55 Comments
User's avatar
Graveyard Shift Tales's avatar

This was a great read. I'm just finally starting to experiment with some online income streams. Nice to read an honest article not one hyped just to sell stuff.

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks so much for the nice comment, and awesome you’re starting to build some things too! Really appreciate it

Anthony's avatar

This is a great read. Very simple but covers a wide basis. Well done. This might seem like an obvious question but do you prefer making money online or having an actual part time job?

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks very much Anthony! And great question. I have been making all of my money online since 2020 and prefer this for now. But I am also an advocate for Coast FIRE (I have a post on this.) I think having a part-time job plus investing or creating other income sources is an amazing route as well.

Nizam Sabirin's avatar

What ever choice u make for side hustle, I think the 2 most important thing to have are consistency and patience…without it even a 100% fullproof plan won’t help you…

Phaetrix's avatar

The part I like most is the warning against copying the outcome instead of the roadmap.

Multiple income streams can be useful, but they can also become another form of distraction if they are not connected to an existing skill, audience, or advantage.

The real compounding seems to happen when each experiment teaches something that makes the next one easier.

Tom Blake's avatar

So glad you liked this post, and really appreciate the thoughtful comment!

My Dividend FIRE Journey's avatar

Thanks, very interesting and inspiring!

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks for the nice comment, really happy you think so!

The Finance Blueprint's avatar

This really highlights something people overlook. We tend to chase one big income source while ignoring the small streams that quietly compound over time. A few hundred dollars here, a few hundred there, and before long you’ve built something far more resilient than relying on a single paycheck. Diversification isn’t just for investments, it’s for income too.

Anthony B's avatar

Copying the outcome, not the roadmap"—such a key takeaway.

Trying to run 10 separate side hustles is a recipe for burnout.

I prefer scaling a single, controlled system like a CFO:

a growth barbell using covered call ETFs to manufacture monthly distributions alongside core growth equity.

It provides a highly scalable micro-income stream without breaking focus or splitting your cognitive load.

Great breakdown!

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks for the insightful comment Anthony, and definitely agree!

Aniket Chhetri's avatar

Micro income streams are underrated. Small and steady compounds into real financial freedom over time.

BjornSbg's avatar

Thanks for sharing this Tom 🙏

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks very much for reading 😊😊

Pratyansha's avatar

Micro income streams are underrated — small, consistent revenue adds up faster than most people expect.

Adeline's avatar

The warning that copying seven income streams is like flying first class because rich people do is the most useful part here. I also liked the sequence from freelance writing to blogging to YouTube, because each new stream borrowed skills and time from the last instead of arriving as a fresh identity crisis. Diversification seems much healthier when every project knows the previous project's name.

Tom Blake's avatar

Thanks Adeline! I am glad you think so. I felt it necessary to end the post this way. I love diversifying but with overlapping projects and skills for sure. I appreciate you reading.

Adeline's avatar

That ending really did the useful work of turning a tempting list into an actual strategy. Overlap is such an underrated filter because it lets a new income stream compound the skills you already paid for in time and mistakes. Thank you for writing it so clearly.

Tom Blake's avatar

Really appreciate the nice comment Adeline! And happy the ending was satisfying. I absolutely love creating new income streams and experimenting, but definitely think it’s important to not get carried away and to play to one’s strengths. Thanks for reading!

Adeline's avatar

That balance really comes through. Experimenting is fun precisely because it does not need to become a tiny empire by Tuesday. Playing to your strengths makes the whole thing feel curious rather than frantic. I will be reading the next experiment too 😊

Anna's avatar

I learned so much just in this one article! Thanks for writing it!

Tom Blake's avatar

So glad to hear that Anna, and thanks for the lovely comment!

Bonney's avatar

I buy enough stuff on Amazon. I gotta try that method

GSpot-On's avatar

Yes to all of these! The more we break out of our comfortable bubbles and invest time and resources into new revenue-generating streams, the more we can expand our means of getting by in this world. Great post, @Tom Blake

Kyle Robinson's avatar

Some great and interesting ideas. My wife and I have been part time AirBnB hosts and now I’m turning that expertise into a Substack Newsletter and a Coaching program.

See my Substack at:

SmallTownBnbSecrets.Substack.com

Qasim Asia opeyemi's avatar

This inspired me

Thanks 👍

Tom Blake's avatar

So happy to hear that!

Qasim Asia opeyemi's avatar

Thanks