How We Label Income Claims and Sources
We do not audit anyone's books. What we do is find where an income figure was published, read the source, and label how well it is supported. Here is exactly what each label means.
The Four Evidence Levels
Reported by an independent publication
Used when a news outlet or other independent party reported the figure and says it reviewed supporting documents, such as earnings records or payout statements. We link to that report. We have not seen the records ourselves.
Self-reported, with some outside support
Used when the figure comes from the person, but something checkable backs part of it: a public revenue dashboard, a news outlet repeating the figure, a product that is live and matches the story, or several consistent sources over time.
The person's own statement
Used when the figure comes only from the person, for example in an interview, post, or podcast, and nothing else we found confirms it. We still publish the workflow and tools, and make clear the number is unverified.
Not published
Stories with vague claims, no traceable source, an unnamed product, or a source we could not open are not published. We keep them on a research list and only publish them if better evidence turns up.
Our Five Editorial Rules
Revenue is money in before costs. In businesses like print on demand, production, shipping, platform fees, and ads can take a large share. Every case says whether its figure is revenue, profit, or recurring revenue, and over what period.
One person's result is not typical and may not be repeatable. Each case lists limitations and risks, including prior experience, timing, and audience the person already had.
Sponsors cannot pay for a better evidence label or favorable coverage. Any paid placement is clearly labelled as sponsored.
Every published case links to at least one public source, such as an article, interview, video, or post, that you can open and read yourself.
If a figure turns out to be wrong, we correct the case, lower its evidence label if needed, or remove it.