Highly dependent on ones specific financial situation, risk-tolerance, and employment trajectory.

While not a personal preference, most acquire revenue properties as they build equity over time. Assets secure lower loan rates, qualify mortgage fixed-payment schedules on investments, and require good management-companies to handle leases.

Generally, mitigating tax exposures by investing in small businesses is still popular. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't... but it is money people will lose anyway if they do nothing. Specifically, my first business investment was a few vending machine locations as a teenager, after a summer dropping hardwood floors.

Everyone starts somewhere, but blindly cloning what others do is usually unwise. ymmv =3