Can I suggest that you focus on ways to create outsized value with software? This puts you several steps ahead of the game. Speaking in generalities, the "passive income" crowd don't tend to actually build businesses and <i>often</i> don't create sustainable, defensible value in their projects. If you build a business with sustainable, defensible value, then "all" you need to do from that point is figure out the right combination of algorithms and employees such that your personal time investment is sufficiently low such that it hits your "passive" threshhold.<p>If you want some more concrete ideas, in lieu of copy/pasting a previous comment: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904316" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5904316</a>
Fork my Stopwatch app for iOS. It makes just over $5/day, and I never did much work on it.<p>Completely open source, no real marketing.<p><a href="https://github.com/andrewljohnson/StopWatch-of-Gaia" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/andrewljohnson/StopWatch-of-Gaia</a><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stopwatch-+-timer-stop-watch/id518178439?mt=8" rel="nofollow">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stopwatch-+-timer-stop-watch...</a>
Pick a specific audience and build them a platform or a way to connect with others looking for their services.<p>Some random ideas I just came up with are below. Not all of them passive, but might still interest you.<p>- Website with WordPress templates for real estate agents.<p>- WordPress multisite network that enables real estate agents to create a site quickly and then pay a monthly hosting fee. You could scale this by selling to different real estate companies, getting all of their agents a personal site.<p>- Mobile marketing for restaurants. Create a service that enables restaurants to send text message deals to customers.<p>- Pick an audience that interests you and post user generated content. Then sell ads/sponsorships to companies that want to be in front of that audience. For example, if you create a site for people to submit cute dog pictures, a company like BarkBox might pay for sponsorship.<p>- Teach people a skill and use Amazon affiliate links to the tools that you use (if possible).<p>- Marketing analytics. Build a tool that integrates with Google analytics and provides recommended actions to take to improve website performance.<p>- Create a stock photo site for a specific niche (doctors, lawyers, start ups, etc).<p>- Create a directory for a specific niche and then sell top placement on that directory.<p>- Create a site that allows people who don't know how to code to make an app.
Move fast, this one will blow over quick: Ebola supplies/starter kits, either self-assembled (highest effort, high margin) or just stacks of amazon products with referrals (low effort, low margin).<p>Second revenue stream for this - there are lots of "end of the world preparedness" sites (think of the people who are buying Glenn Beck's gold coins and you've got an idea of the demographic) that would pay to advertise on a website that attracts people who want to buy their way out of future-phobia.
I was thinking about starting an open source project like Wordpress, Ghost.io, etc.. Then create a market for templates. There used to be more "production ready" open source projects back in the day.. Not as much anymore.<p>Some open source project ideas:<p>- subscription commerce (open source birchbox model)<p>- location based platform for mobile apps (open source Uber/Lyft model)<p>- host your own airbnb page (open source airbnb)<p>etc..<p>essentially, any type of successful business model that can be replicated in other industries, open source it, then monetize on templates.
I feel like there's a ton of untapped potential in online store affiliates, beyond the usual "blogs and reviews". Maybe something that imports the wishlist for one particular "big box online retailer / cloud services provider" and notifies the user if any product on the list goes down in price at one of many different vendors?<p>I have a few other ideas in that vein, but I am curious of any traps that may be encountered.
Do research on fast growing internet markets (think Asia/Africa - may need to go one level deeper like a region or major city).<p>Then see if that country or region has a dominant job board/classified website/real estate listing etc.<p>Millions of users are just coming to the internet in those countries and have room for growth. Many of the existing websites offer horrible experience.
Try pg's list of "ideas we'd like to fund". <a href="http://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/" rel="nofollow">http://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/</a><p>Ancient, but here's a blog post I wrote with some ideas: <a href="http://www.puremango.co.uk/2010/10/ten-ideas/" rel="nofollow">http://www.puremango.co.uk/2010/10/ten-ideas/</a><p>And Jacques Mattheij's post that inspired me: <a href="http://jacquesmattheij.com/My+list+of+ideas+for+when+you+are+looking+for+inspiration" rel="nofollow">http://jacquesmattheij.com/My+list+of+ideas+for+when+you+are...</a>
dropship items that cater to an unsavvy market (old people, hobbyists, memes, videogame/fanship communities). People less inclined to seek things out on amazon themselves. alternatively, work on something YOU care about and make something worthwhile. You might even make a buck
Look through some of the sites and apps for sale on Flippa.com and SideProjectors.com. You can get some ideas and maybe find an existing project to take over and build on.
go to blackhatworld.com and In under a week you can build something since you have web skills that hits $10/day passively. Then scale parallel until you've got a salary, then work on your dream.