4 ms·

Ask HN: What is your money-making sideproject outside programming?

15 points by napolux 6y ago

2021 edition after https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19712057# Always wondered this. Sometimes I feel the need to do something else outside my field, and possibly get some money out of it.

giantg2 6y ago
I run an LLC. The main product is honey (I'm a beekeeper) and I also sell craft items, such as candles and road-kill fur products. A lot of my other hobbies are not money makers but at least money savers. I have a garden, hunt, brew my own beer, make my own wine, and perform all sorts of home repair.
jurgenwerk 6y ago
I make and sell concrete busts of famous people on Etsy. Revenue is around 2k per month. https://www.etsy.com/shop/jurgenstudio https://www.etsy.com/shop/jurgenstudio
- napolux 6y ago
  WOW
lmiller1990 6y ago
Still in the coding area, but I make courses on Udemy. I made around 4k in 2020.
- napolux 6y ago
  how much time did you invest?
  - lmiller1990 6y ago
    Probably a hundred hours per course. Plus time to market and whatnot - I work on OSS a lot so I have somewhat of a pre existing funnel. Overall I probably make around 20/h? Not a ton but I really enjoy it!
rocketpastsix 6y ago
I give bike tours of my city for tourists (pre-covid although we are slowly getting back to it). I make beer money at most, nothing ground breaking but its fun to ride a bike, tell people about the history in my city and meet fun people.
dmarlow 6y ago
I know this is looked down upon around these parts, but I own real estate. I started by buying my own place over 15 years ago and every time I move, I turn the previous place into a rental investment. Say what you will about "rent seeking", but we've poured lots of money into maintaining our properties and providing people, who want to rent, with a clean, well maintained, affordable place to live.
- adamhp 6y ago
  I haven't given this a lot of thought, these are just my surface-level opinions. I get the hate for slumlords, but I've never understood how being a landlord is any different than providing any other product or service. You've spent your own capital, taken the risk, leveraged, invested effort, etc., to developing this product/service that offers value. It allows someone without the same risk tolerance or upfront capital to have a place to live and—potentially—enjoy colocation to other amenities. Would people feel differently if you built the house yourself? What is the threshold of required "value add" that people don't see it as "rent seeking"? Not sure how it is different than buying a failing business and revamping it. Or Microsoft acquiring GitHub and adding features. Very much open to having someone who holds this view provide their two cents; I'm genuinely interested in developing a more nuanced opinion on this subject.

15 points by napolux 6y ago

2021 edition after https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19712057# Always wondered this. Sometimes I feel the need to do something else outside my field, and possibly get some money out of it.

giantg2 6y ago

I run an LLC. The main product is honey (I'm a beekeeper) and I also sell craft items, such as candles and road-kill fur products. A lot of my other hobbies are not money makers but at least money savers. I have a garden, hunt, brew my own beer, make my own wine, and perform all sorts of home repair.

jurgenwerk 6y ago

I make and sell concrete busts of famous people on Etsy. Revenue is around 2k per month. https://www.etsy.com/shop/jurgenstudio https://www.etsy.com/shop/jurgenstudio

napolux 6y ago
WOW

lmiller1990 6y ago

Still in the coding area, but I make courses on Udemy. I made around 4k in 2020.

napolux 6y ago
how much time did you invest?
- lmiller1990 6y ago
  Probably a hundred hours per course. Plus time to market and whatnot - I work on OSS a lot so I have somewhat of a pre existing funnel. Overall I probably make around 20/h? Not a ton but I really enjoy it!

rocketpastsix 6y ago

I give bike tours of my city for tourists (pre-covid although we are slowly getting back to it). I make beer money at most, nothing ground breaking but its fun to ride a bike, tell people about the history in my city and meet fun people.

dmarlow 6y ago

I know this is looked down upon around these parts, but I own real estate. I started by buying my own place over 15 years ago and every time I move, I turn the previous place into a rental investment. Say what you will about "rent seeking", but we've poured lots of money into maintaining our properties and providing people, who want to rent, with a clean, well maintained, affordable place to live.

adamhp 6y ago
I haven't given this a lot of thought, these are just my surface-level opinions. I get the hate for slumlords, but I've never understood how being a landlord is any different than providing any other product or service. You've spent your own capital, taken the risk, leveraged, invested effort, etc., to developing this product/service that offers value. It allows someone without the same risk tolerance or upfront capital to have a place to live and—potentially—enjoy colocation to other amenities. Would people feel differently if you built the house yourself? What is the threshold of required "value add" that people don't see it as "rent seeking"? Not sure how it is different than buying a failing business and revamping it. Or Microsoft acquiring GitHub and adding features. Very much open to having someone who holds this view provide their two cents; I'm genuinely interested in developing a more nuanced opinion on this subject.