Exploring AI Side Hustles: Lessons Learned from My Failures
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Chapter 1: Introduction to AI Side Hustles
In recent years, artificial intelligence has experienced a significant surge, and its influence is only expected to grow. This era has made it possible to generate text, images, voices, and even videos using AI technology. With the emergence of numerous AI tools, a wealth of new opportunities for side hustles has appeared, some of which were previously unimaginable.
Noteworthy successes, such as Ammaar Reshi’s children’s book publication and Henry Williams’ freelance article writing, have gained traction thanks to AI. Motivated by these examples, I sought to explore various AI-driven side hustles that others claimed could lead to success. Unfortunately, my attempts did not yield the same positive results. I encountered failures of varying degrees.
In this article, I will detail my experiences with three specific side hustles and share valuable lessons learned along the way: Print-On-Demand, Low-Content Books, and Technical Article Writing. Let’s dive in.
Section 1.1: Print-On-Demand
Print-On-Demand (POD) is a business model that allows for customized products to be printed only as orders come in, eliminating the need for inventory. This model is particularly advantageous for individual artists and entrepreneurs who wish to start their businesses with minimal upfront costs.
I explored POD using platforms like Redbubble and TeePublic, where I created designs using AI image generation tools such as MidJourney and NightCafe, along with the Stable-Diffusion open-source model, which offers flexibility in parameter adjustments. My strategy involved utilizing trending keywords from Google Trends to generate appealing images for sale.
After creating 190 designs for Redbubble and 98 for TeePublic, I eagerly analyzed the results. Unfortunately, the number of visitors I attracted was minimal, and more disappointing was the lack of conversions.
In fact, only one design sold on TeePublic, yielding a mere $2—a disheartening outcome.
Why Did My AI POD Venture Fail?
Upon reflection, two primary issues contributed to my lack of success:
- Insufficient Marketing: Like many side hustles, effective marketing is crucial for product visibility. A plethora of articles discuss how to initiate an AI side hustle but often neglect the importance of launching it successfully.
- Overly Specific Designs: Relying heavily on Google Trends limited the longevity of my designs, as they only gained traction during specific trend periods. The AI-generated images often failed to meet market demands outside these trends.
Overall, marketing remains vital in promoting side hustles, and thorough research is essential for POD success.
Section 1.2: Low-Content Books
Low-Content Books, which include items like notebooks and journals, are characterized by minimal or no written content. The strategy involves creating visually appealing AI-generated covers and selling them through Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) in paperback format.
The concept is straightforward; inside, these books serve merely as blank pages for writing.
However, my results were disheartening—mostly showing zeros in sales. Despite publishing over ten low-content books on KDP, I experienced zero conversions, marking this venture as unsuccessful.
Why Did My AI Low-Content Book Efforts Fail?
The reasons for my failure mirrored those of my POD venture:
- Lack of Marketing: I assumed that KDP's reach alone would attract buyers, but with an oversaturated market, effective marketing became imperative.
- Subpar Cover Quality: While the AI-generated images were visually appealing, the overall design and text placement needed significant improvement. As I lack design expertise, seeking help from a professional would be wise.
Chapter 2: Technical Article Writing
My experience with technical article writing diverged from outright failure, yet I found that AI-generated content could not fully meet my needs. Having written extensively on data science and programming for years, I believed leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT could streamline my writing process.
However, the output was often not up to standard.
For instance, while the AI-generated code may appear acceptable to non-technical individuals, it contained fundamental errors that would lead to complications when executed. The more I attempted to refine the text, the more convoluted the results became, leading me to conclude that AI tools struggle with technical specificity.
Thus, I prefer using AI for research rather than content creation to maintain quality.
Conclusion
My foray into three different AI side hustles—Print-On-Demand, Low-Content Books, and Technical Article Writing—revealed that profitability remains elusive. The core issues stemmed from insufficient marketing and the need for higher-quality outputs. These endeavors served as valuable learning experiences, highlighting areas for growth.
I hope my insights prove helpful! Let’s connect on LinkedIn or Twitter to discuss further.