I think it is a very relevant question for anyone that starts out. Remember that it is still a business that you are building. Very few (if any) "get rich quick" schemes work and the same applies to Internet Marketing. It is a process of learning (investing), experimenting, more learning and fine tuning it until you have your own "formula" that works for you. It takes some skill and luck (like any other business).

I found that setting a specific goal in terms of investment, time and ROI helps me focus and not jump around to the latest program that makes money. It seems that everyone has this problem early in their IM "career". Just like it depends on domain age and Page Rank and backlinks to get decent SEO, so does time, investment and experience get you to make a substantial income. Anything under 9-12 months is highly unlikely. But it would take as long to get a "bricks and mortar" business going.

My few cents

Pieter