Chris Guillebeau

FEASIBILITY: The ability to begin turning the idea into action in a short period of time

PROFITABILITY: The potential to make money from this idea, also in a short period of time

PERSUASION: Not only is this a good idea, it’s a good idea now

To narrow our list even further, let’s add two more qualities to the mix:

EFFICIENCY: How quickly can this be executed?

MOTIVATION: How excited are you about this idea?

Time is important because you don’t have a lot of it—so you’ll want to choose an idea that is as efficient as possible. Second, motivation also matters. Your side hustle should be at least a little fun, if not a lot. You don’t want to burn out on it. You want it be something you look forward to, not something you dread or treat like a chore.

He calls this method “Start with one.” It’s built on the key principle that there is one person—whether you call it your avatar or your ideal customer—who desperately needs what you have to offer. Start thinking about that person, and focus entirely on serving them.

One day at the gym, she got to talking with a woman who asked what she did for a living. Shannon mentioned that she did IT work for a nonprofit and freelance web design on the side—despite not having any actual clients.