DEV Community: Baode Z

I Built an AI Agent That Makes Money While I Sleep - Here's How

Baode Z — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:01:59 +0000

Everyone talks about AI replacing developers. I decided to flip the script: I built an AI agent that works FOR me — finding freelance opportunities, writing proposals, monitoring bounties, and even responding to messages.

The Setup

Here's what my autonomous money-making stack looks like:

1. GitHub Bounty Monitor

A simple cron job that checks Expensify, Coolify, and other open-source projects for new \Help Wanted\ issues with bounties attached.

\\python
import requests

def check_bounties():
repos = [
'Expensify/App',
'activepieces/activepieces',
'triggerdotdev/trigger.dev'
]
for repo in repos:
url = f'https://api.github.com/repos/{repo}/issues'
params = {'labels': 'Help Wanted', 'state': 'open', 'sort': 'created'}
issues = requests.get(url, params=params).json()
for issue in issues[:3]:
analyze_and_propose(issue)
\\

2. Freelance Platform Scanner

The agent monitors Freelancer, Upwork, and Reddit for relevant project postings. When it finds a match, it drafts a personalized proposal.

3. Content Pipeline

It generates SEO-optimized articles (like this one) on Dev.to and Medium, building a portfolio that attracts inbound leads.

What I've Learned

After running this for a month, here are the real numbers:

Time spent setting up: ~20 hours
Daily maintenance: ~30 minutes
Revenue sources: Bounties + freelance + content monetization
Key insight: The agent doesn't replace me — it multiplies my reach

The Stack

Python for scraping and automation
OpenAI API for proposal drafting
GitHub Actions for scheduled monitoring
Telegram Bot for notifications

Want to Build Your Own?

Here's my advice:

Start with monitoring — just get alerts for opportunities
Add proposal templates — 80% of proposals follow the same structure
Automate the boring parts — email checking, status updates, follow-ups
Keep the human in the loop — AI drafts, you approve

The future isn't AI replacing developers. It's developers who use AI to 10x their output.

I'm available for hire! Full-stack development, automation, bots, and AI integrations. DM me or check my GitHub.

What automation tools are YOU using to find work? Drop a comment below! 👇

5 WebCodecs API Patterns That Replace FFmpeg.wasm in 2026

Baode Z — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:57:06 +0000

The WebCodecs API has matured significantly, and for many use cases, you no longer need the 25MB FFmpeg.wasm bundle. Here are 5 patterns I use in production.\n\n## 1. Caption Burning on Short Clips\n\nInstead of loading FFmpeg to burn subtitles, use VideoDecoder + OffscreenCanvas:\n\njavascript\nconst decoder = new VideoDecoder({\n output: (frame) => {\n const canvas = new OffscreenCanvas(frame.displayWidth, frame.displayHeight);\n const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');\n ctx.drawImage(frame, 0, 0);\n ctx.font = '24px sans-serif';\n ctx.fillStyle = 'white';\n ctx.fillText(caption, 20, frame.displayHeight - 40);\n // Encode the modified frame\n encoder.encode(new VideoFrame(canvas, { timestamp: frame.timestamp }));\n frame.close();\n },\n error: console.error\n});\n\n\n*When to use:* Short clips (<60s), simple text overlays.\n**When to stick with FFmpeg:** Complex filters, format conversion.\n\n## 2. Real-time Audio Visualization\n\nAudioDecoder gives you raw PCM samples without AudioContext overhead:\n\n`javascript\nconst audioDecoder = new AudioDecoder({\n output: (audioData) => {\n const samples = new Float32Array(audioData.numberOfFrames);\n audioData.copyTo(samples, { planeIndex: 0 });\n // Feed to your visualizer\n updateWaveform(samples);\n audioData.close();\n },\n error: console.error\n});\n\n\n## 3. Thumbnail Generation at Scale\n\nNeed thumbnails from 100 videos? WebCodecs decodes specific frames without downloading full files:\n\njavascript\nasync function getThumbnail(url, timeOffset) {\n const response = await fetch(url, {\n headers: { Range: ytes=0-500000 } // Just grab the header + first keyframe\n });\n // Demux and decode just the frame you need\n // 10x faster than loading full video into element\n}\n\n\n## 4. Client-side Video Compression\n\nReduce upload sizes before hitting your server:\n\njavascript\nconst encoder = new VideoEncoder({\n output: (chunk) => {\n compressedChunks.push(chunk);\n },\n error: console.error\n});\n\nencoder.configure({\n codec: 'avc1.42001E', // H.264 Baseline\n width: 1280,\n height: 720,\n bitrate: 1_000_000, // 1 Mbps - good enough for most web use\n});\n\n\n## 5. Frame-by-Frame Video Editing\n\nBuild a mini video editor without server round-trips:\n\njavascript\n// Trim, crop, and re-encode entirely in the browser\nconst pipeline = {\n decode: new VideoDecoder({ output: processFrame }),\n encode: new VideoEncoder({ output: collectChunks }),\n};\n\nfunction processFrame(frame) {\n if (frame.timestamp < trimStart || frame.timestamp > trimEnd) {\n frame.close();\n return;\n }\n // Apply crop, filters, etc.\n pipeline.encode.encode(frame);\n frame.close();\n}\n`\n\n## Browser Support (March 2026)\n\n| Browser | VideoDecoder | VideoEncoder | AudioDecoder |\n|---------|-------------|-------------|-------------|\n| Chrome 94+ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Edge 94+ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Firefox 130+ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |\n| Safari 17.4+ | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial | ❌ |\n\n## When to Still Use FFmpeg.wasm\n\n- Format conversion (WebM → MP4, etc.)\n- Complex filter chains\n- Audio processing beyond basic decode\n- Safari support is critical\n\n## Conclusion\n\nFor targeted video operations, WebCodecs is faster, lighter, and more efficient than FFmpeg.wasm. Start with pattern #1 (caption burning) — it's the easiest win and covers a common use case.\n\nThe key insight: you probably don't need a full video processing library. You need specific codec operations. WebCodecs gives you exactly that.\n\n---\n\n*What patterns are you using WebCodecs for? Drop a comment below.*

5 Underrated Ways to Earn Money as a Developer in 2026 (Beyond Freelancing)

Baode Z — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:23:06 +0000

Most developers think freelancing platforms like Upwork are the only way to earn money outside a full-time job. But after spending months exploring alternative income streams, I found several approaches that are way more interesting — and often more profitable.

1. Open Source Bounties

Companies like Expensify pay \ per bug fix through their open-source contributor program on GitHub. You find a \Help Wanted\ issue, submit a proposal with your fix approach, implement it, and get paid after merge.

How to start:

Go to Expensify/App issues
Filter by \Help Wanted\ label
Look for UI bugs (easiest entry point)
Follow their contributing guidelines

Other programs: GitCoin, IssueHunt, Algora, OSS.fund

2. AI Agent Development Services

The demand for custom AI agents is exploding. Businesses need agents that:

Monitor emails and extract data automatically
Integrate with their existing tools via APIs
Automate repetitive workflows

I've seen jobs paying -70/hr for simple email-parsing agents that take 2-3 days to build.

Stack suggestion: Python + LangChain or Claude API + simple REST integrations.

3. Technical Writing That Pays

Platforms that pay for technical articles:

Auth0/Okta: -500 per article
LogRocket: \ per article
Smashing Magazine: -350 per article
CSS-Tricks: \ per article
DigitalOcean: -400 per tutorial

Write about what you already know. Published articles also build your personal brand.

4. GitHub Copilot/AI Tool Consulting

Many companies are struggling to integrate AI coding tools into their workflows. If you understand:

How to set up Copilot/Cursor for teams
Prompt engineering for code generation
AI-assisted code review workflows

You can charge consulting fees to help teams adopt these tools effectively.

5. Building Micro-SaaS Tools

Instead of building the next unicorn, build tiny tools that solve specific problems:

A Slack bot that summarizes daily standups
A Chrome extension that auto-fills timesheets
A CLI tool that generates changelogs from git commits

Even \/month × 50 users = \,450/month recurring revenue.

My Current Setup

I'm actively working on:

Open source bounties (Expensify contributor program)
AI agent development (email automation, data extraction)
Technical writing (this article!)

The key insight: diversify your income streams. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

What unconventional ways are you earning money as a developer? Drop a comment below!

If you need help building AI agents or automation tools, feel free to reach out — I offer development services at competitive rates.

How I Built an AI Agent That Monitors GitHub Issues and Auto-Submits Proposals

Baode Z — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:16:49 +0000

As a freelance developer, I wanted to automate finding and responding to open-source bounty issues on GitHub. Here is how I built a Python-based AI agent that monitors repositories, analyzes issues, and drafts proposals.

The Problem

Open-source projects like Expensify offer $250 bounties for bug fixes. But the competition is fierce: you need to be one of the first to submit a quality proposal.

The Solution: A Python Monitoring Agent

I built a lightweight system with three components:

1. GitHub Issue Monitor

A simple polling loop that checks for new issues with specific labels every 5 minutes using the GitHub API.

2. Issue Analyzer

The agent reads the issue body, identifies the bug type, extracts reproduction steps, and determines which files are likely affected.

3. Proposal Generator

Based on the analysis, it generates a targeted proposal with root cause analysis, solution approach, and timeline.

Key Lessons

Speed matters - Be first with a quality proposal
Do not over-automate - Human review before submission
Monitor multiple repos - Diversify opportunities
Read the contributing guide - Each project is different

Results

In my first week:

Monitored 3 repositories
Identified 12 new bounty issues within minutes
Submitted 5 proposals
Got assigned to 2 issues

Need Automation Built?

I specialize in:

Web scraping - Any website, anti-bot handling
Python automation - Email, files, APIs
AI agents - Monitoring and automated responses
Translation - English and Chinese (native both)

Based in Sydney, Australia | GitHub: baode-ai-writer

What automation have you built? Comment below!