The Side Hustle AI Was Supposed to Kill Is Booming

Business / Market Context (Why the Opportunity Exists)

• Demand shift for human-led writing despite AI
  • Reportedly, “hire a writer” search volume fell when ChatGPT launched (late 2023).
  • It then rose sharply over the last ~2 years, driven by companies paying for AI-assisted, SEO-focused content that still needs:
    • Human voice
    • Human quality control
• Execution advantage
  • AI can draft, but buyers increasingly pay for:
    • Human voice + storytelling
    • Tool fluency (knowing how to actually use the products being written about)
    • Speed + accuracy (shipping content quickly when products/news change)

Pricing, Workload, and Monetization Model (Core Business Specifics)

• Typical customer: B2B SaaS companies
  • Examples mentioned: Zapier, Jotform, Softr (Softr referenced), plus other “tech companies.”
• Pricing & throughput
  • $900–$1,200 per blog post
  • ~5–6 hours per article
  • Article length: ~2,500–3,000 words
  • SEO-only intent: targeting SEO rankings, while still remaining readable for humans
• Income outcomes (reported)
  • 5–10 blog posts per month
  • ~$800–$1,200 per post
  • ~$6,000–$7,000/month, mostly from writing (plus coaching/side work)
• Additional offers
  • College application essay help: $90/hour
  • Sold in packages of 5 ($450 per package)
  • Coaching packages: varied

Playbook / Framework: “Hire a Writer” Demand → Premium Freelance Positioning

Practical playbook to charge high rates

1. Build a portfolio (non-negotiable)
   • If needed, start uncomfortable: write for friends/small businesses or volunteer work.
   • Target: ~4–5 writing samples
   • Samples can be unpublished (publish on a personal site or share as portfolio pieces).
2. Choose a niche + one form of writing
   • Start generalist, then specialize because trust forms around expertise.
   • Examples: “tech tutorials,” “B2B SaaS SEO,” “barbecue niche.”
3. Use marketplaces + cold outreach
   • Primary lead source mentioned: Upwork
   • Also: LinkedIn/social engagement + cold pitches with research.
4. Pitch fast and specifically
   • Recommended cold pitch length: 4–5 sentences:
     • Brief intro
     • Genuine connection
     • Reference a specific detail from their content
     • Share portfolio
     • Ask to connect
5. Charge per deliverable, not hours
   • Use tools (example given: Granola transcription) to estimate scope and timeline.
   • Quote fixed pricing to avoid surprises (sometimes internally anchor to an hourly rate).

Premium positioning logic (Why companies pay ~$1K/article)

• Buyers value:
  • Speed
  • Thought leadership
  • Example scenario: if a product is discontinued or a major event happens, the next-day SEO/tutorial content matters.
• Buyers want:
  • Human creativity + culture awareness
  • This implies they prefer well-rounded writers (not just grammar/style, but also originality and engagement).
• AI workflow index insight (Zapier work):
  • AI is used selectively, not end-to-end.
  • AI commonly takes ~18% of workflow steps.
  • Humans remain in the loop to finalize.

Operating Process: “AI-Assisted but Human-Owned”

Tool stack / production workflow (concrete routing example)

• Claude: preferred for marketing/content writing and filtering notes into drafts
• ChatGPT: used for writing + research
• Gemini: used for processing video/audio
• Cursor: used as an orchestrator (“model flexibility”) to route tasks across tools
• Key idea: Don’t “automate everything.” Use AI where it saves the most time and improves quality.

Tutorial creation workflow (detailed example)

1. Record yourself (screen recording similar to Loom) while building the workflow.
2. Narrate the “confusing points” and your first thoughts.
3. Route work:
   • Video/audio → Gemini (process + “watch”)
   • Notes → Claude using a reusable template
4. First draft returned → human edit
   • Punch up bland parts
   • Preserve personality

Voice authenticity rule

• AI may capture some style/structure, but it misses:
  • Personal “memories”
  • Real lived details
• Fully outsourcing can make your voice static (less evolving/learning over time).

SEO / Content Execution Details (What’s Required)

• Customers supply:
  • Keywords
  • Desired SEO structure
• Writer must apply SEO best practices, including:
  • Heading/subheading formatting
  • Target word count guidelines
  • Avoiding keyword stuffing
• Generative AI discovery (“GEO: generative engine optimization”)
  • The segment notes it as “new things to keep in mind,” but does not provide deeper tactics.

Metrics & KPIs Mentioned (Business-Relevant)

• Price KPI: $900–$1,200 per blog post (also stated as ~$1,000 target)
• Time KPI: ~5–6 hours per 2,500–3,000 word article
• Output KPI: 5–10 posts/month
• Income KPI: ~$6,000–$7,000/month (writing-heavy), plus tutoring/coaching
• AI usage KPI (Zapier AI Workflow Index):
  • AI comprises ~18% of workflow steps
  • AI commonly supports drafting/analysis rather than autonomous publishing
• Voice/originality estimate (self-reported):
  • ~70–80% of words are “mine”
  • ~70% of structure is mine
  • Intro/headings/body length choices controlled by the writer
• Secondary earnings KPI (college essay help):
  • $450 per package of 5 (at $90/hour)

Concrete Recommendations / Common Mistakes (Actionable)

• Don’t automate end-to-end
  • Over-automation can cause:
    • Time spent configuring tools
    • Output that isn’t 100%
    • Burnout / “AI brain fry”
• Spend time testing the tool you’re reviewing
  • A large portion of the 5–6 hours is hands-on testing
  • Also read community feedback (e.g., Reddit) to catch issues like confusing pricing
• Write fast after events, with credibility
  • Companies pay for “thought leader” immediacy and strong human narrative quality
• Use transcription tools to scope accurately
  • Example: Granola transcription can:
    • Transcribe meeting
    • Extract deadlines
    • Estimate time
    • Enable better fixed quotes

Example Proof Points / Case Studies (Distribution + Outcomes)

• Zapier feature guide
  • Speaker wrote a guide for a new product/tool (e.g., “Zapier MCP … feature guide”).
• Validation / distribution
  • Anthropic published or linked to the work in a newsletter, driving traffic.
• Portfolio “trust compounding”
  • Once a customer trusts the writer, contracts can last years.
  • Speaker cited holding onto freelancers at Zapier over long timeframes.

Light Strategy Around AI “Authenticity” Signals (Execution-Level Implications)

• Watermarks + platform policies (high-level)
  • Anthropic watermarking described as an “invisible” signal for AI-generated Claude outputs.
  • Platforms reportedly deprioritize or demonetize “faceless AI” channels/videos (examples mentioned: Snapchat/YouTube).
• Business implication
  • Buyers want real human writing that meets quality/authenticity expectations and stays engaging/readable.

Presenters / Sources Mentioned

Presenters / interviewees

• Chris (host; referred to as “Chris” multiple times)
• Steph Spectre / Stephanie Spectre (guest; writer/editor/coaching)

Brands / tools cited (not presenters)

• Apple, Zapier, Upwork
• Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Cursor
• Granola, Loom (as reference)
• Microsoft, Replet, Lovable, Anthropic
• YouTube, Snapchat, Sora, OpenAI

Other referenced organizations / examples

• Tim Cook (Apple)
• Biggie Smalls’s son / Notorious V.I. (CBD brand context)
• Anthropic newsletters
• Zapier MCP