Estimated Read Time: 4 - 5 minutes

Today’s Docket

• News Stories:

  • Spellbook raises $50 million led by Khosla Ventures (Bloomberg)

  • Lucent raises A$2 million in pre-seed to build AI datasets for browser agent (Startup Daily)

• Startup Insight:

  • How to Start a Micro Startup Without Quitting Your 9-to-5

• Social Spotlight:

  • Introducing Gemini Enterprise

• Resources:

  • Small Business Trends for 2025 - U.S. Small Business Administration

  • Best Micro-SaaS Startup Ideas for 2025 - Microns

Latest News from the World of Business

• (1) Spellbook raises $50 million led by Khosla Ventures (Bloomberg)

  Legal AI startup Spellbook secured a $50 million funding round, with Khosla Ventures (via Keith Rabois) leading the investment. The company develops AI tools to assist legal professionals by automating contract review, drafting, and due diligence tasks.

• (2) Lucent raises A$2 million in pre-seed to build AI datasets for browser agent (Startup Daily)

  Melbourne-based AI startup Lucent, founded by 22-year-old Alisa Wu, raised A$2 million within 36 hours. Lucent’s focus is building datasets for browser-based AI agents—serving as upstream data providers for frontier AI labs.

Roughly one in three Americans currently runs a side business alongside their full-time job. Among millennials, that number jumps to 50%. But here's what most articles won't tell you—the average side hustler earns $885 per month working 10-15 hours per week. That's the honest number. Not six figures. Not passive income paradise. Just $10,620 extra per year, which for most people is absolutely life-changing.

You just need to start small and stay consistent.

What 10 Hours a Week Actually Gets You

If you have a full-time job, family commitments, and a life, you probably have 8-12 hours per week maximum. Here's what's actually achievable:

Month 1-2: You’re learning and validating. Expect to make $0-500 total. You're figuring out your offer, testing the market, and getting your first 1-3 customers.

Months 3-4: You've refined your process. You're making $300-800/month with 5-10 customers or 2-3 retainer clients.

Months 5-6: You've hit your rhythm. You're earning $800-1,500/month, and you've automated or streamlined the work that used to take hours.

Your First 30 Days: The Step-by-Step

Days 1-7: Choose and Research

• Pick ONE business model above

• Join 3 communities where your target customers are (subreddits, Facebook groups, LinkedIn)

• Study 5 competitors: their pricing, their offers, their weaknesses

• Write down your offer in one sentence

Days 8-14: Build Your Minimum Setup

• Create a simple landing page (use Carrd.co for free, takes 1 hour)

• Set up one payment method (Stripe, PayPal, or Gumroad)

• Create a 1-page service description

• Design one simple deliverable or sample

Days 15-21: Get Your First Validation

• Reach out to 20 people directly (former colleagues, LinkedIn connections, community members)

• Offer a "launch discount" or "beta price"

• Your goal: Get ONE paying customer, even at $100

Days 22-30: Deliver and Learn

• Over-deliver for your first customer

• Document what you did (create an SOP)

• Ask for a testimonial and one referral

• Adjust your process based on what took longer than expected

3 Proven Business Models (With Exact Tools You Need)

1. AI Automation Services

The Reality: Small businesses are drowning in repetitive tasks but can't afford a full-time specialist.

What You Do: Automate one specific workflow using AI tools. Examples: customer email responses, social media content repurposing, data entry from invoices, meeting summaries.

Tools You Need:

• ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro ($20/month) - Your main automation engine

• Make.com (free tier, then $9/month) - Connects apps without coding

• Zapier (free tier, then $20/month) - Alternative to Make

• Notion (free) - Client documentation and delivery

Time Investment: 8-12 hours/week after setup
Realistic First Client Price: $400-700/month
Getting Started: Take a 2-hour course on Udemy about ChatGPT for business ($15), then offer to automate one workflow for a local business for free in exchange for a testimonial.

2. Expert Tutoring/Consulting

The Reality: If you have 5+ years in any field, you can tutor/consult in it.

What You Do: Teach professionals or students one specific skill: Excel for financial analysts, public speaking for executives, Python for data analysts, guitar for beginners.

Tools You Need:

• Calendly (free tier) - Schedule sessions

• Zoom (free for 40-min sessions) - Conduct sessions

• Wyzant, Preply, or Superprof (free to list) - Find students

• Notion (free) - Store your curriculum and resources

• PayPal or Venmo (free) - Get paid directly

Time Investment: 5-10 hours/week
Realistic Starting Rate: $40-75/hour
Getting Started: Create profiles on two tutoring platforms, set your rate at $40/hour, offer first session at 50% off to get reviews.

3. Micro-SaaS Product

What You Do: Build a simple tool that solves ONE specific problem. Examples: appointment reminder system for dentists, invoice tracker for freelancers, expense report generator for consultants.

Tools You Need:

• Bubble.io (free tier, then $25/month) - Build web apps without code

• Softr ($29/month) - Turn Airtable into an app in hours

• Glide ($25/month) - Build apps from Google Sheets

• Stripe (free, 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction) - Accept payments

• Airtable (free tier) - Database backend

Time Investment: 20-30 hours to build MVP, then 5-8 hours/week
Realistic First Revenue: $49-99/month per customer
Getting Started: Watch Bubble.io's free crash course (3 hours), identify one manual process in your industry, build a simple solution in a weekend.

You Might Want to Read:

• Small Business Trends for 2025 - U.S. Small Business Administration

• Best Micro-SaaS Startup Ideas for 2025 - Microns

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_{Disclaimer: The startup ideas shared in this forum are non-rigorously curated and offered for general consideration and discussion only. Individuals utilizing these concepts are encouraged to exercise independent judgment and undertake due diligence per legal and regulatory requirements. It is recommended to consult with legal, financial, and other relevant professionals before proceeding with any business ventures or decisions.}

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