How-To Guides

How I Used AI to Build a Side Hustle in 7 Days

A time lapse of a solo creator building a website with floating AI icons

And Why You Don’t Need to Be a Genius to Do It. I didn’t code from scratch. I didn’t hire a team. I just showed up, used AI smartly, and launched fast.


🧭 Introduction: The 7-Day Bet

Seven days.
One laptop.
Zero investors.
And a simple goal: prove that AI can launch a real, income-generating side hustle—fast.

No fluff. No gurus. No endless research.

Just execution.

This is my story of how I used AI tools to build and launch a functioning side hustle in one week, without writing a single line of code or burning out.
And yes—it’s repeatable.

Let me walk you through it.


🗓️ Day 1: Picked the Niche (With AI Help)

A calendar page flipping quickly from Day 1 to Day 7

Tool Used: ChatGPT + Perplexity.ai

I started with what I knew:
I wanted a blog-style business that could monetize with affiliate links, lead magnets, and long-tail SEO.

So I asked ChatGPT:

“What low-competition niche topics are trending in 2025 with commercial intent?”

After filtering ideas based on interest, market demand, and monetization potential, I landed on a winner:
AI for Solopreneurs — practical, search-driven content for non-tech creators.

Perplexity helped validate the keyword trends.
This wasn’t guesswork. It was data-driven confidence.


🗓️ Day 2: Domain + Brand in 3 Hours

Tool Used: Namelix + GoDaddy + ChatGPT

I ran prompts like:

“Give me short, brandable domain ideas for a site teaching AI-powered solopreneurship.”

Within hours, I booked:
🎯 GoDecodeAI.com
(The name felt fresh, clean, and SEO-aligned.)

ChatGPT also gave me a tagline:

“Decode AI. Build Smart. Grow Solo.”

It felt real.
Like something I could rally behind.


🗓️ Day 3: Built the Website With AI Assist

A laptop screen with tabs open to ChatGPT, WordPress, Canva, and ConvertKit.

Tool Used: Durable.co + WordPress + Canva + Claude

I used Durable.co to spin up a basic landing page in 30 seconds.

Then moved to WordPress (my preferred long-term CMS) for flexibility and SEO.

  • ChatGPT helped write my About, Contact, Disclaimer, and Privacy pages in minutes.
  • Claude helped structure my content strategy, including article outlines.
  • Canva AI generated my logo and branding kit.

What used to take 2 weeks?
Took 1 afternoon.


🗓️ Day 4: Created and Scheduled 5 SEO Articles

Tool Used: ChatGPT + Grammarly + Surfer SEO (Free Trial)

I used a hybrid method:

  • Ask ChatGPT for SEO-friendly drafts
  • Refine tone and flow myself
  • Run each article through Grammarly + Surfer for clarity and optimization

By evening, I had 5 polished articles ready.


🗓️ Day 5: Built a Free Lead Magnet With AI

A digital “toolbox” with branded icons of all the AI tools used

Tool Used: ChatGPT + Google Docs + ConvertKit

I asked ChatGPT:

“Outline a free 10-page eBook called ‘The Solopreneur’s AI Toolkit’.”

I polished it up in Google Docs.
Exported as a PDF.
Then plugged it into ConvertKit as a freebie to grow my email list.

Took less than a day.
Now, I had something valuable to offer—without writing a single page from scratch.


🗓️ Day 6: Repurposed Into Short-Form Video

Tool Used: Opus Clip + ElevenLabs + CapCut

I used Opus Clip to chop one of my article readings into 3 vertical videos.

Then ran the script through ElevenLabs → generated a voiceover → added subtitles with CapCut.

Boom:
AI-generated short-form content ready for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts—without filming.


🗓️ Day 7: Launched & Promoted Softly

A solo creator standing in front of a glowing “LAUNCH” button, powered by AI circuits

Tool Used: Buffer + Substack + Twitter/X + Reddit

I soft-launched the site.

  • Scheduled 7 posts across Twitter/X and LinkedIn
  • Dropped value in 3 relevant Reddit threads
  • Sent the first newsletter via Substack using ChatGPT-generated copy

No launch party.
No big ad spend.
Just consistency and clarity.


💰 Revenue Update: What Happened Next?

By week 3:

  • 520+ site visitors
  • 41 email subscribers
  • 2 affiliate clicks (one converted)

No, I didn’t “go viral.” But I got proof: the engine worked.

This wasn’t a dream.
It was a working machine, built in public, fueled by AI, driven by intention.


🔧 Tools Stack (All Free or Freemium)

TaskTool Used
Niche & Keyword ResearchChatGPT, Perplexity.ai
Branding & NamingNamelix, ChatGPT
Site BuildingDurable, WordPress
Content CreationChatGPT, Grammarly, Claude
SEOSurfer SEO (Trial)
Email ListConvertKit
Lead MagnetGoogle Docs, ChatGPT
VideoOpus Clip, ElevenLabs, CapCut
PromotionBuffer, Substack, Reddit

✍️ Final Thoughts: AI Doesn’t Replace Hustle—It Compresses It

Let’s be clear:
AI didn’t build the side hustle for me.
I did.

But it compressed 30 days of work into 7.

That’s the power of AI—not in automating everything, but in unlocking momentum.

I’m not special.
I just executed.
And you can too.


❓ FAQ Section

Q: Can anyone do this, even with no tech skills?
A: Absolutely. Every tool I used was no-code and plug-and-play.

Q: How do I make money with an AI-powered blog?
A: Combine content + SEO + email list + affiliate offers. Add products later.

Q: Do I need to show my face on camera?
A: Nope. Tools like ElevenLabs, CapCut, and Canva let you build content faceless.

Q: Is this really sustainable?
A: Yes—if you commit to consistent value, not just content volume.

Prashant Thakur

About Author

Prashant is a software engineer, AI educator, and the founder of GoDecodeAI.com — a platform dedicated to making artificial intelligence simple, practical, and accessible for everyone. With over a decade in tech and a deep passion for clear communication, he helps creators, solopreneurs, and everyday learners understand and use AI tools without the jargon.Contact: prashant@godecodeai.com

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