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Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

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Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#41

Post by xupybd »

quantumofalpha wrote: post #37
jf22 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same, I realized that spending 2 years to get to 1k in profit a month from a SaaS or something was a lot harder than just getting a job that paid me 12k more.

1k a month passive profit from a SaaS is worth a lot more than 12k extra salary. A full time job requires full time labor to continue producing income. Whereas SaaS hopefully almost none to maintain it, has a better growth potential than your salary raises, and when you're tired of running it, it's an asset you might be able to sell to somebody else.

It's vary rare to get a SaaS that requires no ongoing development.

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#42

Post by xupybd »

sr-ruby-dev wrote: post #7
patatino wrote: post #3

I would try something where you don't risk money. The chances are very high that you end up losing instead of making money. How much money do you need to make, and what is the timeframe? Try to analyze your spending. There can be a lot of money "made" by spending less.

Thank for your reply, I need 30000$ timeframe is 6 months.

How much do you really need to live on?

Can you reduce costs and do this with your day job?

If you were to deliver pizza at night could that plus your day job do it?

Or find a freelance contract?

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#43

Post by chovybizzass »

emteycz wrote: post #12
sebastianconcpt wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know who downvoted you but here is an upvote. I do crypto swing trading, investing in stocks too.

How would someone get into crypto swing trading? All talk seems to be focused on value investing

right now i just use webull.com to trade eth and btc. the problem is their platform kind of sucks. all orders get cancelled at 3pm. So you can't set a long term limit order. and I've noticed sometimes they don't execute either.

There are better platforms out there like gemini I just haven't bothered setting it up yet because webull is where i buy stocks too.

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#45

Post by nurturelabs »

missedthecue wrote: post #31
herbst wrote: post #5

Millions of people wake up every day with their credit cards in their hands. As the day goes they spend a little here and a little there. Sometimes they spend money for necessaries, sometimes for luxury and sometimes to make their life easier (i.e. save costs anywhere else) If the average human makes like 3 transactions every day (just gussed) how hard can it really be to be the transaction for at least one of those…

The problem for me isn't getting sales. It's getting sustainable sales in excess of costs

Try my growth list. Put your side project on top directories and you can expect a continuous high intent traffic. https://gumroad.com/l/promotionlist

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#46

Post by rozenmd »

I started writing helpful articles on MaxRozen.com, eventually wrote enough of them to make a book. Sold the book on gumroad.

I still write articles, but I also build https://OnlineOrNot.com on the side. SaaS is significantly harder to sell, but I enjoy the long-term focus.

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#47

Post by _lol »

sr-ruby-dev wrote: post #7
patatino wrote: post #3

I would try something where you don't risk money. The chances are very high that you end up losing instead of making money. How much money do you need to make, and what is the timeframe? Try to analyze your spending. There can be a lot of money "made" by spending less.

Thank for your reply, I need 30000$ timeframe is 6 months.

Hi OP, considering your constraints I recommend NOT engaging in any of the high variance activities like poker or crypto trading because it may well take you in the opposite direction.

Can you share a little about where you’re from so you can benefit from some country specific advice?

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#48

Post by herbst »

missedthecue wrote: post #31
herbst wrote: post #5

Millions of people wake up every day with their credit cards in their hands. As the day goes they spend a little here and a little there. Sometimes they spend money for necessaries, sometimes for luxury and sometimes to make their life easier (i.e. save costs anywhere else) If the average human makes like 3 transactions every day (just gussed) how hard can it really be to be the transaction for at least one of those…

The problem for me isn't getting sales. It's getting sustainable sales in excess of costs

I mean this depends on your projects. But if you are bootstrapping and have high costs you are prolly doing something wrong. At least in my point of view.

My digital projects rarely cost more than the domain and server they are running on (plus time that is). But again i dont know your projects

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#49

Post by herbst »

2rsf wrote: post #20
herbst wrote: post #5

Millions of people wake up every day with their credit cards in their hands. As the day goes they spend a little here and a little there. Sometimes they spend money for necessaries, sometimes for luxury and sometimes to make their life easier (i.e. save costs anywhere else) If the average human makes like 3 transactions every day (just gussed) how hard can it really be to be the transaction for at least one of those…

It is also very easy to loose some money on the way, sometimes in unexpected ways. A friend for example, who is a talented interior designer, had a few paid customers but that made taxes more complicated (not the US) and required an accountant that cost more than what was earned. Another friend built a small site trying to sell lectures about something he is good at, again nothing significant came out of it and the e…

I feel sorry for them. Taxes really should not be hindering oneself. However taxes should reflect a portion of your earnings, so if your price is right i dont really see how taxes could stop anyone from earning money.

Only about 1 of 3 or 4 of my projects work out financially. And this is after doing this for 15+ years, 5+ exclusively. What i am saying is you cant expect it to just work on the first time. It took me over 5 years to reach the minimum threeshold of an adsense payout.

IMO most people never get there because they stop WAY to early. Earning money is less about your actual skills but more about your specific online selling skills that you only get from doing

Re: Ask HN: Software developers, what is your side income?

#50

Post by herbst »

jokethrowaway wrote: post #38
2rsf wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is also very easy to loose some money on the way, sometimes in unexpected ways. A friend for example, who is a talented interior designer, had a few paid customers but that made taxes more complicated (not the US) and required an accountant that cost more than what was earned. Another friend built a small site trying to sell lectures about something he is good at, again nothing significant came out of it and the e…

I moved from my country (Italy) precisely because of taxation (and the relative dead business sector). You can have a side project in the UK for very cheap (for now, pre COVID tax hike). Go where you're treated best

I am honestly curious what makes italian/eu tax so much more complicated. In Switzerland i basically just have to find the right column to declare additional income on my tax sheet. (And add some exports from my billing tools)
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