Side Project Business

3 Side Project Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 8th, 2024

Got a side hustle in mind but not sure how to bring it to life? A side-project business could be your answer.

At its core, this business model involves dedicating your free time to projects that interest you. Think of it as nurturing a hobby while earning extra income. Whether it's an Etsy shop featuring your handmade crafts or a blog generating ad revenue, the possibilities are extensive.

The appeal? You maintain your main job while exploring different ventures to see what sticks, giving you both security and flexibility. Starting small means lower risk and the opportunity to pivot if needed.

To get started, identify a passion, validate the idea, and commit a few hours a week to it. With the right focus and incremental effort, your side project could eventually grow into a full-time endeavor, offering both creative satisfaction and financial rewards.

In this list, you'll find real-world side-project business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a side-project business that makes money.

1. Gumroad ($21.2M/year)

Sahil loves building stuff. He really enjoyed the process of taking a problem coming up with a solution, and then shipping a prototype of that solution to see how good his concept was. Before finishing college he had already shipped a dozen products. Most of the time, they weren't that great.

But sometimes something works out really well, and then he has to decide if he actually wants to work on the idea some more. Very rarely, the answer is yes. That was the case with Gumroad. The question at its core was really compelling to him: How easy could one make it to sell something?

How much money it makes: $21.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 17

Gumroad: Revenue, Profit, Growth, & Story Behind It All

Learn how Sahil Lavingia grew Gumroad from a weekend project into an e-commerce powerhouse generating $21.2 million annually, using nothing more than elbow grease and cold emails to drive their early growth.

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2. Empire Flippers ($4.2M/year)

Gregory Elfrink came up with the idea for Empire Flippers when his outsourcing company in the Philippines lost a major client, leading him to explore the world of niche sites. After finding success with his own niche sites and receiving requests from others to sell their websites, Elfrink pivoted to become a full-time broker. With a focus on transparency and content marketing, Empire Flippers has become a leading M&A advisory business for online businesses, brokering over $50 million worth of deals.

How much money it makes: $4.2M/year
How many people on the team: 53

Empire Flippers: $20M/Year Helping People Buy And Sell Websites

Empire Flippers is a thought leader in brokering online business deals, having brokered over $50 million worth of deals and grown their pool of potential buyers by hundreds every month through a focus on content marketing and middle-of-funnel content.

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3. Random Trivia Generator ($14.4K/year)

Back in 2010, Slavi noticed there were no fun trivia games compatible on mobile (iPhone and Blackberry then) or not flooded with ads. He created a simple 1-page site and tried it with friends and family. Back at work, Slavi saw that after some time the site was getting more than 1000 views/day, which is when he decided to work more on it.

How much money it makes: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $25
How many people on the team: 1

My Side Project Does One Simple Thing & Makes $14K/Year

Founder struggles to continue site while balancing career, family and health, but addictive trivia site still draws more than 200k visitors per month, operating as a profitable business since its inception, and yet to see any signs of slowing down.

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Read by 4,453 founders