SaaS. If you're learning Python, I'd imagine it'd be tough to write an in-demand ebook, and games are more of a labor of love.
SaaS lets you leverage other skills and domain knowledge you already possess.
Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
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Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#12> web based game
I'll share my own experience here, which is: compared to SaaS products, games are easily 100x more work for 100x less guarantees of income. Maybe it has the potential of going viral and earning you 100x more income, but still does not make up for the risk.
Of course this is just my personal experience on the topic. If income were my main motivator, I'd focus on SaaS instead of games.
Good luck!
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#13Affiliate marketing is the closest thing to truly passive incom outside investing. That said, it's harder than it looks unless you can find a sticky niche with little competition.
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#14SP 500 ETF
Why an ETF instead of an index fund?
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#15My guess (not having tried any of these three!) is that the best chance of achieving some kind of income would be the SaaS product, assuming you really can find a niche issue and provide (and market) a solution to it.
For an ebook on a technical topic: it may be pretty difficult to write something so compelling that enough people will be willing to pay money for it. You'll be competing against what people can find free with Google, on stackexchange, etc.
And mobile or web games: there are so many of them out there, do you really think you can stand out from the crowd? I bet the proportion that actually make a worthwhile amount of money is pretty small.
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#16I would vote for the Saas product but I am bias because that is what I have chosen for myself. Find a community first and then create something for them. If they need an ebook, write an ebook; if they need a game, make a game.
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#17Invest in startups as a technical advisor. This has 2 effects: you will grow your network, and you will help the ecosystem. Those two, only my opinion, compound better than whatever financial instruments you can think of.
How on earth can a person who is learning Python became the technical advisor for a startup? Genuinely interested.
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#18Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#19> web based game I'll share my own experience here, which is: compared to SaaS products, games are easily 100x more work for 100x less guarantees of income. Maybe it has the potential of going viral and earning you 100x more income, but still does not make up for the risk. Of course this is just my personal experience on the topic. If income were my main motivator, I'd focus on SaaS instead of games. Good luck!
Sure, all else being equal this may be true. But as with most things, it depends on quality & implementation of the idea. If the OP has a solid game idea that they're even a little passionate about, that may count for a lot more than grasping for a niche SaaS product that might have an audience. Although if the SaaS projecy were itself to go viral, there's probably a much larger upside than viral indie game.
Re: Ask HN: Best Passive Income Method?
#20Affiliate marketing is the closest thing to truly passive incom outside investing. That said, it's harder than it looks unless you can find a sticky niche with little competition.
That requires a decent amount of content though doesn't it? Given an existing body of content, blog posts, etc., then it might be "passive", but creating that initial bolus may not be.