The Step Ladder Hustle Framework
How A Side Hustle Podcast episode inspired my framework
Last week’s Post, I spoke about how, ‘Selling Your Digital Product Is Not Making You Money’ which was geared towards raising awareness of the pitfalls of a digital-product-first side hustle.
It’s the idea that although a digital product seems like the easier route — in terms of something to sell — and you know what? It is.
The downside is, you need an audience to be able to sell digital products. You need some form of marketing so potential customers can become aware of you, come to trust you, and eventually buy what you offer.
It takes time to sell products, whereas when you’re selling services, it’s much more immediate — whether you’re selling something now or booking clients into your calendar.
Running A Side Hustle Is Not Always The Outcome One Expects
I’ve run a couple of side hustles and never really had a framework that tied everything together under an overarching goal I was trying to achieve.
When I was running a previous side hustle, my mindset was about replacing one hour of work with one hour of hustle — with the intent of increasing my hourly rate. I figured if I could earn more per hour, I’d generate more revenue and eventually reach the point where I could leave the 9–5.
But the work I was doing ended up being worth less than what I earned in my 9–5. So I thought, “There has to be a better format.”
Then I listened to a podcast episode — “The Side Hustle Snowball: How to ‘Erase’ Your Expenses with Extra Income Streams” by Nick Loper on The Side Hustle Nation podcast.
In essence, the episode suggests matching your side hustle income “level” with the various expenses you need to pay each month.
So, at the bottom rung, you might make a few dollars from cashback apps — enough to buy a coffee. As you progress, you move up to higher income levels, eventually having clients you serve at $500–$2,000 a month. Four clients at that level might be enough to cover your mortgage.
An Idea For A Framework Started To Emerge
My mind started to dig deeper into this idea, and I listened to the episode several times over the course of a year. While I understood that matching income levels to expenses made sense, it still felt like it could be more than just earning a specific amount to cover a specific bill.
After some reflection, a framework started to emerge.
I realised a framework makes a side hustle more manageable from an operational point of view — rather than simply matching skills to a hustle at a given income level.
I also felt a framework would make sense regardless of whether someone is offering services, selling products, or providing a productized service.
It could apply across any niche.
And I felt it would evolve through mastery levels — like climbing a step ladder — as someone builds a business over time, gaining skills and experience along the way
Over time, you will see this framework evolve and come to fruition here on my Substack.
If this is of interest to you, make a comment or come find me on Notes
On the next Post, I will outline the concepts I have for the framework.