I'm sure he tried many times and failed too, and this is a later success. He does say he struggled to save even $5k, and this MRR looks like it took him 4 years

I'm sure he tried many times and failed too, and this is a later success. He does say he struggled to save even $5k, and this MRR looks like it took him 4 years to reach. I think this is about risk; being a freelancer is relatively low risk (higher risk than traditional employment though?) and thus doesn't have higher payoffs. There's also innovative ways that many "normal" freelance developers are able to earn $200k+/year. Maybe check their methods out and try to emulate what they did in your market? I'm sure you could find a clear path to reach their level with some self-training and practice. I know it's difficult and scary, but that's just life.