Passive Income Ideas For Technology Evangelists [2024]

Updated: September 21st, 2024

Interested in earning passive income as a technology evangelist in 2024?

We put together a few of the best passive income ideas you can start as a technology evangelist today. These will help you increase your quality of life by bringing in more income for yourself or your business.

For each income idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, plus some things you might need to know before you start your passive income journey as a technology evangelist.

Here's the full list:

1. Make passive income with an email marketing tool ($992K/month)

As a technology evangelist, starting an email marketing tool could align perfectly with your expertise and passion for tech solutions. An email tool helps users create, manage, and automate email campaigns, allowing businesses to connect with customers more effectively than through blogs or websites. Your understanding of technology and its applications gives you a head start in developing a tool that meets the specific needs of various industries.

This venture could present you with the opportunity to generate passive income by offering subscription plans or one-time purchases for your software. With the global email marketing tool market expected to reach $2.53 billion by 2028, there's a significant financial upside. Entrepreneurs, startups, and even real estate agents are constantly seeking efficient ways to manage their communications, making your email marketing tool a valuable asset to a wide audience.

How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

I Built A SEO Tool That's Completely Free For Users [From Lebanon]

H-supertools founder Hasan developed a set of free SEO and digital marketing tools generating $2k per month in profit using Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling ad spaces, and email, plans to launch a membership option, and has attained over 80k registered users and 300k monthly visits in less than two years.

Read by 14,150 founders

2. Make passive income with a social media automation business ($139K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could start a social media automation business to help clients manage their multiple social media accounts with ease. By offering tools that schedule posts, automate interactions, and analyze data, you enable businesses and influencers to save time while enhancing their online presence.

Given the growing need for consistent and strategic social media engagement, there’s a significant demand for automation services. You could leverage your expertise in technology to develop or integrate software solutions and stay updated on social media trends, ensuring that your clients receive the best service possible. This business not only aligns with your tech-savvy background but also presents a fulfilling opportunity to increase your income.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month

How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)

How I Bootstrapped A Social Media Automation Tool To $2MM/Year

MeetEdgar, a bootstrapped social media automation tool founded in 2014 by Laura Roeder, has grown to $4 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 5,000 customers, with a team size of two dozen, achieved through content marketing, social media marketing, and organic search.

Read by 15,250 founders

3. Make passive income with an AI writing tool ($255K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could supplement your income by diving into the rapidly growing field of AI writing tools. This venture involves creating a digital platform powered by Artificial Intelligence to assist in content creation. The tool could generate accurate and engaging content, poised to change how businesses, bloggers, and students approach their writing tasks.

By embedding AI into the core of content creation, you could offer significant improvements over traditional writing methods. The tool would allow users to produce automated, error-free, and time-efficient content with just one click. With today’s high demand for constant and quality content, developing an AI writing tool could take advantage of your tech prowess while providing a valuable solution to ease the workload of writers globally.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month

How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)

I Built A Simple AI Writing Tool That Makes $60K/Year

Rytr, a new AI writing assistant developed by a startup platform and business incubator, has become a market leader, serving over 300,000 customers across the world and doing seven figures in ARR.

Read by 6,767 founders

4. Make passive income with an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could explore creating an AI-based business solution to help companies streamline their operations using cutting-edge technology. This approach leverages artificial intelligence to optimize various business processes, such as customer service, inventory management, data analysis, and personalized marketing. With AI tools automating repetitive tasks and providing valuable insights, businesses can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and make better data-driven decisions.

You could take advantage of the growing demand for AI solutions, as more companies seek to gain a competitive edge. Many platform providers offer user-friendly interfaces and robust support, making it accessible even if you don’t have a deep tech background. By focusing on high-impact areas and implementing a solid plan, launching an AI-based business solution could be a strategic move to innovate, boost business performance, and start earning passive income.

How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month

How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)

How We Launched A $120K/Month Audiobook Publishing Course

Mikkelsen Twins grew an online education company from scratch with over 800 students, making over 6-figures in profit every month thanks to their successful program, Audiobook Income Academy 2.0.

Read by 21,998 founders

5. Make passive income with a lead generation tool ($108K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could leverage your expertise to create a lead generation tool, which identifies and captures potential customer leads for businesses. This tool would automate the labor-intensive process of finding new clients, allowing businesses to focus more on converting those leads into sales. By integrating with websites, social media channels, and other digital touchpoints, you could collect valuable data like email addresses, phone numbers, and user interests.

Given your tech-savviness and understanding of digital ecosystems, this could be a natural extension of your existing skills. Businesses are always looking for efficient ways to grow their customer base and streamline their marketing efforts, so the demand for such a tool is high. Developing a lead generation tool could not only help companies improve their marketing strategies but also provide you with a steady stream of passive income.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

How I Created A $5M/Year LinkedIn Marketing Automation Tool

Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.

Read by 8,923 founders

6. Make passive income with a wordpress plugin business ($33.4K/month)

Starting a WordPress plugin business could be a great way for you as a technology evangelist to supplement your income. With your deep understanding of technology and user needs, you could identify common issues that website owners face and develop plugins to solve those problems. WordPress plugins are essential for running successful websites, and you could create a valuable tool that meets a specific need.

If you have found a solution to an issue that many users encounter, you could develop a plugin for it and sell it online. Whether you choose to market your plugins on platforms like CodeCanyon, on your blog, or through a dedicated website, there are many avenues for generating passive income. This could be an excellent side hustle that leverages your existing expertise and industry knowledge.

How much you can make: $120 — $120,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Coded A Website Plugin Making $600 Per Month

Wheely Sales CEO Josh created a lucky wheel popup that has grown revenue from $0 to $600/month in just 4 months since getting started and has attracted over 1.1 million users to his customers’ websites, all while proving that when it comes to creating a product, competition is validation.

Read by 18,985 founders

7. Make passive income with a mobile app ($70.3K/month)

As a technology evangelist, your deep understanding of the tech landscape puts you in a prime position to start a mobile app. You could leverage your insights and experience to create an app that meets user needs, whether it’s a productivity tool, a game, or something entirely different. This way, you’re not diving blindly into app development; you’re building on the knowledge you already possess.

Creating a mobile app requires a clear vision and some basic coding skills, but you could also collaborate with a skilled developer to bring your idea to life. Your main tasks would involve planning the user experience, designing interfaces, and ensuring everything runs smoothly. With effective marketing, your app could reach a wide audience and potentially generate passive income through downloads and in-app purchases.

How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

We Started A $6M/Year Bachelorette Party App

BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.

Read by 11,017 founders

8. Make passive income with a niche website ($107K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could leverage your expertise and passion to create a niche website that caters to tech enthusiasts and professionals. By focusing on a specialized topic—such as emerging technologies, software tutorials, or in-depth product reviews—you could attract a dedicated audience interested in your insights. This approach not only allows you to share your knowledge and contribute to the tech community but also explores avenues for passive income.

You could monetize your niche website through various methods, including affiliate marketing, ad placements, or selling digital products like e-books and online courses. The key is to consistently provide valuable, well-researched content to keep your audience engaged and returning for more. Over time, this could become a reliable source of supplemental income, aligning your entrepreneurial spirit with your technical expertise.

How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

How I Leveraged My LinkedIn Network To Create A $1.8M/Year Procurement Conference

DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.

Read by 3,620 founders

9. Make passive income with a niche blog ($31.5K/month)

As a technology evangelist, starting a niche blog could be an excellent way to share your knowledge and engage with a passionate audience. You could focus on an underserved niche within the tech world that excites you, such as emerging technologies, software development tips, or product reviews. By creating unique and informative content like how-to guides, product comparisons, and video interviews, you could attract a dedicated following.

To monetize your blog, you could include affiliate links to tech products, collaborate with relevant brands, and perhaps even grow a YouTube channel to increase your reach. Offering insights that are specifically valuable to your audience could also lead to speaking opportunities at events and conventions. With a consistent effort in creating engaging content and connecting with your readers, you could start earning a steady stream of passive income while boosting your career as a technology expert.

How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

How I Turned A Crappy Idea Into A $3M/Year Business

Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.

Read by 78,270 founders

10. Make passive income with an online course sales business ($85K/month)

Starting an online course sales business could be a great way for you as a technology evangelist to supplement your income. You could tap into your deep knowledge and passion for technology to create engaging and informative courses. Whether it's coding, web design, or the latest in tech trends, your expertise could provide great value to those eager to learn.

With the e-learning market projected to grow significantly, there's a huge opportunity for you to reach a broad audience. All you need to do is identify your target audience, develop your course content, and choose a suitable online learning platform. Once your course is up and running, it could continue to generate passive income, allowing you to earn while sharing your passion for technology.

How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

I Make $120K/Year With My Print On Demand T-Shirt Side Hustle

A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.

Read by 12,038 founders

11. Make passive income with an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)

As a technology evangelist, starting an affiliate marketing business could be a smart way to supplement your income. Given your expertise and passion for tech, you could promote products or services related to your field, such as software, gadgets, or online courses. By recommending products you genuinely believe in, you could earn commissions on every sale made through your affiliate links.

To get started, you could explore and partner with brands or eCommerce stores that align with your professional interests. For example, if you're knowledgeable about specific software tools, you could become an affiliate for those companies and share your insights with your audience. Over time, this could develop into a reliable source of passive income that complements your existing career.

How much you can make: $500 — $773,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

My Affiliate Marketing Business Earns $500K/Year Profit [No Employees]

This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

Read by 24,636 founders

12. Make passive income with a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)

As a technology evangelist, starting a YouTube channel could be a fantastic way to both supplement your income and share your passion for technology with a broader audience. You could create content such as how-to guides, product reviews, and deep dives into tech trends, effectively leveraging your expertise for educational or entertainment purposes. This content can be monetized through ads, sponsorships, and even branded merchandise.

While building a successful YouTube channel requires consistency and quality, the flexibility and potential financial rewards can make it a fulfilling side hustle. You'd need to plan your content, shoot and edit videos, and engage regularly with your audience. A good grasp of video SEO and social media marketing can also help you grow your channel and reach more viewers, creating more opportunities for passive income.

How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)

How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)

How A Young Entrepreneur From Nigeria Started A Profitable Blog

This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.

Read by 12,323 founders

13. Make passive income with an online survey tool ($304K/month)

As a technology evangelist, you could leverage your expertise to launch an online survey tool, providing businesses with a powerful means to gather customer feedback. This not only meets a growing demand for data collection but also offers a convenient, cost-effective way for companies to understand their customers better. Given the increasing reliance on digital tools for business insights, an online survey platform could become a steady source of passive income.

With features like a survey builder, data collection tool, and reporting system, you could offer a robust service that helps companies make informed decisions. By promoting and refining your tool, you could attract a stable user base, much like Typeform, which achieved significant revenue growth by addressing similar needs. This entrepreneurial venture aligns with your passion for technology while providing a valuable resource for businesses looking to leverage customer data for growth.

How much you can make: $40 — $1,600,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

On Starting A $160K/Month CRM & Automations Company After A US Air Force Career

GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.

Read by 12,019 founders

14. Make passive income with a podcast ($97.9K/month)

Starting a podcast could be an excellent way for a technology evangelist to supplement their income. As a technology evangelist, you're already passionate and knowledgeable about tech trends, innovations, and tools, which could be the perfect niche for your podcast. By sharing insights, interviews with industry leaders, and reviews of new technologies, you could attract listeners who are eager to learn more about the tech world.

With basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones, and by using free or affordable hosting platforms, you could create and publish engaging content without a large upfront investment. Promoting your podcast through social media, online communities, and word of mouth could help you build an audience. As your listener base grows, you could potentially attract sponsors or advertisers, creating a stream of passive income alongside your primary career.

How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week

How I Started A Successful Podcast Production Company

A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.

Read by 19,203 founders

meet the author
Pat Walls