18 y/o making a living with AI-generated models (~$3,300 last 3 months). What actually works

Hey BHW,

I've been reading here for a while, so I wanted to give something back.

Quick background:
- I'm 18 and I've been working with AI-generated models for about 3 years.
- I started with Stable Diffusion trying to make a decent face, and it looked terrible.
- Since then I've built 7-8 models and lost dozens of accounts to bans along the way.
- My main model made around $3,300 in the last 3 months. That's what pays my rent now.

What I've learned:
1. The platform (Fanvue, etc.) is just your store. It doesn't bring buyers. Traffic is the real business.
2. Quality first, volume later. Realistic content until you understand what converts, then scale.
3. Copy what's already viral in your niche and adapt it to your model.
4. Stories are underrated. Way more people tap the glowing profile circle than visit your profile.
5. Bans are part of the game. Never build everything on one account.

Not selling anything here. If you have questions about getting started, tools, traffic or monetization, drop them below and I'll answer.

Thanks for the post. How to build the product. The first tools one should acquire?

Thanks man. The process goes roughly like this:

1. Create the face. This is the most important step. Spend time on it until it looks real and you can keep it consistent across photos.
2. Build her content: photos and short videos with that same face, in different poses, outfits and places.
3. Set up and warm up the accounts like a real girl would (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) before pushing anything.
4. Get traffic with reels, ideally adapting trends that are already viral in your niche.
5. Monetize: exclusive content (Fanvue, Telegram) or brand deals.

For tools, start free: ChatGPT, Gemini and Kling are enough to learn the basics without spending anything. Once you have a consistent face and know what works, then it's worth paying for something like Higgsfield.