"Make Money Online" + List Building

So two weeks ago, I decided to stop sitting in the beginner's circle and start making money online. I created my first Fiverr gig and sold $40 worth of SEO articles. While working on that, I've been researching affiliate marketing because it seems to be one of the "easier" methods for beginners (so I've read). The most common recommendation I've seen, no matter what methodology is involved, is to build a list.

Now my gut tells me I should be focused on making money with niche blogging, but I can't shake the feeling that I can be effective in the "make money online" niche despite its "saturation." I have an idea on how to be an authority in the niche and amass a following, but I want proof of my experience when I get started down that path. I know I'm capable of this because I've done something similar before. I was getting subscribers for years even when I wasn't making videos anymore. Unfortunately, it was a non-paying niche.

So my question is, would it be effective to setup a domain that redirects members to an affiliate on ClickBank or JVZoo, then use a separate portion of my site to build a squeeze-page where I'll send paid traffic for list building? My carrot would probably be some PLR content or product I create myself, and my traffic source would likely be PPC ads. I'll manage my list with Aweber, and I don't mind the up front investment all of this requires, though I am curious about a decent amount to pour in.

I've already proven taking action is the best way to learn, but I want to see if there's a flaw in my thinking before I go throwing money down the drain.

Edit: Now that I think about it, perhaps I should follow my instinct and work with niche blogging. The amount of investment I've read about for PPC campaigns is upward of $1000, and probably more for such a dense niche. I'm probably better off putting this aside until I have more investment funding.