I'm so fucking tired of Medium writers suggesting "there's no real work!" or "You don't have to do anything!"

Friends, listen to me: NOTHING is further from the truth. I've been writing on Medium since it launched. It's a ton of work (and worth it, by the way). So is every other business venture I've ever launched.

Don't buy snake oil from anyone saying how easy it is to make a quick buck. It's not. Think about it honestly:

If you don't already know how to use Amazon, Etsy, or DALL-E, or you don't understand SEO and pricing, then do you honestly believe your side hustle will work?

Um, no.

You'll first need to make an investment of your very precious time, money, and effort. ALL of that is required so you can learn how best to earn money by doing the things that you love.

This is the final advice I'll offer: only launch businesses that you love. Any business you start WILL take a lot of your time, money, and effort. Therefore, you'll need to love it in order to be patient through the ramping-up period. Even more true if it's a side hustle.

Love what you do. Invest your time wisely. Don't listen to people who say it's easy.

It's not. (But don't let that stop you!)

And since SO many people seem to resonate with this response, I turned it into an entire article here. Enjoy.