Why is it so hard to find a real side hustle?
Social media advice pushing online platforms like Etsy or YouTube often proves completely ineffective. At the same time, learning a hands-on technical trade feels too risky for average beginners who fear making catastrophic mistakes they will have to pay to fix. This leaves older adults with no formal education or job history feeling completely stuck and unsure what to do with their lives.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why is it so hard to find a real side hustle?
- 1Picking something you already know how to do or would do even without payDid this help you?
- 2Figuring out monetization after selecting an area of existing skill or interestDid this help you?
- 3buying remanufactured fobs online and hiring a local auto locksmithDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm just wondering how hard is it to learn the actual process?”source ↗
“I'm also guessing very manufacturer prob has their own procedures etc. But overall, is this something the average person could learn in a few weeks or a month maybe?”source ↗
“I'm just worried I would to something idiotic like brick someones ECU/ immobilizer system and wind up having to foot the bill to have it taken to a dealership and done right.”source ↗
“I have zero idea what to do with my life now man. I would have LOVED to be a tech. Now I'm an old bastard creeping up on 40 years old and have no formal education, no real on the books job history, nothing.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 7How do I find a trustworthy business partner and avoid split mistakes?
- 4How to find a career with seasonal downtime
- 2Do I need to tell my employer about side work?
- 3How to pick a rewarding career that pays a living wage