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# 10 Quiet Side Projects Making Real Money in 2025
- URL: https://huizhou92.com/10-quiet-side-projects-making-real-money-in-2025-2/
- Published: 2025-12-24T15:32:31.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-24T15:32:31.000Z
- Description: 10 Quiet Side Projects Making Real Money in 2025. While everyone on Twitter is chasing the next AI wrapper or prompt marketplace, a post on Hacker News ask。
- Author: huizhou92
- Tags: #Migrated-1788833207488, #Import 2026-09-08 02:07

While everyone on Twitter is chasing the next AI wrapper or prompt marketplace, a post on **Hacker News** asked a much more grounded question:

> *If you’re making more than $500/month from a side project in 2025, what are you building?*

The answers were refreshing.

No hype.

No “AI will change everything” slogans.

Just **small, specific problems solved well** — often in niches most of us never think about.

I picked **10 of the most interesting projects** from that thread.  
If you’re feeling burned out by endless AI discourse, this might help reset your brain.

### 1\. A Printable “Escape Room” You Can Play at Home

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*zl9Z-ysqyBDVaaf4.jpg)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*DaxnrPP6fRVsIP8e.png)

Instead of building a physical escape room, this project sells **downloadable PDF escape games**.

Users buy a script, print it, cut it out, and use a companion app to play puzzles at home — perfect for parties or family gatherings.

- **MRR:** \~$1,000
- **Website:** [https://www.escape-team.com/](https://www.escape-team.com/?ref=huizhou92.com)  
**Why it works:**  
Digital distribution + physical interaction = low cost, high perceived value.

### 2\. Managing Xbox Consoles in Children’s Hospitals

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*BF0KKe7i5oU-QB6V)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*WgM6oAOq-9i4iQKv.png)

A children’s hospital wanted an Xbox in every room — but managing dozens of consoles manually was a nightmare.  
This project built a **centralized admin system** to remotely configure, update, and manage all consoles.

- **MRR:** \~$6,000
- **Website:** [https://coplay.io/](https://coplay.io/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
A painfully specific enterprise problem, with a buyer who *really* needs a solution.

### 3\. One-Off Online Fax (Yes, Fax)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*aAg2npXIR10grrBB.png)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*W8KGHZOnqQJWq_vR.jpg)

Sometimes you need to send **one fax**. Not a subscription. Not an account.

This service does exactly that: upload → pay → send.

- **MRR:** \~$500
- **Website:** [https://justfaxonline.com/en/](https://justfaxonline.com/en/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
It monetizes inconvenience. And faxing is still inconvenient.

### 4\. Duplicate Photo Finder for macOS

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*QOPfLgpk_Fxp3i4B.png)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*QdnyocM9m3VsvGJa)

A macOS app that detects **duplicate and visually similar images** — handy for photographers with massive local libraries.

- **Paid users:** 100+
- **Website:** [https://maheepk.net/projects/dedupx/](https://maheepk.net/projects/dedupx/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
Local storage is exploding. Cleanup tools age *very* well.

### 5\. GPS-Based Check-In for Teams and Classes

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*v6QGRF_KHIDwadZW.jpg)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*ZUcK_cc32HD2SMNF.png)

Teachers, coaches, or team leads set a location and time. Participants must physically be there to check in — verified by GPS.

- **MRR:** \~€500
- **Website:** [https://www.youhere.org/index.php/start/](https://www.youhere.org/index.php/start/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
It replaces paper sign-ins with proof, not trust.

### 6\. Practicing Cold Calls by Actually Making Calls

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*kiAHQHUBWkdugtxI.png)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*wx7CtDoQ9F_L7Z1O.png)

Most sales practice tools simulate calls on screen.

This one **actually dials your phone** and connects you to an AI, forcing you to practice under real conditions.

- **MRR:** \~$500
- **Website:** [https://coldcallgym.com/](https://coldcallgym.com/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
Fear reduction through exposure — not theory.

### 7\. Paying Your Kids to Save on Taxes

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*vY9nuqKOm91FuvaI.jpg)

Parents log their kids’ work (filing, photos, admin tasks), treat it as a legitimate business expense, and route income into tax-advantaged accounts, such as a Roth IRA.

- **MRR:** \~$500
- **Website:** [https://trypixie.com/#how-it-works](https://trypixie.com/?ref=huizhou92.com#how-it-works)  
**Why it works:**  
It turns tax optimization into a family financial strategy.

### 8\. Turn Photos Into Printable Coloring Pages

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*7FbT_PxUcO-7-E0R.jpg)

Upload a photo of your pet, child, or vacation — get a clean black-and-white coloring page ready to print.

- **Website:** [https://dreamandcolor.com/](https://dreamandcolor.com/?ref=huizhou92.com)  
**Why it works:**  
Personalization beats stock content every time.

### 9\. Tracking Hard Drive Prices on eBay

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*3avW2fLlPoZnz4P3.png)

This project scrapes eBay listings for disks and memory cards, parsing titles with **200+ regex rules**, then monetizes via affiliate links.

- **MRR:** 400–600
- **Websites:**  
[https://unli.xyz/digitalfilmstock/](https://unli.xyz/digitalfilmstock/?ref=huizhou92.com)  
[https://unli.xyz/diskprices/](https://unli.xyz/diskprices/?ref=huizhou92.com)

**Why it works:**  
Data cleaning is painful. If you do it once, others will pay.

### 10\. A Daily Logic Puzzle (No Ads)

![](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*3q2AEij_W00Id1R1.jpg)

Each day has a new puzzle: easy on Monday, brutal on Sunday. Revenue comes from **selling puzzle packs**, not ads.

- **Website:** [https://cluesbysam.com/](https://cluesbysam.com/?ref=huizhou92.com)  
**Why it works:**  
Habit + ownership beats ad-driven distraction.

### The Real Pattern Here

None of these projects are “sexy”.  
But they all share something powerful:

- **A particular audience**
- A **clear, painful problem**
- Simple pricing
- No dependence on hype cycles

In a world obsessed with AI, these projects quietly remind us:

> *Making money is often about reducing friction, not inventing the future.*

If you want to build something sustainable, maybe don’t ask  
*“What’s the next big thing?”*  
Ask instead:

**“What’s an annoying problem people already tolerate?”**

*Source discussion:*  
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46307973](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46307973&ref=huizhou92.com)