Content Creator Side Hustle: Why Self-Media is Your Best Business Opportunity

I’m Xiao Lu, a programmer who runs a side hustle. Today, let’s talk about why self-media is essentially a business.

What’s the difference between doing business, trading, and starting a venture? Honestly, I don’t see a clear distinction—all involve providing specific services or products to a target group in exchange for income (money).

The Key Difference Between Employment and Doing Business

A obvious difference between being an employee and running a business—one that many people struggle to accept—is assuming full responsibility for profits and losses. You have to cover costs, bear risks, and take ownership of the outcomes.

A side hustle, in fact, is like a "prequel" to entrepreneurship. It also requires you to take responsibility for profits and losses, and it’s vastly different from a part-time job.

A part-time job is just another form of employment: you complete tasks, get paid, and face almost no risk. The only potential risk is not being paid (e.g., if the employer runs away) after finishing the work.

Common Questions About Starting a Side Hustle/Self-Media

I often get questions like:

• "Is this project 100% profitable?"
• "Will I definitely get my money back (for courses that require fees)?"
• "Can you teach me for free, and I’ll split my future earnings with you?"

Or:

• "If I invest so much time and energy, am I guaranteed to make money? If not, why bother? Wouldn’t I be better off doing something else?"
• "Why not play games, hang out with friends, spend the money on meals, travel, or movies instead?"

It’s a valid point: why commit to something with such a low success rate when you could use that time for more enjoyable things?

People Crave Certainty—But the World Has Changed

Humans naturally seek certainty. For example, when choosing college majors, most people prioritize employment prospects and opt for popular fields to secure a good job later.

In the past, there were "iron rice bowls" (stable, lifelong jobs) and guaranteed job placements after graduation—college students never had to worry about finding work. This has created a habit: people expect immediate, definite returns for their efforts.

But times have changed. The future is filled with high uncertainty.

Self-Media = Business: No "Guaranteed Profits"

As I said earlier, self-media and side hustles are forms of business. Throughout history, has there ever been a business or trade that guarantees profits with no losses? Absolutely not—that’s just not how it works.

If you can’t accept this reality, you should abandon the idea of doing self-media or starting a side hustle. Higher risk comes with higher reward: businesses offer greater earning potential, but they also require you to take on more risk.

Employment, by contrast, has low risk and a stable "floor" (steady income), but an extremely low "ceiling" (limited earning potential). While you have high certainty of income as an employee (until you’re laid off), once you lose your job, that income stops (though you can look for another job).

Self-Media’s Big Advantage: Low Cost (Not Low Barrier)

Compared to traditional business models, self-media (or making money online) has one major advantage: low costs.

Note: It’s "low cost," not "low barrier."

The "low cost" here mainly refers to monetary costs. In return, you have to invest significant time and energy. There’s no such thing as a business with both low monetary costs and low time/energy costs.

Why the "Low Barrier" Perception Is Misleading

Some might argue, "Aren’t the barriers to self-media really low?" It seems like anyone can do it: with a smartphone, you can shoot videos, write articles, manage an account, and even make money through ads or product promotion.

That’s the surface impression—but the reality is very different. Because very few people actually make enough money from self-media to support themselves.

Let’s be clear: "making money" is not the same as "making enough to support yourself." You might get lucky and earn money temporarily, but sustaining that income long-term to cover your living expenses is extremely difficult.

So the barrier to self-media is not low—it just feels low.

Why Choose Self-Media? For Higher Potential and Lower Trial-and-Error Costs

People choose to do business to break through the low earning ceiling of employment. They choose self-media specifically to reduce trial-and-error costs.

Business inherently involves risk. For those with no experience, failure is normal—success often comes only after multiple attempts and mistakes.

If you want to start self-media, first prepare yourself for initial failures. Focus on learning from those mistakes, accumulating experience, and waiting for that one breakthrough success.

Final Question: Are You Ready to Start Self-Media?

So, do you plan to start your self-media journey? Are you truly ready?