These are just my interpretations of the situation (in no particular order):

1) NETWORK!

    Sadly, the entertainment biz is just like any other biz in this respect, "If no one knows you (add what you do here) how are they gonna patronize you?"  The biggest part of successful beatmaking is people knowing you make beats.  The more people who know you make beats the greater chance you have in making beats that sell for enough to get paid.  Surprisingly enough,  you can be a GREAT beatmaker and never sell a single beat.  Here's the key, you're making "a thing of value", it might be said there are more people who want a hot track than there are people making hot tracks, the difficult part is putting those two people together.  Look, the bottomline is this, not many people are going to be willing to part with their hard earned cash for your beat if you don't have a track record of making beats people are willing to PAY to hear.  EVERYBODY in this business wants something from someone.  The more willing you are to provide that "something", again, the greater your odds are of "getting known".  What am I trying to say?  Don't be greedy, especially if you ain't on nobodies records.  If you ain't "in the game" take a chance on a cat you know who's motivated to get in it.  It might mean selling a beat for next to nothing or even giving it away, but, if he get's exposure, sooner or later, you will too, especially if you're hot.  People who are willing to drop hard currency on a beat are going to go for whoever they think will increase THEIR OWN chance at success.

2) BE RELIABLE!

     Real talk, this is important.  Can I rely on you to be on time?  If you say you'll have it on Tuesday next week, will you?  I don't care how "good" your skills are, if you consistently can't be relied upon to do what you say, you're saying, "Hi, I'm not professional, I don't take this stuff seriously!" 

Being in the RIGHT PLACE at the RIGHT TIME is also a big part of "luck."  Sometimes you can get the opportunity the other guy missed out on cause YOU were available.  Think about it.  A lot of people think, this industry is not a lot of work.  You won't be getting up early or staying up late (Yeah right!).  But, brothas (and sistas) are creepin' while you're sleepin'.  If a serious artist called you tomorrow, do you got a demo of some beats READY they can hear?  Keep that demo CD with you!  Because, by the time you get back from fetchin' it, somebody else got that move! lol

3)  ACCEPT CRITICISM!

     To me, this is where WARBEATS shines the most.  Some anonymous cat on here from Afghanistan or Mozambique (or Alabama) WILL tell you that you suck!  Even if you don't!  Forget the thin skin, for real.  Get over yourself! lol Really, that cat paid you a favor!  The one that tells you, "You're Great!" when you ain't...he's the hater! lol

There isn't a such thing as an all-around "good beat", yet, there IS a such thing as a bad one, but ask 50 people you'll prolly get at least half that many distinct answers...it's opinion, EVERYBODY got one!

  Basically, to be good enough, your song needs to have a groove, be in a recognizable song structure (like the songs on the radio), and at least be CD quality in it's mix/master to qualify as "good."  Do you think every song on the radio is "good?"  How about the one's that sell and make big $$$?  A lot of that has to do with Keys #1 & #2!  Really, It's great to be a jack-of-all trades (especially if you're broke!) but criticism can tell you what you're  focus needs to be.  Maybe your concepts are great but you're execution leaves something to be desired.  Look, just like you make beats, there ARE people who mix/master, remember that thing about networking? 

4)  BE PERSISTENT!

     The second you give up, that's when all likelihood of success just ended.  Dr. Dre and Timbaland made a lot of crap music before they made game changers.  How do I know?  Because you crawl BEFORE you walk, that's life.  I seriously doubt you will persist in this game for a decade without having at least a chance to get into the profit side of things.  If so, you might not be cut out for it! lol WARBEATS is a nice place, people here generally won't tell you to never attempt making another beat again...as long as you live!  A lot of people will actually give you very constructive criticism.  Listen to it!  How do you know it's the gospel?  Hear it often, from more than two or three people?    Then don't disregard it!  Pick your pride up off the ground and try it again.  And when your results aren't stellar next time?  Keep pushin'!

5) BE A GIVER!

    To put it simply, don't suck!  When you don't suck, that's one more person in the game who doesn't.  How can you not suck?  Give back!  Not ALL of it, but SOME of it.  Let's be real.  A lot of us ain't rich.  And we beg, steal and borrow to make it.  That's life.  But, when you get something, give back.  Remember, all those free VSTs?  Somebody was hustlin', hard at work to give you that lead synth---give up the ca$h!!!  If, the only options we had were NI Komplete or Nexus 2, just to get started, by how much could we reduce the number of cats in the game?  Don't take a dump on other people's hard work, that messes the system up!  FL Studio could be just like Pro Tools, and why not?  The fact that you can get a DAW capable of taking you just as far as your talent and time will take you...for free!!!  What happens when that's gone?  Buy that!

Last but not least, even though you got FL Studio, how long would it take to learn that software?  I was messin' with Fruity Loops 3!  No save, nothing.  Cut my computer off, guess what?  Hope that beat was done! lol  When I discovered Warbeats, it catapulted my knowledge of the software into the stratosphere!  It especially helped because I couldn't save my tracks!  I had to render those joints out! 

 But, this here joint gotta be paid for! BILLS, BILLS, BILLS! Not to mention time!  I mean, I'm guilty too.  It took me FOREVER to go VIP, but then, I felt a lot better after having done it!  It's not much skrilla to do it either!  Like a couple of good value meals at a fast food restaurant! lol  IMHO, NFX should be rich for what he's doing here.  I don't know him and I ain't gonna jock him too hard.  But, it's brothas like that, who give back, that makes this dirty game worthwhile, if anybody oughta get money, NFX oughta get money, ya feel? 

That's my novel on it! lol