The Impossible Triangle of Side Hustles in 2025

What is the Impossible Triangle of Side Hustles?

There's an impossible triangle in side hustles: quick cash, high ceiling, and stability.

Quick cash means low entry barriers. You might start a side hustle and get positive feedback and make money in just a few days to a week. A side hustle with a workable process may not bring in a fortune, but you'll definitely get feedback fast.

A high ceiling refers to a project with huge profit potential. Here, we're talking about the project itself, not things like knowledge - paying around the project, taking advantage of information gaps, or being a middleman.

Stability mainly means the project can run for a long time and keep making money. It won't stop working in a few weeks, months, or half a year, and there won't be a rapid drop in profits.

Hardly any project can meet all three criteria. Most can only meet two. If a project seems to have all three, there are probably other limitations, and you're unlikely to come across it.

I'd say that most of the mainstream projects promoted in the market, or the ones you can see in public or in communities, which are visible to thousands or even tens of thousands of people, basically fit this impossible triangle.

Most popular projects must have the key factor of quick cash.

They'll have either a high ceiling or stability.

Some projects offer quick cash and a high ceiling but are extremely unstable. They might go under soon.

Others offer quick cash and stability but have a relatively low ceiling. You can't make a lot of money through personal efforts and the project itself.

Strategies for Different Types of Side Hustles

If a project offers quick cash and a high ceiling but is unstable, the key is to "go fast". Grab the money quickly and then move on to the next opportunity.

If a project offers quick cash and stability, the next step is to scale up. You can create a matrix, set up a studio, offer training, do knowledge - paying, or be a middleman.

In fact, most of the projects you can choose from are these two types, along with their corresponding development paths.

Don't expect a perfect project. Such projects hardly exist. It's like not expecting a perfect partner. It's not that they don't exist at all, but for you, they might not. You may not find one, and you may not meet some requirements, like lacking resource barriers.

How to Choose the Right Side Hustle

As for which type of project to choose, it depends on your personality. Some people like projects with a high ceiling and are willing to take risks.

Some people don't like constantly changing projects and chasing trends. They'd rather focus on one project, make a steady income, and then find ways to increase their earnings.

I've also been thinking about some things. This year, I plan to focus more on generating traffic and making my content more in - depth, refined, and niche.

Secondly, in terms of business, I'll either focus on a specific project or offer a certain service based on my professional skills.

These are the things I need to think about and explore. Personally, I'm not good at constantly chasing trends. I can't do it. I don't have strong enough execution ability to be that quick, and I don't like dealing with such things.

The second type of project, which offers quick feedback and stability but has a relatively low ceiling, might be more suitable for me. As for how to scale up later, that's a problem for the future.

Don't be too greedy. You need to know what you've got. This principle applies to job - hunting, finding a partner, and making money through projects and business.

Daily Reading & Writing by Xiaolu 02/27/2025 [Day 542]