Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#71

Post by superasn » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:04 AM UTC

iman453 wrote: post #24

superasn wrote: post #9

I think you should start something very very small and forget about the money part for now. For me, my most successful project ideas came from problems that I faced during my own site launches. Since you don't have much knowledge of FE development, I would suggest you keep things Simple Stupid and try to do as much as possible with HTML and jQuery. I have created really complex websites using just PHP and jQuery (sit…

Any resources you'd recommend for learning online marketing?

Assuming you are just starting out first make sure to get the basics right. What I mean by that is stay far away from these "growth hack" sites or any courses that promises you instant results and hacks. They can be useful but unless you are already getting 500 sign-ups / day you don't need them just now. Save your money because there is enough free information on the net to get some really good results and you'll often find more helpful information in the first 3 results of Google than a $2000 course or coaching.

Secondly, The best approach I have learned when it comes to online marketing is to learn from your competition, esp when you are just starting out. Need a catchy headline? Look at the best adword ads (these guys spend a ton optimizing for clicks), need a great landing page.. Ditto, want to learn how to write the best selling emails, subscribe to all your competitors. You never have to start at square one.

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#72

Post by bartvk » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:10 AM UTC

> I have so much information about day to day job in my head that I have lost all creative juice

Although you ask great questions, this bit is what worries me. It doesn't feel good - it seems your job is taking too much energy from you. Have you thought about getting another, easier job?

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#73

Post by alfon » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:21 AM UTC

annnnd wrote: post #70

gsylvie wrote: post #36

Here's what I did: at work I needed something. (A git commit graph). But the one I found was #1. buggy, and #2. too expensive. It wasn't my money, but I just couldn't allow my company to pay that much. So I made my own, and fixed the bug: http://bit-booster.com/best.html And then I realized I needed a rebase button on the pull-request screen... and so it continues to evolve. Here's the thing: I've always known I'm a…

I am probably missing something obvious, but... how did you make those $7000? Donations? Nice btw.

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/com.bit-booster.bb...

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#74

Post by sebleon » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:23 AM UTC

bartvk wrote: post #72

> I have so much information about day to day job in my head that I have lost all creative juice Although you ask great questions, this bit is what worries me. It doesn't feel good - it seems your job is taking too much energy from you. Have you thought about getting another, easier job?

Sounds like the issue isn't difficulty, but lack of inspiration. imho op should find a job they're more passionate about.

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#75

Post by joelrunyon » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:25 AM UTC

Listen to http://sidehustleschool.com - it's a story every day about someone who did just this.

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#76

Post by pseingatl » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:32 AM UTC

Look at oppsdaily.com. The developer posted here a while back. While there's no archive, there are daily postings concerning software needs. Some of the needs are unrelated to software, but most are. Could give you some ideas. (I have no relationship with the site or maker).

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#77

Post by danielsamuels » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:39 AM UTC

gsylvie wrote: post #36

Here's what I did: at work I needed something. (A git commit graph). But the one I found was #1. buggy, and #2. too expensive. It wasn't my money, but I just couldn't allow my company to pay that much. So I made my own, and fixed the bug: http://bit-booster.com/best.html And then I realized I needed a rebase button on the pull-request screen... and so it continues to evolve. Here's the thing: I've always known I'm a…

Have you considered simplifying your pricing structure? ;)

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#78

Post by daliwali » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:42 AM UTC

bikamonki wrote: post #23

List down 25 products/services you consume regularly. For each, ask whether a better version could be done. Yes? Do it. Here's one case: the local/popular site to search for used cars sucks. It is slow, hard to see/compare all options, silly reloads the page on each added filter, filled with outdated listings, flooded with ads, and pic slides take forever (all of this on my slow phone over a slow 3g which is how most…

To me this sounds boring, it may turn into a profitable business but it's nothing innovative. If you limit yourself to what you currently use and try to incrementally improve it, new ideas will rarely come out of that unless you approach the problem from a radically different angle. Good ideas are underrated in this regard.

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#79

Post by danielsamuels » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:43 AM UTC

I built Rocket League Replays[1], a website which analyses the replay files generated from matches played in Rocket League. I took my inspiration from GGTracker[2] which is essentially the same thing, but for StarCraft 2. I was looking through the replay files and noticed that there was some human readable content in them, so I wrote a parser[3] and built the site around it. Eventually I started a Patreon which allowed users to support the site in return for more advanced analysis. I get around $200/mo from that which covers the server costs etc, so I'm more than happy with that.

[1]: https://www.rocketleaguereplays.com/replays/

[2]: http://ggtracker.com/landing_tour

[3]: http://danielsamuels.co.uk/words/2015/07/27/rocket-league-re...

Re: Ask HN: Building a side project that makes money. Where to start?

#80

Post by 0898 » Wed, Apr 05, 2017, 9:48 AM UTC

I started holding talks for independent agency owners (www.agencyhackers.co.uk). It brings in about £200 a month, from an 'agency roundtable' that I run. That's not much obviously – it only just covers ConvertKit subscription and other SaaS software I need like Reply.io. But I think this is an audience I will be able to monetise with webinars, conferences etc.