Marketing
Affiliate Marketing
Promote other companies products for commission
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$500
The side hustle library · From Waymaker
Find something
you want to build.
77 detailed side-hustle guides. Explore the customer, offer, launch steps, tools, and day-to-day work—then choose one small test that fits your life.
Start with what you already know. Search a skill, pick a type of work, or compare a few ideas. Every guide is free to read, with no account needed.
Already have an idea? Make a first-test plan →Time and budget ranges are planning estimates from Waymaker, not measured results or current vendor quotes. Filters use the lower end of each range; open the guide for the full range. Existing equipment, subscriptions, advertising, and your time can add costs. No income is promised.
77 guides to explore
Jump to the guides ↓Compare your possibilities
Choose up to three guides. Compare the work and fit before committing to a build.
No guides match those choices.
Try one skill, a wider budget, or fewer filters.
Software & automation
AI Agent Builder
Build custom AI agents for businesses — customer support, research, scheduling, data processing, and complex workflow automation
- Experience
- Advanced
- Planning time
- 20-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$500
Industry services
AI Automation Agency Growth Platform
AI-powered agency-in-a-box system for aspiring AI automation consultants — includes website, sales funnel, audit templates, and case study generation
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Software & automation
AI Automation Specialist
Help small businesses automate 3-5 repetitive processes — lead follow-up, appointment reminders, invoice chasing, reporting — using no-code AI tools. A clear, concrete ROI story that doesn't require "starting an agency."
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$300
Consulting
AI Business Consultant
Audit small and mid-size businesses for AI opportunities, build a savings roadmap showing where AI can reclaim 20+ hours per week, and implement quick wins that prove ROI fast.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Freelance services
AI Career Strategist
Full career positioning, not just resume writing — resume, LinkedIn, interview prep, target-company research, networking strategy, and salary negotiation, with an optional monthly job-search concierge add-on
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$100
Software & automation
AI Chatbot Developer
Build and sell custom AI chatbots for businesses — lead capture, customer support, appointment booking
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$300
Writing & content
AI Content Agency
Create content for businesses using AI tools to deliver high-quality blogs, social media posts, and marketing materials
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Marketing
AI CRM & Follow-Up Specialist
Stop businesses from losing leads they already paid for — CRM cleanup, automated follow-up sequences, missed-call recovery, and lead reactivation. A concrete revenue-recovery pitch, not another "more leads" agency.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Consulting
AI Data Analyst
Help small and mid-size businesses make sense of their data — dashboards, insights, predictions, and automated reporting using AI
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$300
Consulting
AI Executive & Team Trainer
Run paid AI workshops for businesses — for sales teams, marketing teams, executives, or entire companies. One client can be worth more than dozens of small consumer transactions.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$300
Freelance services
AI Executive Assistant
Use AI to handle research, meeting prep, email drafting, scheduling, and SOP creation for busy founders and executives — a higher-value evolution of the traditional VA role
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Consulting
AI Implementation Retainer
Provide ongoing AI support for 3-5 small businesses — setting up tools, building automations, training teams, and continuously optimizing their AI stack month over month.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Marketing
AI Lead Generation Specialist
Get businesses more qualified leads — prospect lists, ICP definition, personalized outreach, and appointment-setting — using Clay, AI enrichment, and smart sequencing. A concrete, results-based pitch rather than "sales agency."
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$600
Writing & content
AI Newsletter Business
Curate and publish a niche newsletter using AI for research, writing, and growth
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Writing & content
AI Prompt Marketplace
Create and sell curated AI prompts, templates, and workflows for ChatGPT, Midjourney, and more
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$150
Freelance services
AI Proposal & RFP Specialist
Help agencies, consultants, and contractors respond to opportunities faster — proposals, RFP responses, SOWs, and pitch decks — using AI to compress hours of writing into a fast, polished turnaround.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Freelance services
AI Real Estate Services
Virtual staging, property descriptions, market analysis, and listing optimization using AI for real estate agents
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$200
Consulting
AI Research Analyst
Research anything a client doesn't have time for — competitors, markets, vendors, pricing — using AI to dramatically increase how much real research one person can produce. A strong fit for analytical people who aren't designers, marketers, or developers.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Products & ecommerce
AI Reseller Operator
Turn thrift finds, retail arbitrage, and live shows on Whatnot/Poshmark/eBay/Mercari into real income. AI handles the brutal parts — photo-to-listing in 60 seconds, real-time comping, per-platform SEO rewrites, and live-show prep — so you focus on sourcing and selling.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$1,500
Consulting
AI Sales Consultant
Help B2B service businesses modernize their sales process using AI-powered intent monitoring, signal-based outreach, and multi-channel sequences. You become the fractional sales strategist who implements the new playbook.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Marketing
AI SEO Agency
Build an SEO agency using AI for programmatic content, topical authority clusters, technical audits, and keyword research at scale
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$400
Marketing
AI Social Media Manager
Manage social media for businesses using AI for content creation, scheduling, and analytics
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$200
Freelance services
AI SOP & Knowledge Base Builder
Turn a small business's scattered knowledge — Slack, docs, people's heads — into organized SOPs and a real knowledge base, using AI-assisted interviews and documentation. Most urgent the moment a founder tries to hire or scale.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$50
Teaching & courses
AI Tutor & Learning Coach
Coach learners toward a specific goal — a test, a certification, a skill — using AI to personalize practice materials far beyond what a solo tutor could produce alone. Accountability and personalization are the moat versus free AI chatbots.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$50
Consulting
AI Twin Coaching Business
Coaches deploy an AI twin trained on their methodology, sell programs that blend human coaching with 24/7 AI guidance, and scale beyond 1-on-1 session limits. Built on the Waymaker platform.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$300
Writing & content
AI Video Production Agency
Produce professional video ads, explainers, and training videos for businesses using AI tools like HeyGen, Synthesia, and Runway
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Creative services
AI Voice & Audiobook Service
Produce professional voiceovers, audiobooks, podcast intros, ad reads, and IVR audio using AI voice tools like ElevenLabs and PlayHT
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $30-$200
Software & automation
AI Wrapper Micro-SaaS
Build a thin, focused micro-SaaS on top of Claude/GPT/Gemini APIs that solves ONE niche problem better than ChatGPT alone. Charge $9-99/mo subscriptions. AI + no-code tools (Lovable, Bolt, V0) compress build time from months to days. The new generation of indie SaaS.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 20-40 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$1,000
Writing & content
AI YouTube Channel
Build a faceless YouTube channel using AI for scripts, voiceover, and editing
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Writing & content
AI-Powered Niche Newsletter
Launch a niche newsletter where AI handles 80% of the research, drafting, and curation. You add voice, opinion, and editorial judgment. Monetize with affiliate links, sponsors, and premium tiers.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$50
Products & ecommerce
Amazon FBA Operator
Source profitable products via online arbitrage, wholesale, or private label and let Amazon FBA handle storage, packing, and shipping. AI does the heavy lifting: product research, profit calculation, listing optimization, PPC management, and review monitoring.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $1,000-$5,000
Products & ecommerce
Amazon KDP Low-Content Books
Publish low-content and no-content books on Amazon KDP — journals, notebooks, planners, coloring books, activity books, puzzle books. AI generates covers, interiors, and SEO-optimized titles. Zero inventory (Amazon prints on demand). Stack hundreds of titles for compounding royalties.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 8-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$200
Industry services
Coaching Business AI Growth Platform
AI-powered authority building, webinar funnels, and client acquisition system built specifically for life, business, and executive coaches
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Writing & content
Community & Marketplace Builder
Build a network or marketplace connecting two groups of people — freelancers and clients, vendors and buyers, professionals and each other — earning through membership fees, transaction cuts, or paid events
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$150
Freelance services
Daily Cashflow Stack
Stack 5-10 cashback apps, paid surveys, receipt scanners, and microtask platforms into a daily routine that produces $5-50/day in real cash. AI optimizes which apps to use when, batches your effort, and automates the boring parts. Not life-changing — but a real, daily income floor with zero capital.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 30-60 minutes/day
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$50
Industry services
Dental Practice AI Growth Platform
AI-powered patient acquisition, recall automation, and case acceptance system built specifically for general and cosmetic dental practices
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Writing & content
Digital Products Empire
Create and sell Notion templates, Canva designs, spreadsheets, and digital downloads on Gumroad, Etsy, and your own site for true passive income
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 8-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Products & ecommerce
Dropshipping Store
Sell products online without holding inventory
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 20-40 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $500-$2,000
Products & ecommerce
Etsy Printables Empire
Sell digital downloads on Etsy — printables, templates, planners, wall art, SVGs — created with AI in minutes. Zero inventory, zero shipping, instant delivery. Stack hundreds of listings and let SEO + Etsy ads bring traffic 24/7. Pure passive income at scale.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 8-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$200
Teaching & courses
Expert Course Creator
Package the knowledge from your day job into online courses using AI to research, outline, script, and produce content 5x faster than doing it manually. Sell on your own platform or marketplaces.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$300
Writing & content
Faceless YouTube Channel
Build a fully faceless YouTube channel — Reddit stories, history, top 10s, sleep stories, motivational compilations, niche education. AI handles scripts, voiceover, B-roll, thumbnails. Once at monetization threshold, the channel earns ad revenue + sponsorships passively. Sellable as an asset.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Industry services
Financial Advisor AI Growth Platform
Compliance-ready AI marketing, client acquisition, and AUM growth system for independent financial advisors and RIAs
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Freelance services
Fiverr AI Pro Stack
Sell premium AI services on Fiverr — voice cloning, AI avatars, video editing, custom GPT building, n8n automations, content production. Each gig leverages cutting-edge AI tools to deliver in hours what agencies charge thousands for. Build to Fiverr Pro status for top-of-search placement.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$300
Consulting
Fractional AI Officer
Serve as the part-time AI strategy leader for 3-5 companies. Set AI roadmaps, evaluate tools, manage implementations, and train leadership — without anyone hiring a full-time CAIO.
- Experience
- Advanced
- Planning time
- 20-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Consulting
Fractional Product Manager
Help startups build better products with expert PM guidance
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Writing & content
Freelance Writing
Create content for blogs, websites, and marketing materials
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Design
Graphic Design
Create visual content for businesses and individuals
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$300
Marketing
High-Ticket Affiliate Marketer
Promote $500-5,000+ premium products (courses, masterminds, B2B SaaS, coaching) and earn $200-2,000+ commissions per sale. Distinct from low-commission Amazon affiliate — fewer sales needed, higher trust required. AI builds the content engine and personalized email sequences that convert.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$1,000
Industry services
Home Services AI Growth Platform
AI-powered lead generation, reputation management, and seasonal marketing system built specifically for HVAC, plumbing, roofing, and electrical contractors
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Software & automation
Indie Game Development
Design, build, and ship your own game as a solo or small-team indie studio
- Experience
- Advanced
- Planning time
- 15-40 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$500
Industry services
Insurance Agent AI Growth Platform
AI-powered lead generation, client retention, and cross-sell system for independent insurance agents and small agencies
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Industry services
Law Firm AI Growth Platform
AI-powered client acquisition, intake automation, and reputation management for solo attorneys and small law firms
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Consulting
Life Experience Consulting
Monetize your 10-20+ years of industry expertise as a consultant, advisor, or service provider. Your age and experience are your competitive advantage — not a liability. AI amplifies your knowledge so you serve more clients without burning out.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Writing & content
LinkedIn Ghostwriting Agency
Write thought leadership content for executives, founders, and professionals on LinkedIn. Start with 1:1 ghostwriting, scale to an agency with AI-assisted drafting. High demand, low competition, and recurring revenue.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Marketing
Local Business Marketing Agency
Help local businesses (dentists, plumbers, restaurants) get more customers through Google, social media, and ads — using AI to deliver premium results at scale
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Industry services
Marketing Agency Launch Platform
White-label AI growth platform for coaches, freelancers, and consultants launching their own marketing or tech agency
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Consulting
MCP Config Consultant
Help businesses connect their AI tools to real infrastructure — browsers, databases, APIs, deployment pipelines — using Model Context Protocol. Sell setup services and pre-built config packs.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Industry services
Med Spa AI Growth Platform
AI-powered marketing, booking optimization, and client retention system built specifically for med spas, aesthetics practices, and wellness clinics
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Software & automation
Mobile App Development
Create mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Experience
- Advanced
- Planning time
- 20-40 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Software & automation
No-Code AI App Builder
Build full web and mobile apps for clients in days using Cursor, v0, Supabase, and Vercel — no traditional dev team required
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 20-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$300
Writing & content
One-Person Content Agency
Run a full content agency as a solo operator using AI for research, writing, design, and distribution. Deliver the output of a 5-person team while keeping 90%+ margins.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 20-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$300
Teaching & courses
Online Course Creation
Teach your expertise through online video courses
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Writing & content
Paid Community / Membership
Build a thriving paid community around your expertise using Circle, Skool, or Discord — recurring revenue from members who pay monthly for access, accountability, and connection
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 8-12 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$100
Products & ecommerce
Passion Brand Builder
Turn a niche interest, inside joke, or lifestyle identity into a branded product business. Unlike dropshipping, you build a real brand with loyal customers. AI handles design, copy, and ads so you focus on community and story.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$2,000
Writing & content
Podcasting
Create and monetize your own podcast show
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $100-$500
Freelance services
Productized Service Builder
Turn a repeatable service into a fixed-scope, fixed-price product. Same deliverable every time, AI-assisted delivery, clients buy from a menu instead of negotiating custom proposals.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Industry services
Real Estate Agent AI Growth Platform
AI-powered lead generation, SOI nurture, and neighborhood marketing system built specifically for solo and small-team real estate agents
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Industry services
SaaS Startup AI Growth Platform
AI-powered user acquisition, content marketing, and growth system built specifically for bootstrapped SaaS founders and indie hackers
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Writing & content
Self-Publishing (Amazon KDP)
Write, publish, and sell nonfiction books on Amazon using AI-assisted writing, KDP optimization, and multi-channel distribution to build passive royalty income and authority
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$500
Industry services
Service Business AI Growth Platform
AI-powered local SEO, review generation, and seasonal marketing system built specifically for cleaning, landscaping, pest control, and other home service businesses
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-10 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0
Creative services
Stock Photography
Sell photos on stock photography platforms
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 5-15 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$1,000
Products & ecommerce
TikTok Shop Seller
Sell on TikTok Shop via 3 paths: Creator Affiliate (commission on other brands, no inventory), Direct Seller (your own products), or Live Shopping (TikTok Live with shoppable cart). The fastest-growing ecommerce platform for 2026 — AI generates hooks, scripts, captions, and per-product video templates in minutes.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-25 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$1,500
Writing & content
UGC & Product Review Creator
Create shoppable product review videos for Amazon, TikTok Shop, and affiliate programs. Film honest reviews, earn commissions on every sale, and build an evergreen content library that generates passive income for years.
- Experience
- Beginner
- Planning time
- 10-20 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$500
Design
UX/Product Designer
Design beautiful, user-friendly products for startups and SaaS companies
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 20-35 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $200-$800
Software & automation
Web Development
Build websites and web applications for clients
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 15-30 hours/week
- Starter budget estimate
- $0-$200
Software & automation
Weekend Validation Sprint
A 48-hour sprint framework: pick a problem, research the market with AI, build a landing page, run $50-100 in ads, and make a go/no-go decision by Sunday night. Validate before you build.
- Experience
- Intermediate
- Planning time
- 48 hours (one weekend)
- Starter budget estimate
- $50-$150
Choose a possibility. Test a small version.
Use the guide to understand the work, then choose a customer, one useful offer, and a test you can afford to run.