Maximizing Your Side Hustle Productivity: Insights from Tech Startups
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Chapter 1: Understanding Tech Industry Productivity
What sets the tech sector apart in terms of productivity compared to traditional industries? A pivotal question to consider is how successful tech companies maintain their edge and adapt to changes while others struggle. For instance, how did Apple manage to increase its profits despite closing retail stores during the pandemic?
One key factor that contributes to the productivity and competitiveness of tech firms is the adoption of DevOps. This approach blends culture, philosophies, and tools to facilitate the rapid delivery of high-quality products. While commonly associated with software development, I believe that the fundamental principles of DevOps can be successfully adapted to content creation and any side hustle you might pursue, with some minor adjustments.
Section 1.1: Embracing Rapid Feedback
"Perfection pertains to the final product, whereas excellence is about the process." — Jerry Moran
In the tech realm, software development occurs in sprints, where products or components are quickly created and receive immediate feedback. This often involves automated testing or a swift market release to gather user input promptly. The benefit of this approach is that it allows for quicker resolutions to any issues that arise.
How can this be applied to content creation? The answer lies in writing swiftly and publishing promptly. While an average blogger may take around three hours to draft a post, you can aim to be more efficient. For instance, I follow the "Rule of Three" — focusing on three main points in my articles, allowing me to complete a piece in just an hour when I'm in the right flow.
The first video, "Every Software Engineer MUST have side hustles," discusses the importance of balancing your primary career with side projects to enhance your skills and creativity.
Section 1.2: The Rule of Three for Content Creators
Adhering to this principle will enable you to produce content consistently, whether daily or every few days. I concentrate on topics that interest me, require minimal research, and stem from personal experiences or address real questions.
I draft my articles using simple note-taking applications like Google Keep and utilize Grammarly for quick edits. Once published, I assess feedback through metrics such as backlinks, views, and comments. If an article doesn’t reach at least 100 views within 24 hours, I evaluate it for potential improvements.
Chapter 2: Cross-Functionality in Your Hustle
DevOps emerged from the need for development and operational teams to collaborate effectively. When handoffs occurred, inefficiencies often arose. The solution was to cultivate a cross-functional approach — where development teams understand operational functions and vice versa.
For content creators, this translates to sharing responsibility for both the business and creative aspects of your hustle. The administrative side may involve tracking cash flow or conducting data analysis, while the creative side encompasses dedicating time for writing and seeking inspiration.
I automate as many administrative tasks as possible, establish straightforward policies, and familiarize myself with essential administrative processes. For example, I set calendar reminders for monitoring my monthly income and expenses, which informs my budget for creative endeavors.
Section 2.1: Conducting Post-Mortems for Continuous Improvement
What distinguishes DevOps from traditional software development methodologies, like the waterfall model, is the practice of conducting post-mortems. After every project, teams discuss both successes and failures to identify areas for improvement and prevent recurring mistakes.
You can apply this strategy to your content creation as well. I make it a point to revisit my articles a few days post-publication to analyze their performance metrics, such as views and backlinks. I also investigate underperforming pieces to understand what went wrong — whether it was inaccurate tags or addressing irrelevant questions.
Conclusions: Boosting Your Productivity
Before implementing these strategies, I averaged only two articles per week, garnering minimal views. However, by adopting a DevOps-inspired culture in my side hustle, I have increased my output to four or five articles weekly, each receiving several hundred views. This transformation did not occur overnight; it required significant trial and error.
So why not try these methods and see if your side hustle productivity improves? If you found this article valuable, consider joining Medium for a wealth of insightful articles from talented writers. Sign up through my link to support my work with a small commission.
The second video, "5 Lessons I Learned Building A $400/month Micro-SaaS Side Hustle," shares valuable insights on successfully launching a side business while managing your main career.