5 Proven Ways To Make Money Without a Job as a Developer

No upfront cost or money investment required

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The pandemic has affected all of us financially and mentally, and people are looking to establish different streams of income now more than ever.

If you’re a developer, there exists a variety of proven methods and streams that you can use right now to start earning.

Luckily, there are no upfront costs. However, it is worth noting that spending a little on these methods can definitely speed up the process — but it’s not mandatory.

Below are five ways to start earning without a job.

1. eBook

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Writing an eBook is a great way not only to grow as a developer but also to earn.

Although it may seem difficult at first, especially if you haven’t written an e-book before, the truth is it is not difficult.

You can use Google Docs to write and format your eBook. Don’t focus on styling while you are writing. In the first draft, focus on the content and try to get across as many coherent ideas as possible.

There will be times when you are writing a chapter only to realize that you have covered vast chunks of it in the previous chapters. Therefore I suggest laying out an index with rough content points before directly jumping to writing.

As for the cover, Canva is a great place to easily and freely design the cover of your e-book for free.

Tim Denning has an excellent article on the challenges you might face when publishing your eBook.

As for formatting the eBook, you can use Reedsy.

Now that you are done with the eBook, it’s time to publish it.

You can easily set up a landing page and sell your eBook there. (Since this article is geared towards developers, I won’t dive into setting up a landing page.)

Many developers have profited from their eBooks, a few even before they hit the publish button!

You can leverage platforms like Gumroad, Payhip, and KDP as well.

2. Freelancing

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Freelancing is a popular way to generate side income and even has the potential to replace the 9-to-5 job.

You can offer to make apps or websites, to optimize code, and much more — whatever you feel comfortable with — and get paid for it.

Additionally, freelancing is a great way to enhance your portfolio.

You can try various platforms like Upwork and Freelancer, but for developers, there are more options to obtain freelance projects. Stack Overflow has a jobs portal where you can find remote jobs that fit your schedule.

Moreover, you can even head over to Fiverr and do consultancy or short project work.

I would recommend that you try one platform at a time and stick with it instead of trying all of the platforms at once.

3. Blog

Contrary to popular opinion, blogging is still highly relevant and rewarding even in 2021, and it is not going away any time soon.

It is worth noting that blogging has evolved over the years, though, and with all the great content online for free, blogging is not just about writing single, individual posts anymore.

There are platforms available online (like the one you are on right now, Medium) that welcome writers and strive to create a community of authors.

Nonetheless, it is always a great time to start blogging. For developers, it is a great way to show behind the scenes of your amazing side projects, write how-to articles, or even discuss the struggles faced by developers.

Software development and programming are always evolving, and there will always be a large audience available for you to target with your blog.

You can start your own blogging website or use platforms like Medium to get started absolutely free.

4. Apps

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The global app market is projected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026, so it’s a great time to jump into the app market with your idea.

If you use JavaScript, there are many options for you to build cross-platform apps, enabling you to target multiple app markets at the same time.

In fact, there are a ton of applications you can build by combining JavaScript and other fields such as machine learning, game development, etc.

This also opens new windows of opportunities for you.

However, it is worth mentioning that the app market is flooded with subpar apps and services. Your app idea has to be highly unique and effective for people to try it out in the first place.

It is also worth mentioning that publishing apps are not a 100% free process. While there are a lot of platforms you can use to host your website for free, publishing on Google Play Store requires a one-time $25 fee whereas Apple charges $99 per year.

5. Videos

Making videos of yourself teaching, offering one-on-one consultation, discussing the programming side of things, etc., is a great way to build an audience and gain traction.

When I say make videos, I don’t just mean on YouTube but also platforms like Udemy and Skillshare.

For the uninitiated, Udemy and similar platforms allow you to upload paid and free courses on specific subjects.

You can teach your language of expertise in great depth and upload it to various sites such as Udemy and YouTube. This will not only make you money but also solidify your knowledge.

Final Thoughts

Developers have a lot of tools at their disposal to quickly and freely get started with the entire process of generating income from different sources.

From making videos to writing an eBook, developers can impart their knowledge and experience. There is already a huge audience present that wants this type of content.

Most developers already know how to set up landing pages, enabling monetization, and how to market themselves. But now they are using all these in conjunction to generate multiple streams of income for themselves.

Establishing various income streams is vital, and the pandemic has highlighted the importance of this even more.

Thanks for reading!