The Magpies have not made the progress on the pitch that some fans would have expected by now.
Despite being owned by Saudi Arabia, Newcastle do have financial restrictions on how much they can spend due to Premier League PSR.
This summer's pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi proved unsuccessful, but Howe is still optimistic.
Howe, who has been in charge since 2021, said: "I don't think the dream dies, necessarily, but I think it takes a lot longer.
"We've got to build our revenue streams, that is the biggest thing. We've got to bring more money into the football club, however we do that - through player sales, through sponsorship, through loads of various things.
"That's the big thing that we need to focus on now for the next, probably, 10 years.
"Whether I'm lucky enough to see any of that, who knows? But the dream is not over, it's just going to take a lot, lot longer."