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
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13 ideas

  • Buying and running a landscaping company
    Acquiring an existing landscaping company in South Florida instead of starting from scratch. The episode covers rebuilding after losing most of the team and clients, and using simple AI tools to save admin time.
    Services and freelancingOver $10kNear full-time
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Email marketing tool for creators
    Grew from blogging and a self-published book into building an email marketing tool for bloggers and creators.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Email newsletter tool for developers
    A newsletter platform built as a better alternative to a tool the owner used, with Markdown support and an API aimed at developers. Started as a side project.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2022
  • No-code app builder born from clinic tools
    Began by writing Windows apps for a hospital department and grew it into a SaaS tool for building calculator apps.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Online solitaire game platform
    A solitaire site that began as a Mac app, found by looking for popular apps with poor reviews, and now supports the owner.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Simple tool for a niche industry
    Built a very basic tool for an industry the owner wanted to be part of, then found a larger opportunity there that now supports them full-time.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2022
  • Coding interview tutorial YouTube channel
    Posts weekly programming problem tutorials on YouTube and earns from ad revenue.
    Content and media
    Hacker News, 2021
  • Run tech conferences and consult on events
    Started a developer conference with sponsors, then was hired by a sponsor to run its events, which grew into full-time conference consulting.
    Services and freelancingNear full-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Coffee kiosk built around a morning habit
    Ran a coffee kiosk with branding and promotions designed to make customers return daily. Profitable but demanding on time and staff.
    Physical productsOver $10kNear full-time
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Small family winery from bought vineyards
    Bought vineyard plots and makes organic wine in an old-school dry style with help from a winemaking family, selling it and reinvesting the proceeds.
    Physical productsOver $10k
    Hacker News, 2019
  • Automated dependency update service for developers
    Built a service that keeps software dependencies up to date and supports multiple programming languages. It started as a passive project and became a full-time company.
    Software and apps
    Hacker News, 2018
  • Local phone repair shop
    A retail shop that fixes broken phones for walk-in customers, grown from one location to several. The owner later sold the business.
    Services and freelancingOver $10k
    Top Founders, 2016
  • Wholesale phone repair parts and screen recycling
    A wholesaler supplies replacement parts to independent repair shops and recycles broken screens. Money comes from selling parts to hundreds of shops.
    Physical productsOver $10k
    Top Founders, 2016