Online business models don't all stack up equally. Here's a realistic breakdown:

S-Tier stands out for a reason—SaaS platforms, recurring subscription models, and Protocol infrastructure. They're the infrastructure layer that scales. Financial rails? Even better if you're capturing value in the transaction itself.

A-Tier plays well too. Media brands build moats through audience, info products monetize knowledge, and Trading platforms extract alpha directly from market flow. Casino mechanics? They work, but the house always wins.

B-Tier's the grind—agencies exchange time for money (not ideal), short-form content chases virality on borrowed algorithms, and AI apps are crowded lately.

C-Tier ecommerce and product flipping—volume games with thin margins. You're competing on logistics and luck.

D-Tier brokers and marketplaces take percentage cuts but rarely own the value—you're essentially a middleman layer.

The pattern: ownership of rails or protocol beats attention beats volume. Where do your favorite projects actually sit?