# Side Hustle Evaluator > Stress-test any side hustle or business idea before investing time and money. Researches market size, competition, startup costs, revenue potential, time to first dollar, required skills, risks, and delivers a brutally honest go/no-go verdict with a 1-10 viability score. No API keys or paid tools required — works with web search alone. Use when asked to evaluate a business idea, validate a side hustle, assess whether something is worth pursuing, rate a startup concept, or reality-check an entrepreneurial idea. - Skill: `mloki23/side-hustle-evaluator` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mloki23/side-hustle-evaluator` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mloki23/side-hustle-evaluator/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Finance & Business - License: MIT - Author: mloki23 (https://skillmd.com/u/mloki23) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mloki23/side-hustle-evaluator --- # Side Hustle Evaluator Stress-test any side hustle or business idea with real research, not gut feeling. Delivers a structured viability assessment with a go/no-go verdict the user can act on. ## When to Use This Skill - "Is this a good business idea?" - "Evaluate my side hustle idea" - "Should I start a [business type]?" - "How viable is [idea]?" - "Rate this business concept" - "Reality check my startup idea" - "Would [idea] actually make money?" - "What are the risks of starting [business]?" ## Inputs Ask the user for (if not already provided): 1. **The idea** — what's the side hustle or business concept? 2. **Their location** — where would they operate? (affects market size, regulations, competition) 3. **Their budget** — how much can they invest upfront? (optional — if not given, assess for bootstrapped and funded scenarios) 4. **Their skills** — what relevant experience do they have? (optional — if not given, list required skills) 5. **Time commitment** — full-time or side hustle alongside a job? (optional — default to side hustle) If the user gives a vague idea ("I want to start something online"), ask them to be more specific before proceeding. ## Research Process ### Phase 1: Understand the Business Model Before researching, clearly define: - What exactly is being sold (product, service, subscription, marketplace)? - Who is the customer? - How does money come in (one-time, recurring, commission, ad revenue)? - What's the delivery mechanism (online, in-person, hybrid)? If the idea is ambiguous, state your interpretation and proceed. ### Phase 2: Market Research (5-8 searches) Research these dimensions. Cap at 15 searches total across all phases. #### 2a. Market Size & Demand - Is there proven demand for this? Search for people buying/paying for similar things - How big is the addressable market? - Is demand growing, stable, or declining? Search: `[idea] market size`, `[idea] industry growth`, `[idea] demand trends [year]` #### 2b. Competition - Who's already doing this? How many competitors exist? - Are they making money? What do they charge? - Is the market saturated or is there room? - What do existing players do poorly? Search: `[idea] competitors`, `[idea] businesses Australia` (or user's location), `[idea] reviews complaints` #### 2c. Revenue Potential - What can you realistically charge? - What does the revenue model look like at month 1, 6, 12? - What are realistic income ranges for this type of business? Search: `[idea] how much can you earn`, `[idea] income realistic`, `[idea] pricing` #### 2d. Startup Costs - What's the minimum viable investment to start? - What equipment, software, licences, or inventory is needed? - Are there ongoing fixed costs? Search: `how much to start [idea]`, `[idea] startup costs`, `[idea] equipment needed` #### 2e. Regulatory & Legal - Do you need licences, permits, certifications, or insurance? - Are there regulations specific to this industry? - Any legal risks? Search: `[idea] licence requirements [location]`, `[idea] regulations Australia` ### Phase 3: Viability Analysis After research, assess these dimensions and score each 1-10: 1. **Market Demand (1-10):** Is there proven, paying demand? 1 = no evidence anyone pays for this. 10 = massive, growing market with clear willingness to pay. 2. **Competition Level (1-10):** 1 = dominated by entrenched players with no room. 10 = wide open with few competitors and clear gaps. Note: moderate competition (5-7) is actually healthy — it proves the market exists. 3. **Revenue Potential (1-10):** 1 = hard to make more than pocket money. 10 = realistic path to $100K+/year. 4. **Startup Difficulty (1-10):** 1 = requires massive capital, rare skills, or years to build. 10 = can start this weekend with under $500. 5. **Time to First Dollar (1-10):** 1 = 12+ months before any revenue. 10 = could earn within the first week. 6. **Scalability (1-10):** 1 = income is 100% tied to your hours. 10 = can grow without proportionally increasing your time. 7. **Risk Level (1-10):** 1 = high financial risk, legal exposure, or volatile market. 10 = low downside, easy to exit if it doesn't work. 8. **Skill Match (1-10):** Based on what the user told you about their skills. 1 = completely outside their experience. 10 = perfect fit. If skills not provided, score based on how specialised the required skills are (generic = higher score). **Overall Viability Score** = weighted average: - Market Demand × 2 - Revenue Potential × 2 - Competition Level × 1.5 - Startup Difficulty × 1 - Time to First Dollar × 1 - Scalability × 1 - Risk Level × 1 - Skill Match × 0.5 Divide by 10 to get a score out of 10. Round to one decimal place. ### Phase 4: The Verdict Based on the overall score: - **8-10:** Strong Go. This has real potential. Here's how to start. - **6-7.9:** Conditional Go. Viable but with specific risks to manage. Here's what needs to be true for this to work. - **4-5.9:** Proceed with Caution. Significant challenges. Only worth pursuing if [specific conditions]. - **1-3.9:** Hard Pass. Here's why, and here are better alternatives to consider. Always be honest. A kind "this probably won't work because X, Y, Z" is more valuable than false encouragement that wastes someone's time and money. ## Output Format ``` # Side Hustle Evaluation ## [The Idea] ### Evaluated: [Date] --- ## The Concept **What:** [Clear one-sentence description of the business] **Customer:** [Who pays] **Revenue model:** [How money comes in] **Delivery:** [How the product/service reaches the customer] --- ## Market Assessment ### Demand [What the research shows about market size, growth, and willingness to pay] ### Competition [Who's already doing this, what they charge, where the gaps are] ### Revenue Potential [Realistic income projections — monthly and annually — with reasoning] ### Startup Costs [Itemised minimum viable budget to launch] ### Regulatory Requirements [Licences, permits, insurance, certifications needed] --- ## Viability Scorecard | Dimension | Score (1-10) | Assessment | |-----------|-------------|------------| | Market Demand | X | [One sentence] | | Competition Level | X | [One sentence] | | Revenue Potential | X | [One sentence] | | Startup Difficulty | X | [One sentence] | | Time to First Dollar | X | [One sentence] | | Scalability | X | [One sentence] | | Risk Level | X | [One sentence] | | Skill Match | X | [One sentence] | | **Overall Viability** | **X.X/10** | | --- ## Verdict: [STRONG GO / CONDITIONAL GO / PROCEED WITH CAUTION / HARD PASS] [2-3 paragraphs explaining the verdict. Be specific about why. Reference actual research findings.] --- ## If You Decide to Go: ### Week 1 Actions 1. [Specific first step] 2. [Specific second step] 3. [Specific third step] ### First 30 Days [What the first month should look like] ### Milestones to Hit - **Month 1:** [Milestone] - **Month 3:** [Milestone] - **Month 6:** [Milestone] ### Key Risks to Manage 1. [Risk + mitigation strategy] 2. [Risk + mitigation strategy] 3. [Risk + mitigation strategy] --- ## Alternative Ideas Worth Considering [If the idea scores below 6, suggest 2-3 related but stronger alternatives based on what the user seems interested in] --- ## Sources [List key sources referenced during research] ``` ## Important Guidelines - **Be brutally honest.** The user is about to invest time and possibly money. A polite lie is worse than a blunt truth. If the idea is bad, say so clearly and explain why. - **Use real numbers.** "Good income potential" is useless. "$2,000-4,000/month after 6 months based on [competitor X] charging [Y] with [Z] customers" is useful. - **Research thoroughly but don't loop.** Use 3-5 searches per research dimension, but cap total research at 15 searches maximum. Once you have solid data, STOP researching and compile. Perfectionism kills delivery. - **Compile promptly.** After completing research, immediately write the evaluation. Do not run additional searches. - **Review before saving.** Scan the final output for formatting artifacts or broken tables. Fix any issues before saving. - **Compare to alternatives.** Even if the idea scores well, mention 1-2 adjacent ideas the user might not have considered. - **Account for location.** An idea that works in Sydney might not work in rural Queensland. Factor in the user's location. - **Save the evaluation.** If the agent supports file output, save as a markdown file the user can keep.