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Amazing to see people stumbling upon millions. Most techies are trying to come up with clever technical solutions to try and build an online business. Whilst el

Amazing to see people stumbling upon millions. Most techies are trying to come up with clever technical solutions to try and build an online business. Whilst elsewhere there are people making millions from reviewing mattresses. Or whatever the next accidental hot market will be.

justboxing 9y ago
> Whilst elsewhere there are people making millions from reviewing mattresses True, but from what I read, this guy had SEO experience and ranked #1 for "Casper Mattress Review" for many years. In other words he was clever at marketing his site which was stuffed with affiliate links along with 1 on 1 agreements with some mattress companies. Most techies who are coming up with "clever technical solutions" either don't validate a need for their offering, or really suck (add me to this list) at marketing their solutions / online businesses.
- davidpelayo 9y ago
  I couldn't agree more.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  Given how much malicious behaviour is often involved in SEO and strong marketing, I'd say a lot of techies try to come up with "clever technical solutions" in order to try and avoid unethical business practices.
Untit1ed 9y ago
True, but there's a survivor bias there - for every guy who stumbles into millions there's 100 writing content that gets ignored and making nothing.
- noitsnot 9y ago
  Id say it's huge. More like a tens or hundred of thousands at one point. Everyone and there mother was blogging. Now it's just sexy insta pics holding brand name merchandise with hash tags mixed into 20 others as the advertising notice.
kodablah 9y ago
I don't find it that amazing having worked at large companies and watched middle to upper management do the same. I try not to play the envy game lest I just self loathe. Luck has always existed. Also, tales like these help keep me humble and I just assume there is a cognitive dissonance and their talents are valuable even if I can't see how.
- paulgb 9y ago
  > I just assume there is a cognitive dissonance and their talents are valuable even if I can't see how. I think that's the right attitude. Even if you look down upon SEO, there's no denying that the guy learned a skill that took time and effort, plus took some risks that it wouldn't work out.
cyberferret 9y ago
Review sites in any niche industry can be extremely popular. I am a guitarist, and there are a LOT of blogs and Youtube channel reviewing guitars, amps and pedals. Most are pretty boring, technical reviews which aren't all bad, but get a handful of views. Then there are the channels that thrive on drama and conflict. One particular guitar reviewer is an older chap, with questionable playing skills and knowledge, but he excels in riling up companies, which in turn leads to more publicity and views for him. He is well known for taking expensive electronic gear apart and saying things like "I can't believe they charge $2000 for this guitar effects processor when I know the motherboard and DSP chips on here only cost $200... etc.". When the company refutes these claims or tried to explain, he shuts them down with demands for payment to remove his negative reviews etc. We cannot expect much more though - a whole generation of audience has been trained to seek out such drama and negative energy and latch on to it like a remora to a shark.
- Ascetik 9y ago
  Yeah basically he is committing extortion and blackmail, pretty sad.
  - whamlastxmas 9y ago
    More accurately, he's accepting bribes to silence his freedom of speech. He's entirely in his right to have negative reviews as long as they're truthful.
    - graeme 9y ago
      That’s blackmail. Making a legal threat and making a legal money request combine into an illegal act.
      - saimiam 9y ago
        What law says I can’t give you an incentive to stop badmouthing me? According to this link, defamation - written (libelous) or verbal (derogatory) - is a civil matter and not a crime. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/defamation-law-made-simple-29718.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/defamation-law-made-...
inanutshellus 9y ago
A friend of mine made a fair bit of money off of a website that listed "free stuff" promotions around the web. But it was manually-maintained and so quickly died. ... BUT... He really only started making ad revenue on the site once he stopped maintaining it! People would find his site, then would realize the content was old, but would click on an up-to-date ad instead. Accidental genius. :)
- noitsnot 9y ago
  Sounds like seo took hold on its own over time. It accumulated links and ranking naturally.
schnevets 9y ago
I'd say affiliate marketing is more of a modern "lemonade stand" business, just like youtube/twitch videos, game programming, and app development. There's an extremely low barrier to entry and it gives you an ideal place to hone business skills, but odds are you won't make enough to cover the cost of hosting a website.
- ghaff 9y ago
  My impression is that, if you find a niche, stick with it, and do at least nominal marketing, you'll make a few bucks. But emphasis on few. For most people, it's more akin to a nice hobby than a real business.

justboxing 9y ago

> Whilst elsewhere there are people making millions from reviewing mattresses True, but from what I read, this guy had SEO experience and ranked #1 for "Casper Mattress Review" for many years. In other words he was clever at marketing his site which was stuffed with affiliate links along with 1 on 1 agreements with some mattress companies. Most techies who are coming up with "clever technical solutions" either don't validate a need for their offering, or really suck (add me to this list) at marketing their solutions / online businesses.

davidpelayo 9y ago
I couldn't agree more.
TeMPOraL 9y ago
Given how much malicious behaviour is often involved in SEO and strong marketing, I'd say a lot of techies try to come up with "clever technical solutions" in order to try and avoid unethical business practices.

Untit1ed 9y ago

True, but there's a survivor bias there - for every guy who stumbles into millions there's 100 writing content that gets ignored and making nothing.

noitsnot 9y ago
Id say it's huge. More like a tens or hundred of thousands at one point. Everyone and there mother was blogging. Now it's just sexy insta pics holding brand name merchandise with hash tags mixed into 20 others as the advertising notice.

kodablah 9y ago

I don't find it that amazing having worked at large companies and watched middle to upper management do the same. I try not to play the envy game lest I just self loathe. Luck has always existed. Also, tales like these help keep me humble and I just assume there is a cognitive dissonance and their talents are valuable even if I can't see how.

paulgb 9y ago
> I just assume there is a cognitive dissonance and their talents are valuable even if I can't see how. I think that's the right attitude. Even if you look down upon SEO, there's no denying that the guy learned a skill that took time and effort, plus took some risks that it wouldn't work out.

cyberferret 9y ago

Review sites in any niche industry can be extremely popular. I am a guitarist, and there are a LOT of blogs and Youtube channel reviewing guitars, amps and pedals. Most are pretty boring, technical reviews which aren't all bad, but get a handful of views. Then there are the channels that thrive on drama and conflict. One particular guitar reviewer is an older chap, with questionable playing skills and knowledge, but he excels in riling up companies, which in turn leads to more publicity and views for him. He is well known for taking expensive electronic gear apart and saying things like "I can't believe they charge $2000 for this guitar effects processor when I know the motherboard and DSP chips on here only cost $200... etc.". When the company refutes these claims or tried to explain, he shuts them down with demands for payment to remove his negative reviews etc. We cannot expect much more though - a whole generation of audience has been trained to seek out such drama and negative energy and latch on to it like a remora to a shark.

Ascetik 9y ago
Yeah basically he is committing extortion and blackmail, pretty sad.
- whamlastxmas 9y ago
  More accurately, he's accepting bribes to silence his freedom of speech. He's entirely in his right to have negative reviews as long as they're truthful.
  - graeme 9y ago
    That’s blackmail. Making a legal threat and making a legal money request combine into an illegal act.
    - saimiam 9y ago
      What law says I can’t give you an incentive to stop badmouthing me? According to this link, defamation - written (libelous) or verbal (derogatory) - is a civil matter and not a crime. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/defamation-law-made-simple-29718.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/defamation-law-made-...

inanutshellus 9y ago

A friend of mine made a fair bit of money off of a website that listed "free stuff" promotions around the web. But it was manually-maintained and so quickly died. ... BUT... He really only started making ad revenue on the site once he stopped maintaining it! People would find his site, then would realize the content was old, but would click on an up-to-date ad instead. Accidental genius. :)

noitsnot 9y ago
Sounds like seo took hold on its own over time. It accumulated links and ranking naturally.

schnevets 9y ago

I'd say affiliate marketing is more of a modern "lemonade stand" business, just like youtube/twitch videos, game programming, and app development. There's an extremely low barrier to entry and it gives you an ideal place to hone business skills, but odds are you won't make enough to cover the cost of hosting a website.

ghaff 9y ago
My impression is that, if you find a niche, stick with it, and do at least nominal marketing, you'll make a few bucks. But emphasis on few. For most people, it's more akin to a nice hobby than a real business.