guy just wanders on in. They bump into walls, they make wrong turns, they run around in circles. To the genius, this is embarrassing, but to them, it's no problem. Every time they make a mistake, well, they backtrack and they try a different route. Most of the time, it's yet another mistake, but every so often they get it right, and on average, they're getting closer and closer to the end. And while all of this is happening, the genius is still sitting at the starting line, obsessing over the perfect plan. So who do you think is going to come out on top here? It's obvious, right? Even if they make a ton of mistakes along the way, that regular guy is eventually going to find his way through the maze. Meanwhile, that genius is going to be at the entrance sharpening their pencil.
You see, our so-called genius here at the entrance never went in because they were terrified of making a wrong turn, hitting a dead end, wasting time by trying to figure out the path—terrified because when people grow up being constantly told that they're smart, smart becomes who they are. So when they fail, it isn't just a setback; it's an attack on their identity. This is why the guy who got straight A's in business school gets a master's degree and then a PhD and then becomes a college professor, but they never actually start a business; that would be too risky because if they fail, people will think they weren't really that smart all along. So if you've always been told that you're smart, failing at something can make you go from feeling like a genius to feeling like a total idiot, and that is a hard pill to swallow.
Think about it. This is why the quote-unquote dumb people actually have an advantage when it comes to making money: they just care about achieving their goals. But often for smart people, that isn't enough; they want to achieve their goals the smart way. But this fear of failure destroys progress. Meanwhile, action takers—they do things differently. They're not afraid to fail, to look dumb, or even to be laughed at. They understand that failure doesn't define who you are; what matters is how you respond to it. You see, the people who succeed aren't the ones who never fail; they're the ones who understand that failure is just a part of life. And that brings us to the real problem: intelligence actually becomes a disadvantage if it makes you overthink everything—right? That's why it's called analysis paralysis.
The good news is there's an antidote to this. The people who break free from overthinking don't have some secret intelligence or an unfair advantage; no, they've simply mastered two key skills. And the first one is execution—it's the action taker's advantage. Okay, because you see, ideas are like seeds; in order for them to grow, they have to be planted, watered, and nurtured. And that's the thing: ideas are abundant, but what separates success from failure is executing them better than anyone else. Let's look at someone like Jeff Bezos and what he did with Amazon. So Bezos didn't invent online shopping, no, but he did do it better than anyone else. That's why today Amazon dominates e-commerce. Everyone has thousands of brilliant ideas—genuinely, from starting a new business to writing a new book or learning a new skill—but I mean, how many of these ideas that cross your mind do you actually do something about? Think about it. Okay, you can have a brain the size of Albert Einstein's, but it doesn't actually matter if you never use it for anything. Inspiration is everywhere, but execution—that's rare. However, the biggest misconception that people have here is thinking that execution is a personality trait; it isn't. Okay, the truth is it is a skill, and anyone can train themselves to be action-oriented. It's something you build, not something you're born with. So that's the first skill.
The second skill is social intelligence. Take Steve Jobs, for example. He was not the best engineer at Apple; he didn't build the devices or write the code, but he had vision, leadership, and the ability to sell his ideas. Jobs was able to convince some of the world's best engineers to work for him; he made people believe that his products were revolutionary, and that's why Apple became one of the most valuable companies in the world—not because Steve Jobs was a fantastic coder, but because he knew how to get people behind his mission. And this is where most people get stuck. The thing is, wealth is often built on your ability to shape opinion, to get people to take action, and most importantly, to connect with the right people. Social intelligence is actually a lot more important than traditional IQ. Having a higher IQ means you can understand complex information and solve highly technical problems; it might get you excellent grades, but it doesn't guarantee that you're going to end up rich. Meanwhile, social intelligence helps you to get people to trust you, to work with you, and open up their wallets for you. And if wealth is what you want, that's truly what matters. In venture capital, investors don't throw their money at spreadsheets; they invest in founders who sell a vision. And customers don't buy products; they buy from brands who tell a good story. Success in any field isn't just about knowing the technicalities; no, it's about great communication, persuasion, and leadership.
But okay, so how do you actually stop doubting yourself and start taking action to build wealth? Well, you already know it's not about intelligence, right? What it really comes down to is your mindset. And as long as you live by these three rules, you're going to run laps around everybody else, no matter how smart they think they are. First of all, stop waiting for the perfect moment. You need to understand that life doesn't come with a trial period or money-back guarantee. You can't just dip your toes in the water; you've got to jump in. Because look, okay, you could spend years theorizing, planning, and preparing, but until you take that first real step toward your goals, it's all just speculation. So instead of staying trapped in the endless cycle of what if, ask yourself, what's the next step I can take right now? And act on that immediately. Okay. Second of all, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Every day you're writing a story without knowing the ending, so get used to it. Okay, there's no GPS, no step-by-step guide to become the person you're meant to be. You're going to make mistakes along the way, and that's just a part of the job. Okay, so don't be afraid to act even in the face of uncertainty; most of life is uncertain. And lastly, prioritize people—okay, not just ideas. Every idea, as perfect as it seems inside your mind, has to be communicated well, because think about it—okay, an idea only holds real power when it reaches real people. That takes vision, leadership, and the ability to tell a good story. So the next time you tell the world what you're up to, remember that it's not what you say that counts; it's how it makes people feel. At the end of the day, the gap between success and failure is not intelligence; it is action. Because look, okay, action beats intelligence every single time. And that's a wrap for now, Aluxer. We hope that after spending some time with us here today, you're geared up and ready to take action on your business goals, and we'd be honored to be a part of that journey. So once again, here's that QR code to join the Start Your Business in 30 Days challenge on the Alux app. Your life could look vastly different in one month's time, but hey, it's your call. I'll see you on the inside.