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Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

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Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#51
https://www.ottopost.com/ - a simple Instagram postcard printing service.

I created it as an alternative to the many printing services that require a dedicated app. OttoPost doesn't require an app since it just searches for your new Instagram photos and prints automatically (that's configurable).

Not exactly world-changing, but definitely something hands-off at this point and better than nothing :)

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#52

Sperm donation, 1k/month and I have to go in twice a week.

Aren't there potential liability issues arround this? Where you may have to take responsibility for a child. http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/23/justice/kansas-sperm-donation/

Im in California but I doubt it. I remember that story you linked, the Kansas gentleman answered a craigslist ad and impregnated a lady at her house so the state now doesnt want to recognize her relationship with her SO as valid. I dont think its representative of the risk, especially since the clinic I go to will probably just use an applicator or something.

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#53
I co-founded a company developing QA automation software in 2012. Worked on it full-time until 2014. Had an EU grant covering our costs during that period. In 2015, I invested about 200h into it (mostly answering support emails and dealing with taxes) and made about 20k€ this year.

I've been working on an Appointment Reminder clone for a year now in my home country Austria. I will about break even in 2015, but will have an MRR of ~1500€ in 2016, with low ongoing costs.

So I reckon that in 2016 I can have a pretty passive income (working 5-10hrs/week) of 2000+€ per month. Not that I will work that little because I obviously still want to grow my income. And I also need to add that I've been earning considerably less in the past 3.5 years than I would have if I had stayed employed as a software engineer.

Oh, and then there's the Android app that makes about 15€ per month ^^

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#54
post #2

My watch company. Started it in September and started selling before the watches were made. They're still in production and will be finished soon. Wouldn't maybe call it "passive income", but the sales keep coming through WOM. ( http://gardannewatches.com )

How is this a passive income though? Seems like the literal opposite.

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#55

My novel -- in English http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPBYGFI and Spanish http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1EU1Q0 Sells a couple Kindle copies per week. In terms of actual income, it's negligible. The feedback has been unanimously positive, so my problem is to get it in the hands of as many people as I can. Therefore, if you want the epub/mobi files, just message me (see bio) and I'll be happy to send them :)

Cool! Just bought it. And I agree, you should try raising the price! =)

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#56

My novel -- in English http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QPBYGFI and Spanish http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I1EU1Q0 Sells a couple Kindle copies per week. In terms of actual income, it's negligible. The feedback has been unanimously positive, so my problem is to get it in the hands of as many people as I can. Therefore, if you want the epub/mobi files, just message me (see bio) and I'll be happy to send them :)

Cool! Just bought it. And I agree, you should try raising the price! =)

Thank you! Given there's some consensus, I'll consider raising the price. I set it at the minimum, I think, to make it as widely read as possible (I'd set it permanently free if Amazon allowed it). But maybe this is creating a perception of lower value and making people not read it :(

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those artifacts look more from a badly cropped photo than a render, so I would venture a guess that was a real watch.

The watch case design is a render and the band is a photo of real bands. But as I said before, the watches are under production right now, finished very soon. So we're not able to have any real photos of the watch yet :)

Got it. A bit surprising you didn't get any manufacturing samples, but cool.

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#59
post #22
post #2

My watch company. Started it in September and started selling before the watches were made. They're still in production and will be finished soon. Wouldn't maybe call it "passive income", but the sales keep coming through WOM. ( http://gardannewatches.com )

Really interested in designing my own watch. What software do you use to design them? Is there an industry standard format that I would need to send manufactures? I've tried googling around but I have not found anything conclusive.

The easiest way is to contact a manufacture and ask how they would want it. I used CAD and sent it but it's different from time to time.

Re: Ask HN: What was your best passive income in 2015?

#60
post #2

My watch company. Started it in September and started selling before the watches were made. They're still in production and will be finished soon. Wouldn't maybe call it "passive income", but the sales keep coming through WOM. ( http://gardannewatches.com )

How is this a passive income though? Seems like the literal opposite.

As I said before, this is not really passive income, but I can easily sell watches just with the effort I put in earlier. I don't have to put as much time and effort as soon as the watches come if I don't want it to scale.
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