Compare four paths to financial independence side-by-side: micro-SaaS, real estate, franchising, and consulting. All numbers are estimates based on real-world data for employed founders with 5-10 hours/week to invest.
Micro-SaaS has the lowest startup cost ($500-$5,000), fastest path to revenue (weeks, not years), and is the most invisible path — your name is never on the product. A micro-SaaS charging $29/month needs ~138 customers for $4,000/month. At 5 hours/week, most corporate managers reach this in 12-18 months using Invisible Exit's five AI tools. Real estate requires $50K+ in capital and your name on public records. Franchising requires full-time commitment. Consulting trades your time for money and is hard to keep anonymous.