Side Hustle Growth Lab Experiments - Overview

In the Growth Lab, the intention is to run a number of experiments at any given time and these efforts will likely be at all different stages of completion and visibility.

The purpose of this page is threefold:

1. To describe and document the process that I’m following to run these experiments so that the methodology is clear

2. Provide a snapshot of the various experiments that I’m conducting at present

3. Create a list of completed experiments with a status update and of experiments that are forthcoming

Each experiment that I run has an internal working codename that I use that stems from my database of potential ideas that I run in Notion - those codenames will be used on this site as that’s how I track them.

This is a “build-in-public” project where I’m going to show you “behind the scenes” of what I’m doing and how things are running. Not everything will be publicly disclosed and the level of disclosure will be discussed in the description of the experiment - but even in the cases where I’m not able to be fully transparent with details, I’m going to be as open as possible on progress and the processes I’m following.

The SHGL Experiment Framework

My overall goal for this project is to follow a version of the scientific method as closely as possible.

Each potential experiment starts with an observation about that particular business model and how “achievable” it is within the constraints of this project.

There are models that are well suited to running an experiment on (ghostwriting) and some that just aren’t feasible (building a large-scale ghostwriting agency).

My observations revolve around the idea of whether it is something that I can apply my skills towards, if I have some unique talent in that area, what my interest level is for that topic/model, and how can I develop it and apply leverage.

It also needs to be something I’m generally interested in doing and that I think I will have fun working on over a set period of time - this project is about me enjoying the process as much as anything.

Every experiment idea starts here.

This is the part that I enjoy the most, I have to admit.

The hypothesis starts with me thinking about how I’m going to build the business and what I think it will shake out like - this is where I will define what success looks like to me.

For example, in one experiment I’m currently running, I’ve committed to building out this business model for six months, putting in a certain amount of effort every day, and in the end, I think I’m not going to succeed in creating something worthwhile.

“Wait, what? Why work on something you think isn’t going to work?”

Well, that’s part of the fun.

It could work.

The effort I’ve assigned to it gives me the absolute maximum chance of it being successful, but I don’t think that particular business model in 2023 is as attractive or lucrative as people make it out to be.

So this experiment will either go towards validating that in some respect, or prove me wrong — that’s what science is all about.

I find this fun.

In terms of building out the side hustle, this is the part where I define the process and methodology I’m going to follow for creating this business.

Some of the important parameters will include things like

• How long will the experiment run?

• What effort and resources do I intend to deploy?

• What steps will I need to follow to ensure my hypothesis is adequately tested?

Again, this stage is in my wheelhouse — I’m good at establishing processes and coming up with ways to get things done.

In terms of order of operations, I generally create the Experiment model slightly ahead of the Hypothesis and then check that it tests it properly.

I’m also open to the possibility that my Experiment won’t work the way I think it will and I’ll need to pivot during the process. I’m accounting for this in two ways:

1. If it’s a minor change, then I’ll document what’s changing in the notes page for the experiment publicly and make the necessary changes

2. If it’s a major change that ruins the integrity of the experiment, then I’ll end the experiment early, deliver my Analysis, and write my Conclusion

In the event of the 2nd outcome eventuating, I might even restart the experiment again with the new dimensions and revised hypothesis.

These experiments are essentially “micro” businesses, so it’s impossible not to quantify them in some form of “dollar” value, but that’s not the only measure I’m going to be looking for.

Side Hustles are often resource-constrained by time, so I’m going to focus quite heavily on the effort model required and how much leverage I’m able to achieve with tools and outsourcing.

The Analysis will also draw back to the Hypothesis to see how well I’m tracking against my initial thoughts and will give me the ability to evaluate whether my experiment’s process is working as planned or if it needs adjustments.

This Hypothesis-Experiment-Analysis loop is where all businesses succeed or fail — do the people running them know why they’re doing something, are they doing what they think they should, what are the results of those activities, and then circle back and evaluate the whole thing with more data.

Analysis will be conducted in near real-time and updated regularly on the individual experiment pages.

Every one of my experiments will be time-boxed. In the first few that I’ve started, one will run for a year to 15 months, another is a six-month project, and a third is a 60-day sprint.

Having a time allotment for them allows me to properly test my Hypothesis and write up a Conclusion.

Will that be the end of the business when the Experiment ends?

Maybe. Maybe not.

These are “for profit” things, so if something is working, I like money, so I’ll keep pursuing it.

But having guardrails in place so that there’s a hard stop to the Experiment is important because it keeps everything moving forward towards a satisfying conclusion.

Experiments Currently In-Flight

These are the current experiments that are presently “in-flight” with a brief overview and a link to the page on the site where I go into more depth about the experiment.

Project: Gutenberg

Overview: In this experiment, I’m going to try and post every day on Medium for 6 months (about 180 days) to see what size of following I can build and how much money I can generate on average per month.

Start Date: Late March 2023
End Date: Early September 2023

Current Status: Tracking well, ongoing effort.

Link to Project Details Page

Project: Genesis

Overview: In this experiment, I’m going to build out a new niche website that is targeted at a market that I know a bit about. It’s an odd niche, big on YouTube, but not so popular in traditional website traffic.

Start Date: Late March 2023
End Date: June 2024

Current Status: Site being built, initial content being created.

Link to Project Details Page

Project: Airship

Overview: In this experiment, I’m going to build out a newsletter business from scratch in a fairly competitive enterprise technology market that I’m very familiar with. LinkedIn will be the primary traffic source for this experiment.

Start Date: April 2023
End Date: Late 2024

Current Status: Initial Setup has commenced, in the very early stages.

Link to Project Details Page

Planned / Completed Experiments

This is a list of the projects that are currently planned with an anticipated start date and the projects that are completed with the end date. Completed projects will also include links to the project page so that you can read the analysis and conclusion to see the outcomes.

Project: DaVinci
Anticipated Start Date: May 2023

Project: Roboto
Anticipated Start Date: May 2023

Project: Deep Sleep
Anticipated Start Date: June 2023

Project: Megaphone
Anticipated Start Date: June/July 2023

Project: Intrepid
Anticipated Start Date: July 2023

Project: Alexandria
Anticipated Start Date: July/August 2023

Project: Sunflower
Anticipated Start Date: Currently On Hold