Speaker A
Most AI side hustle videos are lying to you. They list things that make money and never tell you that six of them cap out at $2,000 a month, which is not a job replacement, that's a car payment.
Discover 10 Claude AI side hustles ranked by income potential, ease, and scalability to replace a full-time salary starting today.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Most AI side hustles have income ceilings that make them insufficient as full job replacements.
- Claude AI can automate significant portions of work, enabling scalable and profitable side hustles.
- High-value clients and retainers are key to earning a full-time income with fewer customers.
- Building AI-powered apps or services is a lucrative and growing market.
- Starting with simple side hustles like prompt packs is easy but less profitable long-term.
What the video covers
- Most AI side hustle videos exaggerate earnings and fail to disclose income caps, often maxing at $2,000/month.
- The video ranks 10 Claude AI side hustles based on speed of payment, AI workload, and realistic income ceiling for solo entrepreneurs.
- Ritesh Verma, a former six-figure software engineer, shares insights from over 200 people who tried these hustles globally.
- Examples include deals ranging from $4,500 upfront retainers to $30,000 contracts, proving these hustles can generate substantial income.
- Many side hustles require numerous clients or teams to replace a salary, but the video highlights those that don’t.
- Selling prompt packs is common but has a low income ceiling and requires high sales volume to replace a salary.
- Building AI-powered apps or services with Claude AI can command high fees and retainers, offering lucrative opportunities.
- The video emphasizes using Claude AI as a brain to automate tasks, reducing manual work and increasing scalability.
- Ritesh discusses the challenges of traditional jobs and how AI side hustles can offer freedom and higher earning potential.
- The ranking is designed to help viewers find side hustles that can realistically generate $8,000-$10,000/month without large client bases or staff.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction: AI Side Hustle Myths and Ranking Criteria
- 00:57Proof of Real Deals and Success Stories
- 02:01High-Earning Side Hustles and Income Potential
- 03:51Personal Experience: From Software Engineer to AI Entrepreneur
- 04:35Challenges of Content Creation and Monetization
- 05:21Managing AI Side Hustles: Roles and Responsibilities
- 06:11Building AI Apps: Skills and Market Demand
- 07:16Selling Prompt Packs: Pros and Cons
- 08:08Fixing Business Data Problems with AI
- 09:00Using Claude AI for Content and Lead Generation
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
best, scored on how fast you can get paid, how much of the work AI actually does, and the honest ceiling for a one-person business. Now, for those who don't know me, I quit a six-figure software engineering job at a big tech
Speaker A
So, I ranked all 10, worst to best, scored on how fast you can get paid, how much of the work AI actually does, and the honest ceiling for a one-person business.
Speaker A
from someone theorizing, it's from watching a couple hundred people try all 10. Now, to be honest, the third side hustle is my favorite, but number one is a hustle that the top earners [music] quietly switched to in 2026. Now, here's
Speaker A
Now, for those who don't know me, I quit a six-figure software engineering job at a big tech company in New York City. I've made over $1 million through AI businesses since, and I've worked with 200-plus founders across 33 countries who've done over $4 million in revenue running exact hustles on this list.
Speaker A
build. Timothy did two $5,000 deals for an AI email service system. And Ramsey is a 19-year-old college student who landed a $4,500 upfront and a $1,000 a month retainer project from just his first client. So, this is proof that
Speaker A
So, this isn't a ranking from someone theorizing, it's from watching a couple hundred people try all 10.
Speaker A
software engineer at a big tech company, good salary, good title, the whole thing your parents wanted for you. And here's the part that broke me. Whether I coasted 30 hours a week or I grinded out at 50 hours a week, my paycheck was
Speaker A
Now, to be honest, the third side hustle is my favorite, but number one is a hustle that the top earners quietly switched to in 2026.
Speaker A
to replace a salary. If you're doing $200 a month AI retainers, you need 40 clients, 40. You need a team to service that, and now you have a whole job again, except you're also the HR department. You're not longer just an
Speaker A
Now, here's some quick proof of real results from these side hustles. Yianni, who lives in Madagascar, landed a $30,000 deal with an AI energy company, and he runs just one of these side hustles.
Speaker A
So, this ranking you're going to see in this video isn't which of these makes money, cuz they all make money. It's which of these gets you to $8,000, $10,000 a month without needing 40 customers and any staff. That's the real
Speaker A
Gary enclosed $31,000 on a single voice AI system build.
Speaker A
See, you can package 50 Claude prompts into a Notion doc, sell it for $27, put it on Gumroad. Building takes a weekend, and it costs nothing to deliver. So far, so good. And the ceiling is brutal. At $27 a sale, if you want to make even
Speaker A
Timothy did two $5,000 deals for an AI email service system.
Speaker A
Actually, he got over that number. But, it is a very easy side hustle to pick up, and honestly, if you've never done an online side hustle before, this isn't a bad way to start with. Now, this side hustle I actually like. It's just
Speaker A
And Ramsey is a 19-year-old college student who landed a $4,500 upfront and a $1,000 a month retainer project from just his first client.
Speaker A
The entire technical barrier is, can you write clear instructions? If you can write clear instructions, Claude can listen, Claude can follow. And people do pay for Claude skills because businesses don't want to learn what a skill.md file is. They don't They might not want to
Speaker A
So, this is proof that these side hustles work because all the people I just mentioned run their AI business full-time.
Speaker A
API without you changing anything. So, you can build it once, and you resell it to 10 clients, and these clients will buy this Claude skill if they need it and they're too lazy to build it you know, by themselves. So, why is this
Speaker A
Now, let me tell you what it actually felt like to have a job because I think a lot of you are sitting in this exact seat right now. I was a software engineer at a big tech company, good salary, good title, the whole thing your parents wanted for you.
Speaker A
That's it. That's the extent of your relationship with your client. So, with just one sale, you can't really build a relationship with the client. All you can do is build one transaction. And of course, you can't sell a Claude skill
Speaker A
And here's the part that broke me. Whether I coasted 30 hours a week or I grinded out at 50 hours a week, my paycheck was identical.
Speaker A
in particular has resulted in a lot of people making a lot of money on the internet. See, faceless AI content absolutely prints for the people who get it right. But almost every faceless channel looks like garbage because it's
Speaker A
So, this is what it means to be capped, not by my skill, but by the structure of the organization.
Speaker A
Useless facts, no angle, dead at 200 views. And even the ones that get a lot of views, they're probably demonetized on the platform they're posted in. So, here's how you can run this side hustle properly. Use Claude as the brain, not
Speaker A
And most side hustles are the same trap with worse pay. If you're selling a $27 prompt pack, you need 300 sales a month to replace a salary.
Speaker A
Claude is genuinely elite at, especially if you saw Net 5 model. Now, I run my own entire content operation on exactly this, a set of skills that I ideate then script and repurpose into reels. It's the only reason I can put out the volume
Speaker A
If you're doing $200 a month AI retainers, you need 40 clients, 40. You need a team to service that, and now you have a whole job again, except you're also the HR department.
Speaker A
So, you might not be getting millions of views in your first month, two months, even the first three months.
Speaker A
You're no longer just an employee, you're HR, you're a manager, you're CEO, you're everything.
Speaker A
but it is something that can bring a lot of income. Now, this side hustle is super popular. I mean, everyone and their grandma has an app idea, but they don't have anyone who actually built [music] it. So, you find someone with an
Speaker A
You're going to get burnt out more by having this side hustle than your 9-to-5 job.
Speaker A
coding experience, a computer science degree, and I was a software engineer in big tech company in New York City. And I still completely vibe code my apps with Cloud Code. There's no moat in building anymore. But, there's still people who
Speaker A
So, this ranking you're going to see in this video isn't which of these makes money, because they all make money.
Speaker A
They will still hire someone who has a little more software knowledge to build an app for them because they understand security, they understand proper software architecture design. So, if you can teach yourself proper software architecture design, you might be able
Speaker A
It's which of these gets you to $8,000, $10,000 a month without needing 40 customers and any staff. That's the real test.
Speaker A
fees for building MVPs depending on how complex the app [music] or project is. And if it's a mobile app, you can pitch a web app version as well for an extra $10,000 and vice versa. So, this space is extremely lucrative. There's entire
Speaker A
So, here we go with number 10. At number 10, we have selling prompt packs and templates.
Speaker A
you up for a long-term relationship with the client, sets you up for future projects. Honestly, I'd rank this higher if you're looking at the lifetime value of this side also can bring you per client. But, this side also in general
Speaker A
I have to start here because it's the most recommended AI side hustle on the internet, and it's probably the worst one on this list.
Speaker A
it. Now, the problem with this side also is a website usually is just a one-time build. You can't redo much else with it.
Speaker A
See, you can package 50 Claude prompts into a Notion doc, sell it for $27, put it on Gumroad. Building takes a weekend, and it costs nothing to deliver.
Speaker A
month just building websites. So, there is a lot of money in this space. You just have to capitalize on your clients and try to target clients who have companies that are startups that have just been recently funded and need a
Speaker A
So far, so good. And the ceiling is brutal. At $27 a sale, if you want to make even $10,000, you need roughly 300 sales a month, every month, forever to hit your number.
Speaker A
they pay for that nobody updates. They're drowning in their own data and have no idea what's happening inside their own company. And honestly, there's a point where my business was exactly this. But, here's how you can fix it.
Speaker A
Meanwhile, Yannick hit that exact number from just one deal.
Speaker A
"Which deals are about to fall through because I haven't followed up?" And Claude answers from its real data that it got from, you know, the CRM or all the the piece of information that business has. So, you've basically
Speaker A
Actually, he got over that number. But, it is a very easy side hustle to pick up, and honestly, if you've never done an online side hustle before, this isn't a bad way to start with.
Speaker A
everything. It gives me full visibility into my own business that I would have missed otherwise. Now, this ranks fifth because the sales cycle is kind of long.
Speaker A
Now, this side hustle I actually like. It's just misranked by everyone who covers it.
Speaker A
this space. Now, this side hustle that you've probably heard about me speak a lot, it is one of my favorite side hustles and it is ranked higher for a reason. This side hustle is the one I started if I had to replace my salary in
Speaker A
A Claude skill is a folder with a markdown file in it that teaches Claude to do one specific thing really well. No SDK, no build step. You write instructions in plain English, and Claude follows them.
Speaker A
job. [music] That's what you tell the client. Now, I have a plugin that runs my entire YouTube channel, scripting, ideation, and thumbnail strategy, all but is a backbone of a 60,000 plus subscriber channel and let me fire the
Speaker A
The entire technical barrier is, can you write clear instructions? If you can write clear instructions, Claude can listen, Claude can follow.
Speaker A
And that story is a pitch because the math is absurd in the client's favor. A human hire costs 60 to $100,000 a year plus benefits, plus insurance. An AI employee is a one-time build or a monthly retainer, does a real slice of
Speaker A
And people do pay for Claude skills because businesses don't want to learn what a skill.md file is. They don't. They might not want to create their own Claude skill.
Speaker A
being built out right now, which means that people who are packaging these AI employees and selling them today are early. It's the same way you camp out for the iPhone before Apple even drops.
Speaker A
They'd rather just have Claude write emails in exact tone, and fill out the specific contracts, format reports the way their boss likes.
Speaker A
call, how do I really close clients? That's the gap I close with people directly. I take a small group of founders through this one-on-one 16-week mentorship program [music] where you'll be working with me directly and my team and we'll help you on product direction,
Speaker A
The same skill file runs across Claude AI, Claude code, and the API without you changing anything.
Speaker A
zero to 4.5k build fee and a $1,000 a month retainer, and how Yannick landed an ultimate [music] $102,000 deal. If you want to work with me and my team, apply using the first link in the description below. Now, number three is
Speaker A
So, you can build it once, and you resell it to 10 clients, and these clients will buy this Claude skill if they need it and they're too lazy to build it themselves.
Speaker A
outbound for a company. This one is the only service on the list where the client can calculate your ROI in their sleep. [music] If you book them four meetings and one close at $20,000, your $3,000 a month retainer you might be
Speaker A
So, why is this even number nine on the list? Well, this is more of a one-off pricing non-recurring type business model.
Speaker A
the fulfillment for you. It can write all your personalized copies at volume. You can save all the follow-ups. You can draft replies. All of this service is 80% AI, 20% you just clicking the send button. And you can probably automate
Speaker A
You can sell these skills for maybe a couple hundred dollars, but then it's over.
Speaker A
number can go on and on depending on how many clients you have. So, your lead generation outbound system business can literally make 20 or 30,000 dollars a month if you play your cards right. And when you're first starting out, you can
Speaker A
That's it. That's the extent of your relationship with your client.
Speaker A
lot of people will say yes because again, it's no risk to them. Now, this is a real business that you can start today. LinkedIn and email ghostwriting are the easiest service businesses on Earth to start in my opinion because
Speaker A
So, with just one sale, you can't really build a relationship with the client. All you can do is build one transaction.
Speaker A
In fact, my LinkedIn game is not that strong. I have to increase it. I will literally hire someone who is running a good LinkedIn ghostwriting agency right now. And this can be you because traditional ghostwriting agencies charge two to 10K a month for this. And they're
Speaker A
And of course, you can't sell a Claude skill for over a thousand dollars. That'd be freaking insane because it's so easy to build Claude skills now that a business owner would rather just do it themselves than pay someone a thousand dollars for their own skill.
Speaker A
and have [music] it create posts for your client in their voice. You use Cloud design to create supporting diagrams. [music] You can use Remotion with Cloud to make some video edits. And you can automate this entire posting schedule with
Speaker A
Now, this side hustle in particular has resulted in a lot of people making a lot of money on the internet.
Speaker A
to spend and they know most of their audience is on LinkedIn. So, if you can grow someone's LinkedIn presence [music] and get them B2B qualified leads, they'll be more than willing to pay you thousands or tens of thousands of
Speaker A
See, faceless AI content absolutely prints for the people who get it right. But almost every faceless channel looks like garbage because it's 100% automated slop with a robot voice from 11 Labs and zero point of view.
Speaker A
[music] So, number one isn't a hustle, it's a pattern underneath the rest nine. Every single hustle on this list that scored well has the same shape. You sell a normal service and you deliver it with AI. You're not selling AI. [music] The
Speaker A
Useless facts, no angle, dead at 200 views.
Speaker A
The thing people have already paid you for, the thing people ask you for free, or whatever your last job actually consisted of. Recruiting, bookkeeping, software design, SEO, editing, design, uh paid ads, project management. And they ask yourself one question, can AI
Speaker A
And even the ones that get a lot of views, they're probably demonetized on the platform they're posted in.
Speaker A
your $1,000 client becomes a $200 client. It's literally a race to the bottom. When you sell a service, you're compared to a human [music] agency charging thousands a month and you delivered it in a fifth of the time.
Speaker A
So, here's how you can run this side hustle properly. Use Claude as the brain, not the whole body. Claude writes the script, the hook, the curiosity loops, strategy.
Speaker A
people running AI delivery businesses are making 8 to 10K [music] a month. This is what's possible. In fact, my client tested doing this right now with a nationally distributed food brand. CRM pipelines, abandoned cart flows, TikTok growth, SEO. These are all agency
Speaker A
Use Claude design. He creates some nice-looking animations.
Speaker A
money in the next 30 days, number six, websites, [music] the fastest cash on the list. If you have a skill from your job already, number one, straight to it.
Speaker A
But the difference between a channel that dies at 200 views and one pulling millions is the writing.
Speaker A
If you have zero skills, zero audience, zero technical background, number two, ghostwriting. [music] The barrier is literally a Claude project and 20 DMs of your client that you can use to feed into your Claude project to get a voice
Speaker A
And writing is the thing Claude is genuinely elite at, especially if you saw Net 5 model.
Speaker A
[music] Find 15 to 20 people who visibly need it. Send each one a 30-second voice memo DM naming the specific thing you notice about their business, and over deliver on whoever applies. And turn that first client into a case study because
Speaker A
Now, I run my own entire content operation on exactly this, a set of skills that I ideate then script and repurpose into reels.
Speaker A
Claude. If you are not, I created this 5-hour free [music] course that will turn you into a Claude master.
Topics:Claude AIAI side hustlesAI businesspassive incomeAI automationAI appsonline side hustleAI prompt packssoftware engineeringAI retainers
![[Full Episode]Nothing Else Compares（English-dubbed）#cdr… — Transcript](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YYJruShKWz8/maxresdefault.jpg)
