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Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

blog.pragmaticengineer.com

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Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#11

Post by bolt7469 »

sakopov wrote: post #3

I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online for a good part of the past 10 years with a couple of failed startups and even more side projects that went nowhere. I envy anyone who can do this and I think it is truly an immeasurable amount of effort to make any kind of side income let alone something that replaces your salary. But I think articles like this one advertise it like it's something you ca…

The classic YC advice is "make something people want." This video dives into how that looks in practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs

The guiding principle is simple, but in practice it can be hard and complex.

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#13

Post by jordanmorgan10 »

It doesn’t seem possible until you do it. I couldn’t imagine my book over iOS would net what it has, but a bit of luck and trust built up over the years made it a success for me.

The challenge, as I see it now, is how to prove you’re not out for a quick buck. Because everyone is selling something at this point - for better or worse.

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#14

Post by asicsp »

sakopov wrote: post #3

I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online for a good part of the past 10 years with a couple of failed startups and even more side projects that went nowhere. I envy anyone who can do this and I think it is truly an immeasurable amount of effort to make any kind of side income let alone something that replaces your salary. But I think articles like this one advertise it like it's something you ca…

>I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online

If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips:

* Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever)

* Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing a good looking graphical post (you can even do animations)

* Put this up under pay-what-you-want model on sites like Gumroad (so, minimum price free but users can pay if they wish) - see https://mathspp.gumroad.com/l/cheatsheet_list_comps_101 for an example

* Post a sample on sites like Twitter, Reddit, etc (just the nice looking graphic, add a link to Gumroad later in comments if the posts start getting attention)

* Make a video to show demos (if applicable)

* Be consistent! Give it your best shot for topics you are really confident about. Listen to feedback. Learn and Build in Public for better reach (see https://swyx.io/learn-in-public and https://chriscoyier.net/2012/09/23/working-in-public/)

If you want an example for someone making a living by doing things like this, check out Julia's https://wizardzines.com/

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#16

Post by anitil »

asicsp wrote: post #14
sakopov wrote: post #3

I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online for a good part of the past 10 years with a couple of failed startups and even more side projects that went nowhere. I envy anyone who can do this and I think it is truly an immeasurable amount of effort to make any kind of side income let alone something that replaces your salary. But I think articles like this one advertise it like it's something you ca…

> I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips: * Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever) * Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing…

I recently threw $100 at jvns because of this model. I wanted the docker zine and it was $10 for one, or $100 for the lot.

It doesn't take that many $100 purchases to be a respectable income source

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#17

Post by jsemrau »

asicsp wrote: post #14
sakopov wrote: post #3

I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online for a good part of the past 10 years with a couple of failed startups and even more side projects that went nowhere. I envy anyone who can do this and I think it is truly an immeasurable amount of effort to make any kind of side income let alone something that replaces your salary. But I think articles like this one advertise it like it's something you ca…

> I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips: * Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever) * Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing…

I've been doing that for the last 12 months and tbh, it does not work unless you already had an audience before. Highly likely I am the worst social marketer on the planet. But in terms of RoI your advice doesn't work for 99% of the population.

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#18

Post by soulofmischief »

asicsp wrote: post #14
sakopov wrote: post #3

I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online for a good part of the past 10 years with a couple of failed startups and even more side projects that went nowhere. I envy anyone who can do this and I think it is truly an immeasurable amount of effort to make any kind of side income let alone something that replaces your salary. But I think articles like this one advertise it like it's something you ca…

> I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips: * Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever) * Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing…

I'm extremely curious who Julia's target market is. The zines seem very well done and I'm wondering if they would be better appreciated as a purchase for myself or as a gift for a younger or a more nascent programmer.

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#19

Post by asicsp »

jsemrau wrote: post #17
asicsp wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips: * Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever) * Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing…

I've been doing that for the last 12 months and tbh, it does not work unless you already had an audience before. Highly likely I am the worst social marketer on the planet. But in terms of RoI your advice doesn't work for 99% of the population.

Use Reddit. You don't need an existing audience for that. Make sure to follow the rules of the subreddit. Write a few tips/tutorial posts, help other learners, etc. Then you can try self promoting within the rules. And parallelly, you can build an audience on sites on Twitter. Read about marketing. Follow other creators. And so on. (Edit: You can self promote without existing audience with Show HN too, provided it fits the rules. Luck plays a huge role, but you won't get lucky if you don't try at all).

Regarding RoI, that depends on your needs. I left my job in 2014 due to various reasons. I tried and failed at many things for about 5 years. Then I tried selling ebooks and the second book clicked for me. Now I earn more than I need (with the caveat that I live alone in outskirts of a second tier city with an average monthly expense of just about $150).

Re: Becoming a Full-Time Creator as a Software Engineer

#20

Post by asicsp »

anitil wrote: post #16
asicsp wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've been wrecking my brain how to make $10 on anything online If you are really serious about $10 (and not some other larger number), here are some tips: * Pick a topic you know really well (programming, cooking, sea diving, whatever) * Make an infographic (get started on the topic of your choice, some specific and useful practical tip, etc) - picking a template from free tier Canva will go a long way in producing…

I recently threw $100 at jvns because of this model. I wanted the docker zine and it was $10 for one, or $100 for the lot. It doesn't take that many $100 purchases to be a respectable income source

Depending on where you live, you can get discount too. For example, I get this:

>Hello! It looks like you're in India, where this zine might be expensive. If you need it, please use code at checkout to get 70% off the regular price.

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