Premise
A "money tree" is a business system that produces income with the passage of time, independent of the operator's hours. The source identifies five seedling types and grades each for passivity potential.
The Five
| # | Seedling | Passivity grade | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rental systems | A | Real estate, royalties, licenses, patents, music rights, photo licensing |
| 2 | Computer / software systems | A− | Internet businesses, SaaS, mobile apps, automated platforms |
| 3 | Content systems | B+ | Books, blogs, magazines, podcasts (per source: books, magazines, blogs) |
| 4 | Distribution systems | B | Franchising, chaining, network marketing (as owner), TV / infomercial, retail networks |
| 5 | Human resource systems | C | Employee-operated businesses |
Grades reflect potential passivity (income-with-time, exclusive-of-operator-time), not income ceiling. A high HR-driven business may earn more than a small content business but takes more management.
Hybrids are normal
Most real businesses are hybrids. Source example: Amazon.com is a distribution system backboned by a computer system, operated via human resources. Self-storage with automated kiosks is a rental system run by a computer system instead of HR — passivity ~85%.
Compatibility with the Fastlane equation
A seedling matters only if it survives Commandment of Time (can run without you) and reaches Commandment of Scale (units × unit profit can grow large). A coffee shop is a low-passivity rental-of-space + HR + retail hybrid that typically violates both.
Why HR sits last
Humans are expensive, unpredictable, require management. Adding people can raise passivity (a GM frees the owner) but can also lower it (employees needing supervision absorb the owner's time). HR usefulness depends on what passivity baseline you're starting from.
Implication
Pick a road that starts with a high-grade seedling (A or A−), or has a clear path to add one. A massage therapist has zero seedling presence — no leverage path exists without restructuring (course, app, chain of locations).