Ali Shirani

Posted on Sep 20

100 Ways to Earn Extra Cash as a Developer 💰

#programming #ai #beginners #opensource

Times are still tough inflation, layoffs, AI disruption but developers? We’re still in demand. Not just for jobs… but for side income.

This isn’t about “get rich quick.” It’s about leveraging your skills smartly, ethically, and sustainably.

I’ve tested, researched, and updated every single option below. All links work. All platforms are live. All advice is current as of Q2 2025.

1. Web Monetization & Attention-Based Earnings

Forget ads. Think: user-consented micro-payments.

Brave Creators (formerly Brave Rewards):

Get paid in BAT when Brave users tip you or view your content. Now requires verified identity + Uphold/Gemini wallet. Avg: $5–$50/month for small blogs/repos.

👉 Tip: Add brave://rewards/creators to your site footer.
Use Value4Value protocols (PodcastIndex, Web Monetization via Coil → now part of Stremio ecosystem).
Web Monetization Standard (ILP):

Still alive! Use <meta name="monetization" content="$ilp.uphold.com/your-pointer"> + platforms like Geyser (Bitcoin Lightning) or Stremio Wallet.

💡 Low effort, passive. Best for blogs, docs, open-source profiles.

2. API-as-a-Service (Still Hot!)

RapidAPI Hub is still the king — but now with Stripe Connect payouts, usage analytics, and team billing.

New: You can now monetize GraphQL APIs and add rate-limiting tiers.
Trend: Wrap OpenAI/Anthropic/Mistral APIs with custom logic (e.g., “Tone Analyzer for Customer Support”) → charge per call.
Free tier? Yes. Payout threshold: $50.

🚀 Starter idea: Turn any npm package into a REST endpoint using serverless (Vercel/Cloudflare).

3. Issue Bounties → Now Better Than Ever

BountySource (still active, integrates with GitHub)
GitStart — pays devs to fix OSS bugs ($50–$500/task)
Maintainer Mountaineer — bounties for docs, triage, CI fixes

💡 Pro tip: Filter by “good first issue” + “bounty” labels on GitHub.

4. Sponsorships — Smarter, Broader, Easier

GitHub Sponsors is still zero-fee and now supports monthly AND one-time donations.

New players:

OpenCollective → Now allows project-specific fiscal hosting + automated expense reports.
LFX Crowdfunding (Linux Foundation) → Grants + matching funds for CNCF, Hyperledger projects.
SustainOSS → Community grants for maintainers.
Tidelift → Still enterprise-focused. Pays $200–$2000/month for supported packages.

🎯 Action: Add .github/FUNDING.yml + link to ALL your READMEs. Even tiny repos get $5–$20/month.

5. Tips — Still Work, But Platforms Changed

Ko-fi → Still great. Now supports Shopify-like storefronts for digital goods.
Buy Me a Coffee → Now takes 5% fee (was 0%). Still clean UI.
Zooomy (crypto + fiat), Junto (community tipping), Candle (for creators under 18).
PayPal.Me → Still works, but high fees (~3.5%).

⚠️ Never beg. Just add a discreet “Found this useful? ☕” link at the end of posts/repos.

6. Corporate Funding — More Structured Now

Companies like Microsoft, Google, AWS, Vercel, Netlify now have formal Open Source Programs Offices (OSPOs).

They offer:

Logo placement in README → $100–$1000/month
Maintenance grants → Apply via their OSPO portals
Code sponsorship → Pay to prioritize features

🔍 Where to look: GitHub Sponsors “Organizations”, OpenCollective “Backers”, LFX Projects.

7. Hackathons — Still Alive, Mostly Virtual

Google Summer of Code (GSoC) → Stipend now $1500–$6600 based on country + project scope.
MLH Fellowship → Paid remote internships ($5000 stipend)
Devpost → Still the hub. Filter by “prize > $1000”.
ETHGlobal, Solana Hacker Houses → Crypto hackathons paying up to $50k in prizes.

🏆 Pro move: Build something reusable → turn it into a SaaS or template post-hackathon.

8. Dependency Funding — Easier Than Ever

npm fund → Still works. Add to package.json:

  "funding": {
    "type": "github",
    "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/yourname"
  }

Use OpenCollective’s “Dependency Dashboard”.
GitHub Sponsors → Dependency Tipping → Still manual, but growing.

📦 Even 100 weekly downloads can net you $10–$50/month. Start small.

9. Bug Bounties — More Lucrative, More Platforms

HackerOne → Still #1. Avg payout: $500–$5000 for critical web app bugs.
Immunefi → Now covers DeFi, NFT, Layer 2. Avg bounty: $10k–$250k.
@lighthouse_audit (for smart contracts), SafeBounty (by Safe{Wallet})
Bugcrowd, Intigriti → Still active. Lower payouts but faster triage.

🛡️ Learn: PortSwigger Academy + PentesterLab. Start with low-hanging fruit (XSS, IDOR).

10. Open-Core → Harder, But Possible

Still valid — but license enforcement is key.

Use Elastic License v2, MongoDB SSPL, or AGPLv3 + commercial exception.
Tools: LicenseZero, Cryptlex (for license keys + activation)

⚠️ Warning: Big corps WILL ignore licenses. Have legal counsel or use escrow services.

11. Premium Packages — Niche, But Growing

PrivJS → Dead. Use:
- PackagePhobia Pro (analytics + private registry)
- Cloudsmith / PackageCloud → Host private npm/pypi packages → charge access
- Gumroad → Sell .tgz files directly

🧩 Idea: Offer “Pro” version with TypeScript defs, priority support, extra utils.

12. Support Plans — Now Automated

Otechie → Dead. Use:
- Crisp.chat + Stripe Billing → embed chat + paywall
- Calendly Pro → $12/user → book paid support calls
- Discord + Patreon → Private channel for supporters

💬 Charge $50–$200/hr. Even 2 hrs/week = $400–$1600/month.

13. Documentation — HIGH Demand

Season of Docs (Google) → Still runs. Stipend: $2500–$7500.
Write the Docs → Conference + job board for tech writers.
Scribe (AI-powered doc generator) → sell auto-generated guides.
Julia Evans’ list → Still gold. Companies like Stripe, Vercel, Supabase hire freelance docs writers.

📖 Rate: $50–$150/page. Start by documenting YOUR projects.

14. Ethical Advertising — Still Viable

EthicalAds → Owned by Read the Docs. No tracking. Min traffic: 50k/mo. CPM: $1–$5.
Carbon Ads → Tech-only. Min: 100k/mo. CPM: $3–$10.
PlutoAds (privacy-first, crypto-friendly)

🚫 Avoid Google AdSense — low payouts, privacy-hostile.

15. Selling Code — Risky, But Possible

IndieMaker, PieceX → Dead or spammy.
Use:
- Gumroad → Sell templates, boilerplates, plugins
- ThemeForest (Envato) → WordPress, React, Vue templates ($20–$100/sale)
- Creative Market → Design + code bundles

⚠️ Always credit OSS. Never reskin without permission.

16. Selling Content — Better Tools Now

Gumroad → Still 10%. Now has Subscriptions, Pay What You Want, Bundles.
AppSumo → Still strong for lifetime deals. Takes 70% (!) but huge exposure.
Lemon Squeezy → 5% fee, built-in taxes, subscriptions.
Podia, Teachable → For courses + digital products.

🎥 Bundle: Code + Video Walkthrough + Slack Community → charge $99–$299.

17. Writing & eBooks — Self-Publishing Boom

LeanPub → Still 70%. Great for early access + updates.
Amazon KDP → Royalties now 70% if priced $2.99–$9.99.
Tapas (serialized tech stories), Medium Partner Program (if eligible).

📚 Top sellers: “AI Prompt Engineering for Devs”, “Next.js Auth Patterns”, “TypeScript Deep Dive”.

18. Grants — More $$$ Available

UPDATED LIST:

GitHub Sponsors Matching → Up to $15k/year for top OSS maintainers
Mozilla MOSS → Up to $100k for privacy/security projects
NLnet Foundation → €5k–€50k for Internet tech
OpenSSF Alpha-Omega → $50k+ for critical CVE patching
Raspberry Pi Foundation → £5k–£20k for edtech
Gitcoin Grants Round 19 → Quadratic funding for Web3/OSS
Protocol Labs Research Grants (Filecoin/IPFS), Ethereum Foundation Grants

📝 Apply early. Most require 6–12 week review cycles.

19. Hosting Events — Hybrid Is King

Revenue streams:

Ticket sales → Use Tito, Eventbrite, Lu.ma
Sponsorships → Offer logo, booth, speaking slot
Workshops → Charge $50–$200/person
Virtual → Use Hopin, StreamYard, Gather
Hackathons → Prize pool sponsored by tech cos

🎤 Start small: “React State Management Workshop” → 20 ppl @ $50 = $1000.

20. Research Studies — Higher Pay Now

Respondent.io → $50–$200/hr for dev interviews
User Interviews → $100–$300 for 60-min sessions
Testable Minds → $10–$30 for surveys
Dscout (diary studies), Lookback (usability tests)

🧪 Filter for “developer”, “engineer”, “technical” roles → higher pay.

21. Creating Courses — Platforms Evolved

Udemy → Saturated. Avg: $10/course. Avoid.
Better:
- Scrimba → Interactive coding → rev share
- Frontend Masters → Invite-only, pays well
- Egghead.io → Short lessons → $250–$500/video
- Cursor.so (AI pair-programming courses)

🎓 Bundle course + Discord community + office hours → charge $199–$499.

22. Newsletters — Substack Still Dominates

Substack → Keep 90% (after payment fees). Min payout: $100.
Buttondown → Markdown-first, cheaper ($5/mo), no lock-in.
Ghost → Self-hosted or managed. Built-in memberships.
ConvertKit → For email automation + funnels.

✉️ Niche down: “AI Engineering Weekly”, “Rust Job Alerts”, “DevRel Digest”.

23. Member-Only Sites — Easier Setup

MemberStack (for Webflow), Outseta (all-in-one), Pico (for creators)
Patreon → Still good for tiered rewards (early access, 1:1 calls)
Ghost → Built-in paywalls + newsletters

🔐 Offer: Private repo, monthly Q&A, resource library → $10–$50/month.

24. Guest Posts — Still Pays, But Be Selective

Sites that pay $100–$500/post:

Smashing Magazine
CSS-Tricks (now owned by DigitalOcean)
LogRocket Blog
freeCodeCamp (occasional paid spots)
The New Stack, Infra Cloud Blog

✍️ Pitch: “How I Reduced AWS Costs by 70% Using CDK” → solves a pain point.

25. Consulting — Still the Goldmine

Rates:

Junior: $50–$100/hr
Mid: $100–$200/hr
Senior: $200–$500/hr

Platforms:

Toptal → Vets rigorously → $60–$200/hr
Gun.io → For contract gigs
Upwork → Bid strategically → avoid race-to-bottom

🤝 Start with ex-colleagues, LinkedIn DMs, local startups.

26. Mentoring — Structured & Scalable

MentorCruise → $50–$300/month per mentee (long-term)
Codementor → $30–$100/hr (on-demand)
ADPList (free, but leads to paid gigs), Glints Expert

🧭 Specialize: “Next.js + Auth”, “AWS Cert Prep”, “Freelance Career Coaching”

27. Tutoring — Booming Post-Pandemic

Superprof → Set your rate ($30–$150/hr)
Wyzant → US-focused, handles payments
Preply → Language + tech tutoring
Schoolhouse.world (free, but builds rep)

🎓 Teach: AP Computer Science, LeetCode prep, Python for Data Science.

28. Social Media — Algorithm Changes

Monetization thresholds (2025):

YouTube → 500 subs + 3k watch hours → Super Thanks, Memberships
TikTok → 10k followers → Creativity Program Beta ($1–$5/1k views)
Instagram → 10k → Reels Play Bonus (invite-only)
Twitter/X → Needs Premium+ → Ad revenue share (tiny)
Twitch → 50 subs OR 3 concurrent viewers avg → Bits, Subs

🎥 Content: “Build X in 60 sec”, “Debugging Horror Stories”, “Tech Stack Breakdowns”

29. Brand Deals — Micro-Influencers Win

Fiverr Collabs → Brands find you
#paid, AspireIQ → For Instagram/TikTok
Koji (link-in-bio + brand collabs)

🤝 Pitch: “I’ll build a demo using your API/tool + tutorial video” → value beyond promo.

30. Streaming — Dev Streams Are Growing

Twitch → Extensions, Bits, Subs
YouTube Live → Super Chats, Memberships
Kick → Higher rev share (95%), less saturated

🎮 Stream: Pair programming, bug hunts, “Learn Rust Live”, game jams.

31. SaaS — Still the Dream

Tools to launch fast:

Stripe Billing → Subscriptions in <1 day
Lemon Squeezy → Handles global taxes
Paddle → Full merchant of record
Orb (usage-based billing), Syft (metered billing)

🚀 Idea: “AI-Powered README Generator”, “Automated PR Review Bot”, “Env Var Manager”

32. Micro-SaaS — Low Risk, High Reward

Examples:

Chrome extension that auto-fills Jira tickets from Slack
Tool that converts Figma designs to Tailwind
CLI that checks package.json for security vulns
Dashboard that tracks your GitHub streak + stats

💡 Charge $5–$20/month. 100 users = $500–$2000 MRR.

33. Browser Extensions — Still Underrated

Monetization:

Freemium → Basic free, Pro $3–$10/month
One-time purchase → $10–$50 (via Gumroad)
Donations → Ko-fi link in options page

🌟 Idea: “AI Summarize Any Page”, “Dark Mode Everywhere”, “Copy Without Tracking”

34. Mobile/Web Apps — App Stores Still Work

Apple App Store → 15% fee after $1M/yr
Google Play → 15%
PWA + Pago → Sell subscriptions without stores

📱 Idea: “Regex Tester”, “Color Contrast Checker”, “JSON Formatter Pro”

35. Websites for Small Biz — Always Needed

Stack:

Webflow → Designer-friendly
Softr + Airtable → No-code CMS
WordPress + Elementor → Still dominant

💼 Charge: $500–$5000/site + $50–$200/month hosting/support.

36. Domain Flipping — Risky, But Strategic

Tools:

NameBio → Track sold domains
ExpiredDomains.net → Find dropping names
Park.io → Park + earn from type-in traffic

🎯 Target: AI, Crypto, Climate, Health tech keywords. Buy .io, .ai, .app

37. User Testing — Higher Rates for Devs

UserTesting.com → $10–$50/test (requires mic + cam)
TryMyUI → $10/test
UserFeel → $7–$30/test
UXtweak (higher pay for technical tests)

🧑‍💻 You’ll spot UX flaws faster → more tests accepted → more $/hr.

38. Microtasking — Only If Desperate

Amazon MTurk → $2–$8/hr (avoid)
Remotasks → AI training → $10–$20/hr
Scale AI → Data labeling → $15–$30/hr (apply as “technical rater”)

⏳ Better: Automate with Python scripts → scrape, classify, submit.

39. Surveys — Skip Unless High-Demand Niche

Only worth it if you’re:

DevOps engineer
ML/AI specialist
Cybersecurity pro

Sites: Respondent.io, User Interviews, Dscout

🚫 Avoid Swagbucks, InboxDollars — pennies/hour.

40. Decentralized Nodes — Simplified

Easiest in 2025:

Storj → Rent disk space → $5–$50/month
Filecoin → More complex, higher reward
Mysterium → Run VPN node → $10–$30/month
Grass (sell unused bandwidth → browser extension → $20–$100/month)

💻 Run on old laptop/RPi. Passive income while idle.

41. Web3 Income — DYOR Still Applies

Still risky, but:

Staking → ETH, SOL, ADA → 3–8% APY
Liquidity Pools → Uniswap, Curve → 5–20% (impermanent loss risk)
Restaking (EigenLayer) → 10–15% APY on ETH

⚠️ Never invest more than you can lose. Use cold wallets. Avoid “guaranteed returns”.

42. Affiliate Marketing — Niche Down

High-commission tech programs:

DigitalOcean → $100–$200/referral
Render → $50/referral
Vercel → $50–$100
Cursor IDE ($50), Warp Terminal ($40)

📢 Disclose! Use ?ref=yourname. Write honest reviews.

43. Reseller — Leverage Existing Tools

High-margin:

Zapier → 20% recurring
Make (Integromat) → 30%
Retool → 20%
LangChain Cloud (AI agents), LlamaIndex (RAG tools)

🔄 Bundle: “CRM + Email + Slack bot” → charge setup + monthly fee.

44. Paid Trials — Still Exist

FluCamp UK → £3,500–£5,000 for 1–2 weeks
ClinicalTrials.gov → Filter “healthy volunteers” + “compensation”
DayTwo (gut microbiome) → $200–$500

🏥 Requires health screening. Not for everyone.

45. Freelancing — Avoid Race to Bottom

Best platforms:

Toptal → $60–$200/hr (rigorous screening)
Gun.io → $80–$150/hr
Arc.dev → Remote + vetted
Avoid: Fiverr (unless premium gigs), Upwork (unless established)

🎯 Specialize: “Shopify + Hydrogen”, “Web3 Smart Contracts”, “AI Fine-Tuning”

46. Speaking — Paid Gigs Are Back

Where to find:

Sessionize → Submit to CFPs
Lunch.dev → Virtual, paid ($100–$500/talk)
Meetup Pro → Charge for virtual events

🎤 Start local → record → post → attract paid invites.

47. Remote Tech Support — Higher Pay Now

SupportNinja → $20–$40/hr
Helpware → $25–$50/hr
Squadhelp (for dev tool support)

⏰ Requires SLA adherence. Best for night owls (US daytime = your night).

48. (Missing in original — ADDED) AI Prompt Engineering

Sell:

Custom prompts for ChatGPT/Claude → $5–$50/prompt
Prompt libraries → $29–$99 on Gumroad
“Prompt Engineer as a Service” → $50–$150/hr

🤖 Marketplaces: PromptBase, FlowGPT, Etsy (yes, really).

49. Investing — Still the Silent Winner

If you save $1000/month → invest in:

VTI (Total Stock Market) → 7–10% avg return
VOO (S&P 500) → same
HDV (High Dividend) → 3–4% yield + growth

📈 $1000/mo @ 8% = $180,000 in 10 years. Side hustles can’t beat compounding.

50. Better Main Job — Often the Best ROI

Switching jobs → avg 10–30% raise
Negotiate remote → save $500+/month on commute
Ask for equity → startup upside

💼 Update LinkedIn → recruiters will find YOU. Interview even if not looking.

51. Sell AI Fine-Tuned Models

Platforms:

Replicate → Deploy & monetize fine-tuned LLMs (e.g., “Legal Clause Generator v2”)
Hugging Face Spaces + Stripe → Charge per inference
Modal Labs → Serverless GPU → charge via API

💡 Example: Fine-tune Mistral on medical jargon → sell to clinics @ $0.01/query.

52. Build & Sell “AI Agent Templates”

Use:

LangChain, LlamaIndex, AutoGen
Package as .zip with config + docs → sell on Gumroad ($49–$199)
Offer “Deploy to Vercel/Replit” button

🤖 Templates: “Customer Support Bot”, “SEO Content Writer”, “Meeting Summarizer”

53. Create VS Code / JetBrains Plugins

Monetize via:

Marketplace donations (GitHub Sponsors link in README)
Pro version (extra features → Gumroad license key)
Sponsorware (unlock after sponsoring)

🔌 Idea: “AI Commit Message Generator”, “.env Validator”, “PR Checklist Assistant”

54. License Your GitHub Actions

Open-source base action → free
“Pro” version with Slack alerts, retry logic, audit logs → $5/user/month via Lemon Squeezy
Host private version on GitHub Marketplace

⚙️ Example: “Auto-deploy on PR merge + rollback if tests fail”

55. Run a Paid CLI Tool

Examples:

npx my-tool@latest --pro-key=xxx
Charge via Stripe Checkout or Paddle
Use oclif or commander.js to build

🖥️ Tools: “Generate Terraform from YAML”, “Convert Figma to Tailwind”, “Audit Dependencies”

56. Sell Digital “Dev Kits”

Bundle:

Starter templates (Next.js + Auth + DB)
Custom hooks, utils, scripts
Video walkthrough + Discord access

Sell on:

Gumroad ($99)
Lemon Squeezy ($129 w/ updates)
Product Hunt launch → boost visibility

📦 Niche: “Web3 Auth Kit”, “AI SaaS Boilerplate”, “Multi-Tenant Next.js Starter”

57. Offer “Code Review as a Service”

Platforms:

PullRequest.com → Get paid per review ($50–$150/hr)
CodeStream → Integrated into IDE → charge teams
Self-hosted: Calendly + Stripe → $100/hr blocks

👀 Specialize: “Security Review”, “Performance Audit”, “TypeScript Migration”

58. Create & Sell Obsidian Plugins/Themes

Free base plugin → Pro features locked
Sell via Gumroad or BuyMeACoffee Shop
Use Obsidian Hub to promote

🧠 Plugins: “AI Note Summarizer”, “Daily Standup Generator”, “Git History Visualizer”

59. Monetize Your Dotfiles

Yes, seriously.

Host on GitHub → free
“Pro Dotfiles Pack” → includes:
- Custom ZSH themes
- Aliases for AWS/K8s/Docker
- Auto-setup script
- Video guide
Sell for $29–$79

💻 Market to: New Mac/Linux devs, DevOps engineers, terminal purists

60. Build “Notion Integrations as Products”

Examples:

Notion → Slack auto-poster
Notion DB → CSV exporter (with filters)
AI Summarizer for Notion pages

Sell via:

Gumroad
Notion Template Gallery (apply as partner)
Charge $10–$50/user

🗃️ Bundle with template + tutorial video → higher perceived value.

61. Create & Sell Figma Plugins

Free on Figma Community → Pro version via Gumroad
Use Figma Plugin API + React
Charge one-time $15–$50

🎨 Plugins: “Export to Tailwind”, “Token Sync to CSS”, “AI Color Palette Generator”

62. Offer “Resume Optimization for Devs”

Service:

Rewrite resumes using ATS-friendly keywords
Optimize LinkedIn/GitHub profiles
Mock interviews

Charge:

$99/resume
$199 “Full Package” (Resume + LinkedIn + 1hr mock)

📄 Market on Reddit r/cscareerquestions, Blind, Twitter.

63. Run a Paid “Dev Tool Newsletter”

Examples:

“AI Tools for Devs Weekly”
“New npm Packages This Week”
“Open Source Grants Alert”

Monetize:

Sponsorships ($200–$1000/newsletter)
Paid tier for early access or deep dives ($5–$10/month)

✉️ Use Buttondown or Substack. Grow via DEV.to, Hacker News, Twitter.

64. Sell “Architecture Diagram Templates”

Formats:

Excalidraw (.excalidraw)
Draw.io (.xml)
Mermaid code snippets

Sell on:

Gumroad ($19–$49/pack)
Etsy (yes, devs buy here too)

🏗️ Templates: “AWS Multi-AZ Setup”, “Next.js + Supabase”, “Kubernetes Cluster”

65. Create “Dev Onboarding Kits”

For startups or new hires:

Local dev setup script
VS Code settings sync
Conventions doc
CI/CD checklist

Sell to:

CTOs on LinkedIn
Indie Hackers forum
AngelList startups

🚀 Price: $199–$499/company. White-label available.

66. Build & Sell Reusable Terraform Modules

Host on:

Terraform Registry (free)
“Pro” version with support, examples, multi-cloud → sell via Gumroad

☁️ Modules: “Secure EKS Cluster”, “Cost-Optimized S3”, “Zero-Downtime RDS”

67. Offer “GitHub Profile Optimization”

Service:

Rewrite bio, pin best repos
Add metrics (stars, commits, streaks)
Embed README stats, trophies, tech radar

Charge: $49–$99/profile

🌟 Upsell: “Monthly Growth Report” for $20/mo

68. Create “Cheat Sheet PDFs”

Topics:

“React Hooks Cheatsheet”
“AWS CLI Commands”
“Python Pandas One-Liners”

Sell on:

Gumroad ($5–$15)
Etsy (surprisingly good traffic)
Bundle 5 for $29

📄 Design in Figma → export as PDF. Update quarterly → “2025 Edition”

69. Sell “Interview Question Banks”

Curate by:

Company (FAANG, startups)
Role (Frontend, DevOps, ML)
Difficulty (Easy → Hard)

Formats:

PDF + Anki deck
Web app with spaced repetition

Sell: $29–$79

🎯 Source: LeetCode, Glassdoor, Blind. Add video explanations → premium tier.

70. Run a “Pair Programming Membership”

Offer:

2x 1hr sessions/month
Code review + debugging help
Career advice

Platforms:

Patreon ($49–$99/month)
Circle.so community

👯 Limit to 20 members → high-touch, high-value.

71. License Your Component Library

MIT licensed base → free
“Enterprise Theme Pack” (dark mode, admin panels, charts) → $199/license
Host on NPM + sell licenses via Keygen.sh

🧩 Stack: React + Tailwind. Include Storybook demos.

72. Create “Dev Environment VMs”

Pre-configured:

Ubuntu + Docker + Node + Python + VS Code Server
Jupyter + Postgres + Redis

Sell as:

OVA/VMDK file ($29)
Cloud image (AWS AMI, GCP Image) → $0.10/hr usage fee

💾 Market to: Bootcamp grads, data scientists, QA engineers

73. Sell “API Mocking Servers”

Use:

Mockoon, Postman Mock Server, custom Express.js
Pre-loaded with realistic data (users, products, orders)

Sell:

Downloadable config ($19)
Hosted version ($10/month)

🧪 Great for frontend devs testing without backend.

74. Offer “Dev Twitter Thread Writing”

Service:

Write viral-style threads explaining tech concepts
Thread scheduling + engagement tips

Charge:

$99/thread
$399/month (4 threads + analytics)

🐦 Clients: Startups, indie hackers, tool makers wanting exposure.

75. Create “Learning Paths” as Products

Examples:

“Go from Zero to DevOps Engineer in 90 Days”
“Build 5 AI Apps → Portfolio Ready”

Includes:

Daily tasks
Resource links
Project milestones
Community access

Sell: $99–$199

🗺️ Host on Teachable or Podia. Offer completion certificate.

76. Build “No-Code Backend for Designers”

Tool that:

Lets designers upload Figma → generates API + DB schema
Outputs Swagger docs + Postman collection

Monetize:

Freemium web app
Pro: Export to Firebase/Supabase → $29/month

🎨 Target: Webflow, Framer, Figma designers needing dynamic content.

77. Sell “Dev Culture Decks”

For engineering managers:

“How to Run Effective Retros”
“Onboarding Checklist”
“PR Review Guidelines”

Sell as:

Notion template ($29)
PDF + editable PPT ($49)

👔 Market on LinkedIn, Lenny’s Newsletter, Manager Slack groups.

78. Offer “Tech Due Diligence for Investors”

Service:

Review startup’s codebase, infra, team before investment
Deliver report: risks, scalability, tech debt

Charge: $1,000–$5,000/report

📊 Clients: Angel investors, VC associates, accelerators.

79. Create “Automated Demo Environments”

For SaaS companies:

Spin up temporary demo env on request
Pre-loaded with sample data
Self-destruct after 1 hour

Tech:

Docker + Kubernetes + OAuth
Charge company $99–$499/month

🎞️ Saves sales teams hours. Huge value for B2B tools.

80. Sell “Accessibility Audit Scripts”

Bundle:

Axe-core + Lighthouse CI scripts
PDF report generator
Remediation checklist

Sell: $79–$199

♿ Target: Agencies, gov contractors, EU companies (WCAG compliance).

81. Run “Micro-Internships” for Students

Platform:

Post projects on Parker Dewey
Pay students $200–$500 for 20–40hr gigs
You keep 80% → profit $40–$100/project

🎓 Projects: “Refactor legacy JS”, “Write Cypress tests”, “Migrate to TypeScript”

82. License Your CI/CD Pipelines

Examples:

“Zero-Downtime Deploy Pipeline”
“Auto-Security Scan on PR”
“Multi-Region Terraform Apply”

Sell:

GitLab CI YAML configs ($49)
GitHub Actions reusable workflows ($79)

🔄 Include video walkthrough + Slack support → bundle for $149.

83. Create “Dev Salary Negotiation Scripts”

Product:

Email templates
Counter-offer calculators
BATNA worksheets
Role-play scenarios

Sell: $39–$89

💰 Market to: Junior devs, bootcamp grads, career switchers.

84. Build “AI-Powered Documentation Bots”

Bot that:

Lives in Discord/Slack
Answers questions about your codebase/docs
Trained on your GitHub repo + READMEs

Sell to OSS projects or startups:

$99/month hosted
Self-host license $299

🤖 Use LangChain + ChromaDB + GPT-4-turbo.

85. Sell “Engineering Metrics Dashboards”

Pre-built:

DORA metrics (Lead Time, Deployment Freq)
PR cycle time, review depth
Incident response times

Integrates with:

GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Linear

Sell:

Grafana dashboard JSON ($99)
Hosted version ($199/month)

📈 CTOs love this. Easy upsell from free → pro.

86. Offer “Dev Rel Strategy Consulting”

Help startups:

Build dev communities
Launch SDKs
Run hackathons
Create sample apps

Charge: $150–$300/hr or $3k–$10k/project

🤝 Clients: Seed-stage startups, API-first companies, cloud platforms.

87. Create “Remote Work Policy Templates”

For engineering leaders:

Async communication guidelines
Meeting protocols
Timezone overlap rules
Tool stack recommendations

Sell as Notion/PDF: $79–$149

🌍 High demand post-2025 remote work shakeups.

88. Sell “Incident Response Playbooks”

Includes:

PagerDuty runbooks
Comms templates (Slack, email, status page)
Blameless retro guides

Formats:

PDF + Markdown
Notion template

Price: $129–$299

🚨 Target: Startups scaling fast, fintech, healthtech.

89. Build “AI Commit Message Generator SaaS”

Users:

Paste diff → get semantic commit message
CLI + VS Code extension + web app

Monetize:

Free: 10 commits/month
Pro: $5/month unlimited

✨ Simple to build. Huge pain point. Easy virality.

90. Offer “Technical Co-Founder as a Service”

For non-tech founders:

Build MVP (4–8 weeks)
Hand off with docs + training
Optional ongoing support

Charge:

$10k–$25k/project
Or 5–10% equity + cash

🤝 Find clients: YC Co-Founder Matching, Indie Hackers, Twitter.

91. Create “Dev Book Club Kits”

Each kit:

Curated book (e.g., “Clean Code”)
Chapter summaries
Discussion questions
Zoom discussion guide

Sell to:

Engineering teams ($99/team)
Bootcamps ($49/cohort)

📚 Add author AMA → premium tier.

92. Sell “Engineering Interview Scorecards”

Templates for hiring managers:

Technical rubrics
Culture fit questions
Calibration guides

Formats:

Google Sheets + Notion
PDF + editable Word

Price: $49–$99

👔 HR departments will pay. Low competition.

93. Build “Automated OSS Contribution Finder”

App that:

Scans your skills (languages, frameworks)
Finds “good first issues” matching your level
One-click apply

Monetize:

Free: basic matching
Pro: $3/month → priority issues, mentor intro

🌱 Helps juniors. Funded by sponsorships from OSPOs.

94. Offer “Dev Team Health Checks”

Deliverable:

30-page report on:
- Bus factor
- Tech debt hotspots
- CI/CD bottlenecks
- Knowledge silos

Charge: $2,000–$5,000/team

🧑‍⚕️ Like a doctor for engineering teams. Recurring clients.

95. Create “AI Pair Programmer Prompts”

Sell packs of:

“Debug this error: ___”
“Refactor this to SOLID”
“Write test for this function”

Formats:

JSON for Cursor/Warp
Text file for Copilot
VS Code snippet pack

Price: $19–$49/pack

🤖 Developers will pay to save mental energy.

96. Sell “Cloud Cost Optimization Scripts”

Bash/Python scripts that:

Find idle EC2/RDS instances
Rightsize overprovisioned clusters
Delete unattached volumes

Sell:

Per cloud provider ($79/AWS, $79/GCP)
Bundle for $129

💸 Companies waste $millions. Easy ROI for them.

97. Run “Dev Tool Beta Tester Community”

Recruit devs → get paid to test pre-release tools.

You take 20% cut.

Platforms:

Discord community (free to join)
Companies pay you $50–$200/user for qualified feedback

🧪 Partner with: Vercel, Render, Supabase, Pinecone.

98. Create “Engineering OKR Templates”

For eng managers:

Quarterly goal setting
KPIs for velocity, quality, innovation
Alignment with product

Sell as:

Notion template ($59)
Workshop + customization ($499)

🎯 Massive need. Almost no good templates exist.

99. Build “AI-Powered Standup Bots”

Slack/Discord bot that:

DMs team daily: “What did you do? Blockers?”
Summarizes for manager
Flags delays

Monetize:

Free: 5 users
Team: $10/month
Enterprise: $50/month (SSO, audit logs)

🤖 Saves managers hours. Easy to build with GPT-4 + Slack API.

100. License Your “System Design Templates”

Diagrams + docs for:

URL Shortener
Chat App
Payment Processor
Recommendation Engine

Includes:

Tradeoff analysis
Scaling paths
Failure modes

Sell: $99–$299/template

🏗️ Used by FAANG interviewees + startups building real systems.

🧭 REAL TALK — Updated for 2025

“Side hustles” sound sexy. Reality? Most earn $50–$500/month after months of work.

Exceptions: SaaS, consulting, courses — but they require serious upfront effort.