Choosing based on what seems profitable won't last. 3 criteria to look at when choosing an AI side hustle
Hello, this is Shigi.
When you start thinking about an AI side hustle, that is definitely the first thing you worry about.
What seems like it will make money?
What is trending?
What can I start now and still be in time for?
I really understand that feeling.
Since it's a side hustle, you want to choose something that will lead to income.
In fact, it would be unnatural not to think about that.
However, if you choose solely based on what seems profitable, you are likely to stop halfway.
Perhaps this part is a little tricky.
Because things that look profitable aren't necessarily easy to continue.
For example, making videos with AI.
Writing articles with AI.
Creating images and posting them on social media.
Selling content.
At first glance, all of these seem to have potential.
In fact, some people succeed at them.
But that doesn't mean they will necessarily suit you.
When choosing an AI side hustle, what you want to look at first isn't just whether it's profitable.
There are some criteria you should look at a bit earlier.
If you skip these, you will have a hard time after you start.
The first is whether you can easily continue the work.
Ultimately, this is a huge factor.
If you don't find writing too painful, then writing and publishing articles with AI might be easy to continue.
Conversely, if you are someone who gets exhausted just by editing text, choosing an article-based side hustle will likely be tough.
There is a limit to how much you can force yourself to lighten the load with AI for work you aren't suited for.
It helps a little.
But if the foundation is a bad match, it won't progress as much as you thought.
Many people stop here.
You chose it because it seemed profitable, but your hands feel heavy.
You know you should do it, but you can't bring yourself to open it.
That might be more of a problem with how you chose it than a problem with your motivation.
The second is whether it is easy to fit into your current life.
This is also very important.
No matter how attractive it is, something that doesn't fit into your current life won't last.
For example, things that require a large block of time.
Things that require preparation for filming or editing.
Things that require a lot of concentration every time.
Those things might be good for people who get hooked, but if they don't match your lifestyle, they are easy to collapse.
Most people do side hustles after their main job or household chores.
Therefore, a method you can actually fit in is stronger than an ideal method.
Can you make progress even for 30 minutes a day?
Can you work on it in small pockets of time?
Is it easy to resume if you stop halfway?
These points are modest, but they are very effective.
If I may be blunt, if you choose without looking at this, you are likely to think the reason you didn't continue is a lack of willpower.
But in reality, it's often just that the method doesn't fit your life.
Rather than not trying hard enough, the design is off.
That feels closer to the truth.
The third is whether it is easy to see small results.
I have the feeling of wanting to aim for something that makes a lot of money from the start.
But at the initial stage, whether you get feedback is more important than the size of the amount.
I put it out.
I got a reaction.
I fixed it a little.
I put it out again.
Things that allow this flow to cycle are easier to continue.
Conversely, things that take a long time to prepare and are far from showing results are easy to feel anxious about along the way.
Am I going in the right direction?
Is there even demand for this in the first place?
When will it turn into money?
Once you start thinking like that, it's easy to stop.
That's why, at first, it's sometimes better to prioritize "trying small and seeing reactions" over "trying to hit it big."
This sense is probably quite important.
I'm not saying you shouldn't look at whether it seems profitable when choosing an AI side hustle.
You can look at that.
Since it's a side hustle, you should actually look at it.
However, if you put that at the very top, everything is likely to collapse when you don't continue.
The order you want to look at is probably this.
Is it easy for me to continue?
Is it easy to fit into my current life?
Is it easy to see small results?
After that, look at whether it seems profitable.
This order is more realistic.
The possibility of making money and being able to continue are similar but different.
If you lump these together, you are likely to stumble in your initial choice.
I think that because there are so many means for AI side hustles, that discrepancy is easy to happen.
What you probably need isn't to guess the most profitable thing.
It's to choose something you can continue, fit into your life, and grow while cycling it in small ways.
As a result, that way is more likely to last, even if it looks like a detour.
Read more of Shigi's articles
At Shigi, I organize columns on how new movements in AI and note relate to side hustles and publishing for ordinary people.
▶︎ Click here for my self-introduction
▶︎ Click here for Shigi's AI shop
Recommended articles
Related magazines
▶︎ Stories to read before starting an AI side hustle
Related products
▶︎ Supporting your 0→1 achievement plan if you want to start a side hustle. What kind of side hustle can you start in your current situation? We will make a plan on how to proceed.
※ This article was drafted with AI and adjusted by the author