I Tried to Build a Side Business With ChatGPT. Here Is What Actually Worked.

Everyone has seen the posts: build a business with ChatGPT, monetize it, quit your job. I spent weeks actually trying it, and the honest version is less glamorous and more useful than the hype. Here is what worked, what flopped, and what I would do differently.

What I actually built

Not a course. Not a prompt pack. A small library of installable AI skills: short, plain-English instructions you paste into your AI tool once, and it then does one job the same way every time. Examples: triage an inbox, prep for a meeting, shut down a Friday properly. One skill, one job, no jargon.

What flopped

Selling a big bundle on day one. Nobody buys a bundle from a stranger. Free first, paid later.

Posting only announcements. "New product!" posts get ignored. Posts that teach one small thing get replies.

Trying to be everywhere at once.…