Making Money Online Is Boring and That’s Why It Works

The 5 income streams that pay my checks

Apr 30, 2025

My Medium friends can read this story over there as well.

Creating online is still the wild west. Now with AI cowboys.

But if you dodge the scams, stay consistent, and build with intention, you can make money doing stuff you love. I truly believe this.

It’s not easy, it’s not simple, and it’s not for everyone. But it’s doable.

Here’s how I’ve done it the past 4 years, since launching my Medium profile 2021.

#1 Writing Like There’s No Tomorrow

Writing is my foundation. I used to write in German before 2021. And a long time before that. Since 2008.

I’m not the best writer. Not even close. I make so many mistakes, Grammarly is actively trying to cancel my account 😉.

But perfect isn’t on my radar. Consistency is. Every. Time. And I’ve been consistent.

Writing powers almost every other side hustle:

Blogging, content writing, copywriting, and ghostwriting
Newsletters and social media
YouTube and podcast scripts
SEO, landing pages, product copy, CTAs

I focus on platforms like Medium, Substack, and sometimes Vocal. Those three are where I make the bulk of my income.

Sidenote: I almost quit social media entirely for Substack Notes this year. And it didn’t hurt.

Key takeaway: Learn how to write online. Doesn’t need to be perfect. Just needs to be useful.

#2 Free Products That Pay Anyway

In 2021, I started putting out free digital products on Gumroad* — because frankly, I couldn’t sell anything yet. I didn’t have an audience, any trustworthiness, or any experience.

But surprise: those freebies became one of my best funnels. Templates, icon sets, eBooks, little tools — people downloaded them, shared them, and some even paid for them voluntarily.

Then I added a few paid options. Suddenly I had a mini digital storefront making money while I slept. On two platforms:

Gumroad
Payhip

I ditched Payhip late last year, because I didn’t want to keep maintaining two stores.

Key takeaway: If you’re a creator in 2025 and not using free digital products to build trust, email lists, or passive income — you’re leaving money (and momentum) on the table. You don’t even have to create yourself. You can use Gumroad as an affiliate engine. I’ll write about that in a future post.

Speaking of affiliates…

#3 Partner Marketing

This one surprised me.

I started sharing affiliate links to tools and courses I personally used — and it turned into a nice extra income stream. No hype, no hard sells — just real recommendations wrapped in useful content.

I don’t recommend what I don’t like. I share what I use (used to use or about to use). That’s it.

Again, Gumroad* is ideal for that, but basically any online company has affiliate programs nowadays.

Beware: I’m no expert, and I still think I’m just scratching the surface here.

Key takeaway: Affiliate marketing is a long-game goldmine if done honestly! Build trust through your content first.

#4 The Great Community

This one was unexpected — and humbling.

People paid for things I offered for free. Genuinely. Whether it was tip jars, monthly subscriptions, or “pay what you want” downloads, the support from the community was real.

I earned a few hundred bucks just from:

Ko-Fi and Buy Me a Coffee donations
Paid Substack subscribers
Gumroad buyers choosing to pay for free products

It’s not life-changing money — but it is a reminder that value has a way of coming back to you.

Bonus: YouTube

It’s not on my radar anymore. Not really. I used to create YouTube videos in bulk a few years ago. But results were never crazy good and I just didn’t enjoy it anymore.

Still, a few years later my main faceless YouTube channel is bringing in some money, even though I haven’t really touched it in years.

If you’re curious about YouTube but camera-shy or time-poor, consider faceless content. It works better than you’d think.

BUT only do it if you’re interested.

The Bottom Line

2022 was the first year I made some considerable money from my side hustles. Since then, it has fluctuated, but kept me going.

With limited time and zero budget, I built four online income streams that I enjoy:

Writing on Medium & Substack
Giving away (and eventually selling) digital products
Affiliate marketing
Creator community support
(YouTube)

I’m still building on these same foundations. I am not going to sell my soul. I am not going to use display for anything and everything (even though there is some real money to be made).

I’m doing my thing.