One of the best ways to generate a passive income stream is to profit from what you already do.  We have looked at a couple of ways to do this.  However, a hobby may be the best of these options.  We are essentially taking what we do for fun and turning it into a way to make money.  This discussion is not just about loving your job. It is about getting paid for the things you love to do.

A Hobby Is Fun

We have hobbies for many reasons.  One of the essential reasons for a hobby is that it “makes us happy.”  It may be that we do these things to reduce stress or find solitude, but even in those cases, we are increasing our happiness.  We will go ahead and call that “fun.”  We do not want to discount other benefits from a hobby.  However, the critical factor for our discussion is that we are fulfilled or “recharged” by doing these actions.

Keep It Fun

We all want to get paid for having fun.  However, that can sometimes mess up our good thing.  The introduction of payments to our hobby can make it feel like a job.  Think of rich and famous people or artists that “sold out.”  There are plenty of stories about these people hating the thing they loved.  We should consider those as cautionary tales.  Is it worth it to make money having fun if it eventually sucks the enjoyment out of that activity?  Yes, this is a philosophical question.  Nevertheless, it is one we should contemplate as we step into this area of passive income.

Expand Your Horizons

One part of turning a hobby into a revenue stream is adding to that activity.  You might need to record yourself, write about experiences, or market your self.  Each of these additional tasks is valuable in and of itself as a way to become a better developer.  Thus, when you explore ways to generate a profit from your fun, you can also learn new skills.  You might even stumble across some new things you enjoy doing.

 

Rob Broadhead

Rob is a founder of, and frequent contributor to, Develpreneur. This includes the Building Better Developers podcast. He is also a lifetime learner as a developer, designer, and manager of software solutions. Rob is the founder of RB Consulting and has managed to author a book about his family experiences and a few about becoming a better developer. In his free time, he stays busy raising five children (although they have grown into adults). When he has a chance to breathe, he is on the ice playing hockey to relax or working on his ballroom dance skills.

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