All Side Hustle Ideas
Physical products

Programming reference book for a publisher

Wrote a regular expressions pocket reference for a technical publisher, earning ongoing royalties.

At a glance
Estimated by a classifier that read the source. The bar shows how sure it was.
Category
Physical productsLow confidence
53% sure
x
Earns from
SubscriptionsLow confidence
50% sure
x
Startup cost (estimate)
Under $100Low confidence
45% sure
x
Time it takes (estimate)
Hands-off
94% sure
x
Where
Online
95% sure
x
Coding
No coding needed
81% sure
x
Source
Hacker NewsComment by tonystubblebine in “Ask HN: What is your passive income 2019?”, October 29, 2019
Read the original comment

More physical products ideas

  • Physical products
    Snail-mail story subscription
    A subscription sends customers a story in physical letters on a regular schedule. Revenue is recurring subscription fees, with fulfillment handled by mail.
    The Koerner Office
  • Physical products
    Turmeric coffee brand sold by subscription
    An anti-inflammatory coffee brand made with turmeric, produced by a local manufacturing partner. Sales come from subscriptions, bundles and influencer-driven social proof, run alongside a full-time job.
    $1k to $10kOnline
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Stylish diaper bag brand
    A diaper bag brand designed to look less bulky than traditional bags, manufactured through Alibaba. Preorders and organic TikTok content helped fund inventory.
    Over $10kOnline
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Front porch home bakery
    A home micro bakery selling sourdough, cinnamon rolls, cookies and bagels from a front porch on Saturday mornings. Customers preorder and items sell out to lines of local buyers.
    $100 to $1k
    The Koerner Office, 2026
  • Physical products
    High-ticket dropshipping of camper van accessories
    An online store dropshipping high-ticket camper van and motorhome accessories in the UK, with the niche chosen from search and competitor data. Sales come through Google Shopping ads as an authorized reseller.
    Online
    Side Hustle Nation, 2026
  • Physical products
    Flipping used couches
    Buying poorly listed couches, negotiating the price down and reselling them with better photos, including AI-generated backgrounds. The operator is a teenager working in spare time.
    Online and in person
    The Koerner Office, 2026