Side hustle ideas from people who actually run them

651 side hustles, each one described by the person running it, in a podcast, a YouTube interview or a Hacker News thread. Every idea links to its source. Filter by what it costs to start, how much time it takes, and how it earns.

AllDigital products 67Software and apps 205Content and media 105Physical products 105Services and freelancing 103Rentals and assets 36Directories and marketplaces 11Teaching and coaching 19
Startup costUnder $100$100 to $1k$1k to $10kOver $10k
TimeHands-offA few hours a weekPart-timeNear full-time
WhereOnlineIn personOnline and in person
Earns fromAdsAffiliateSubscriptionsOne-time salesService feesRentMarketplace cutSponsors and donations
CodingNo coding neededNeeds coding

19 ideas

  • Shop classes for kids
    Teaching hands-on shop class projects to kids, with customers found through homeschool groups and word of mouth. It can stay a weekend side hustle or grow larger.
    Teaching and coaching
    The Koerner Office, 2026
  • Goat-raising education media business
    A media business teaching people to raise goats, with a podcast, YouTube channel, online courses and a paid membership. It also runs paid goat farm tours.
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Private music lessons and live gigs
    Teaches private music lessons and plays jazz gigs.
    Hacker News, 2026
  • Tutor students in math and computer science
    Tutors middle and high school students in math and CS for an hourly rate.
    Teaching and coachingUnder $100
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Data science webinars and tutorials with Python
    Teaches online webinars and in-person tutorials on the basics of data science and machine learning with Python.
    Teaching and coachingPart-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Teach and mentor at coding bootcamps
    Teaches and mentors beginners in web development for companies and bootcamps, in evening sessions.
    Teaching and coachingUnder $100Part-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • English teaching and exam prep tutoring
    Teaches English and prepares students for standardized exams. Some students paid in food and drinks.
    Teaching and coachingUnder $100Part-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Gigging musician and guitar lessons
    Plays regularly with a jazz band, gives occasional guitar lessons at home, and earns a little from fan support on Patreon for performance videos.
    Teaching and coaching
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Group fitness instructor
    Teaches several licensed group fitness class formats a few mornings per week and gets paid per class.
    Teaching and coaching
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Music lessons and production consulting
    Taught guitar, theory and recording part-time, and now teaches small groups online and consults with bands on production and composition.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Screencasts teaching a programming language
    Makes screencasts that teach the Elixir language and sells access to them.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Scuba instruction alongside studies
    Worked as a scuba instructor on the side, which kept the owner supplied with dive gear, though the stress of the service work eventually led to burnout.
    Teaching and coachingPart-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Teach fitness classes part time
    Taught fitness classes on the side alongside a day job.
    Teaching and coachingPart-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Teach no-code building with memberships
    Teaches people to build projects without code, earning from memberships and from companies that pay to be listed and to have educational content made.
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Weekend Linux course trainer
    Taught Linux courses on weekends to students eager to learn. Paid per course.
    Teaching and coachingUnder $100
    Hacker News, 2019
  • CSS layout online course and workshops
    Turned expertise in CSS layout into an online course and in-person workshops. Development teams buy licenses for the course, and the income funds standards work.
    Teaching and coaching
    Hacker News, 2016
  • Online music school
    An online music education site that earns from sales and recurring subscriptions, built in evenings and weekends.
    Teaching and coaching
    Hacker News, 2014
  • Corporate AI workshops that lead to paid builds
    The operator runs a team training or build-together session inside one company and listens for the process employees want automated. That process then becomes a separately priced build, often a shared context layer across the company's tools.
    Build With AI
  • Paid public AI workshop for local professionals
    The host books a room, lists a half-day workshop on Eventbrite for one industry such as realtors or roofers, and teaches attendees to set up Claude and build one skill. The ticket revenue is minor; the point is meeting buyers who then ask for private help.
    Teaching and coaching
    Build With AI