My Real Experience Making a Side Income with AI

My name is Xiao Wang, an ordinary office worker with a monthly salary of 6,000 yuan.

To be honest, I never thought I could do a side hustle.

Busy job, no skills, no connections... it seemed like I had nothing.

Until last year, I started getting into AI...

Today I'm sharing my real experience with you, hoping it might give you some inspiration.

1. My Starting Point in AI Side Hustle

June 2023: First Encounter with AI

The first time I used ChatGPT, it was to help my boss write a work report.

Before, writing this kind of thing took me forever. That day, I tried throwing my work content at the AI and letting it organize it for me.

The result... in 10 minutes, a decent report came out.

At that moment, I realized: AI might be an opportunity.

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July 2023: Starting to Try

I started thinking: could I use AI to do something for others?

I read many articles, tried many tools, and finally decided to start with writing copy for others.

The reasons were simple:

• Low barrier to entry
• I have some writing foundation
• AI can greatly improve efficiency

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August 2023: My First Order

I listed a "copywriting service" on Xianyu, priced at 50 yuan per piece.

After waiting three days, someone finally asked.

It was a college student who needed a speech for a student council election.

I spent two hours—yes, with AI assistance—to complete this order.

The moment I received the 50 yuan, I was happier than when I got my salary!

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2. My Side Hustle Development Journey

Phase 1: Accumulation Period (0-3 months)

What I did:

• Taking orders on Xianyu
• Writing copy, summaries, and speeches for others
• 50-100 yuan per order

Income: 500-1,500 yuan per month

What I gained:

• Became familiar with AI writing
• Accumulated a group of clients
• Built a reputation

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Phase 2: Expansion Period (3-6 months)

What I did:

• Started taking PPT creation orders
• Expanded customer acquisition on Xiaohongshu (RED)
• Raised prices to 100-200 yuan per order

Income: 2,000-4,000 yuan per month

What I gained:

• Expanded service scope
• Increased average order value
• Clients started coming to me on their own

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Phase 3: Stabilization Period (6-12 months)

What I did:

• Built my own client base
• Started running a Xiaohongshu account
• Tried AI illustration services
• Raised average order value to 200-500 yuan

Income: 5,000-10,000 yuan per month

What I gained:

• Side income exceeded main job income
• Built a personal brand
• Gained a source of passive income

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3. My AI Tool List

These are the AI tools I've used over the past year, filtered to the best ones:

Total cost: 0 yuan!

To be honest, I didn't spend a single penny on AI tools. The free tools are more than enough.

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4. The Pitfalls I Fell Into

Pitfall 1: Thinking AI Can Fully Replace Humans

At first, I thought AI could directly generate perfect content, but I fell into a trap.

Once, a client had very specific requirements. I directly fed the client's requirements to the AI, and the generated content didn't satisfy the client.

Lesson: AI is a tool; the final quality still needs your own control. Learn to adjust the AI's output.

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Pitfall 2: Taking Orders Beyond My Ability

There was an order for a business plan. I didn't know the industry well, and the AI-generated content was full of holes.

In the end, I refunded half the money and got a bad review.

Lesson: Don't take orders you're not capable of. Better to take fewer orders and do each one well.

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Pitfall 3: Neglecting Customer Service

For a while, I had too many orders and gave clients the cold shoulder, which caused me to lose several repeat clients.

Lesson: Service attitude is just as important as work quality. Repeat clients are more valuable than new ones.

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Pitfall 4: Pricing Too Low

At the start, I set prices very low to win orders. Writing a 2,000-word article for 50 yuan was extremely poor value.

Lesson: Price according to market rates and don't engage in malicious low-price competition. Only when service quality improves can prices rise.

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5. My Experience Summary

1. Start Simple

Don't think about doing big things from the start.

Start with simple orders, such as:

• Reading reflections
• Work summaries
• Speeches

Once you've accumulated experience and a reputation, move on to more complex work.

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2. Focus on One Direction

I tried many directions, and finally focused on copywriting + PPT creation.

Don't do everything. Choose a field you're good at and that has demand, and dig deep into it.

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3. Value Your Reputation

Treat every order seriously.

A good reputation will bring you:

• Repeat purchases from existing clients
• Recommendations from existing clients to new clients
• Platform traffic preference

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4. Keep Learning

AI is developing too fast. Every month there are new tools and new ways to play.

Keep learning and keep up with the pace.

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5. Long-termism

A side hustle isn't about getting rich overnight; it requires accumulation.

I only started having stable income after 3 months.

Don't rush. Stick with it for 6 months first.

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6. My Income Changes

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7. Advice for Those Wanting to Start an AI Side Hustle

1. Start Now

Don't wait until you're ready to start.

The tools are all free. Just start using them first.

2. Lower Your Expectations

You might only earn a few dozen yuan in the first month, which is normal.

What matters is starting; making money is a side benefit.

3. Keep Good Records

Record every order you complete:

• Client needs
• Which AI you used
• How much time you spent
• How much you earned

Reviewing your work will help you improve faster.

4. Persevere

The first month is the hardest.

I almost gave up at the time, but luckily I stuck with it.

Remember: 99% of people give up before they stick with it.

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8. Final Words

To be honest, I never thought I could get to where I am now.

From an ordinary person who knew nothing, to now having a stable side income of 8,000+ yuan per month, AI has really changed me a lot.

It's not just the money; more importantly:

I found my own value.

Before, I felt I could do nothing. Now I've discovered that as long as you're willing to learn and try, ordinary people can do a lot.

Thank you, AI, for showing me more possibilities.

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If you also want to start an AI side hustle now, my advice is:

Don't overthink it. Start now.

Use an AI tool you're most familiar with, take the smallest order, and take the first step.

Leave the rest to time and action.

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I'm Xiao Wang, an ordinary person using AI for a side hustle.

If you have questions, feel free to discuss in the comments!