How to play Welder / Fabricator
Someone willing to clear this gate: 6mo-2yr welding program or apprenticeship + AWS/process certifications; no license to start a shop but rig welder needs a ~$40K-$100K welding truck/rig. Underwater adds commercial dive school ($15K-$30K). Capital tier: mid capital.
First dollar: Typical time-to-first-income on this board: 5 yr. That is a planning number, not a promise.
Exact steps. Ship the smallest unit of paid value before you gold-plate.
Join metal with arc, MIG, TIG, or stick welding for construction, manufacturing, pipelines, and ships; read fab drawings and pass certified weld tests. Specialize (pipeline, rig, underwater) or own a fab/mobile-rig shop to clear six figures.
Do the minimum that makes you legal and sellable: 6mo-2yr welding program or apprenticeship + AWS/process certifications; no license to start a shop but rig welder needs a ~$40K-$100K welding truck/rig. Underwater adds commercial dive school ($15K-$30K).. Do not gold-plate this step.
Complete training/license requirements, then land the first paid job or account. Proof beats planning.
Repeat the smallest sale until the motion is boring. Track hours, CAC, and close rate. Kill vanity work.
If it works, templatize delivery and price. If the ceiling is low, ladder into a related deck on this board.
Related decks if this one is working or if you need a stronger wincon.
What you do on paper: Join metal with arc, MIG, TIG, or stick welding for construction, manufacturing, pipelines, and ships; read fab drawings and pass certified weld tests. Specialize (pipeline, rig, underwater) or own a fab/mobile-rig shop to clear six figures.
Frequency: ~416,210 employed (BLS OEWS, 2025)