Get paid to send free money to contractors

🚀 From zero to side hustle. While others chase trends, we chase margins. This is The Ramen Hustle—your weekly dose of ideas that actually pay the bills.

IN TODAY’S EPISODE

Want to feature your side hustle in an upcoming newsletter? Click here

——— Let’s go! ■□□□□□ ———

FRESH IDEA

Utility companies are paying contractors to install high-efficiency equipment. Full cost covered. Zero (or close to zero) out of pocket for the property owners. In California alone, dozens of direct install programs will reimburse contractors 100% for installing high-efficiency water heaters, HVAC systems, and insulation. These energy efficiency programs exist because utilities need to hit energy reduction targets—and they'll pay handsomely to get there.

The opportunity isn't doing the installs yourself. It's becoming the person who connects contractors with these programs through a database you sell them access to.

Most contractors have no idea these rebates exist. The information is buried across dozens of utility websites, each with different requirements, deadlines, and paperwork. Property managers don't know either. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency lists thousands of programs that most people never find. Someone who maps out every rebate program in a region, understands the qualification requirements, and can guide contractors through the paperwork has real value. You could charge a percentage of the rebate secured, a flat finder's fee, or a monthly retainer for ongoing program monitoring.

Start with one utility district. Document every incentive program. Build relationships with 3-5 contractors. Sell them access to this database that you continue to maintain and update. Then expand. Monthly access for $199 could be an attractive starting point to test your local market.

The work is research, relationship-building, and paperwork—not plumbing.

——— ■■□□□□ ———

📊 BY THE NUMBERS

The $2.8M Camera Brand With a 0% Growth Problem

The numbers look solid at first glance: $2.76M in trailing 12-month revenue. $310K in profit. 5,000+ customers. A flagship product—disposable camera lenses—with clear viral appeal.

But the asking price is just $500K. That's 1.6x seller's discretionary earnings. Typical DTC ecommerce brands at this scale trade for 2-3x SDE. So what's wrong?

Zero year-over-year growth. Flat revenue. No upward trajectory.

The 11% profit margin is healthy, but buyers see this as a turnaround opportunity, not a cash cow. The hybrid dropshipping plus inventory model creates variable monthly cash flow. And the space has competitors like pocketdispo.com nipping at their heels.

For a buyer, the upside is clear: SEO is untapped, content marketing is minimal, paid ads haven't been scaled, and international markets are unexplored. Someone with marketing chops could unlock growth that the current owner left on the table. At 0.18x revenue, the price makes sense for someone willing to do the work.

——— ■■■□□□ ———

STAY AHEAD OF THE AI CURVE

Your GitHub stars won't save you if you're behind on tech trends.

That's why over 100K engineers read The Code to spot what's coming next.

Join 100k+ engineers

——— Keep going ■■■■□□———

💵 REVENUE IDEA

One Creator, Multiple Income Streams

The creator economy rewards diversification. Relying on a single revenue stream—whether that's brand deals, ad revenue, or course sales—leaves you vulnerable to algorithm changes, platform shifts, and market downturns.

The seven streams that stack: Sponsored content (brands pay $100 for nano-influencers to $10K+ for established names). Affiliate deals (Amazon Associates pays 1-10%, software affiliates pay 20-50%). Digital products (templates, ebooks, courses with 80-90% margins). Paid subscriptions (even 100 subscribers at $10/month is $12K/year). Ad revenue (YouTube AdSense, podcast ads, newsletter sponsorships). Freelance services (consulting, coaching). Investments (equity deals, angel investments).

Research shows 70% of successful influencers maintain multiple income sources. Gillian Perkins built five profitable income sources over 10 years. She didn't launch them all at once—she stacked one at a time, each reinforcing the others.

Start with one. Master it. Add the next.

🎪 MARKETING MOVE

Reddit Lead Gen Without Getting Banned

Reddit hates self-promotion. The platform was built on authenticity, and users can smell marketing from a mile away. Drop a link to your product in the wrong subreddit and you'll be downvoted into oblivion—or banned outright.

But the opportunity is real. 78% of B2B decision-makers say Reddit influences their purchasing decisions. Reddit users are engaged, opinionated, and actively seeking solutions. They're further along the buying journey than passive social media scrollers.

The strategy that works: the 90/10 rule. Spend 90% of your time providing genuine value. Answer questions. Share experiences. Help people solve problems. The remaining 10%? Subtle mentions of your product—but only when genuinely relevant.

One SaaS company built a subreddit from 0 to 11,000 members in 45 days. Their approach: post visual content 5-6 times daily with zero brand mentions for the first month. Companies like LaunchDarkly achieved a 30% reduction in cost per lead by running helpful AMAs.

Patience is the moat. Most marketers quit after a week. The ones who stick around for months build real authority.

READING MATERIAL