Hi there,

Welcome to the very first edition of the rebooted Niche Ranger newsletter! As a reminder, you would most likely have signed up via my Twitter account (@NicheRanger).

The era of niche sites is over, but there is still SO much opportunity out there, isn’t there? In fact, it’s more about what we say no to - shiny object syndrome is alive and well!

Each week, and perhaps twice a week, I’ll round up a range of interesting, creative, and sometimes surprising ways people are making money online. These will range from SaaS and AI tools to newsletters, content businesses, and niche online services.

The goal is simple: to give you fresh ideas, show you what is working for others, and help you spot opportunities you could apply to your own business. And likewise for me!

I’ll also share what I am working on and what’s working for me. Right now, that’s newsletters, a super-niche niche site (yes, really), and dabbling with Facebook where I have one page in Content Monetisation - it’s early days but I am making some revenue.

Here is a screenshot of that page, which I started working on after a long break - let me know if you have any questions on getting into Content Monetisation!

Next, let’s get into the business success stories! And if you like the new format, please do reply with a quick “Nice!” to let me know. I would appreciate it.

By the way, if you’d like to start your own newsletter or switch providers, sign up for Beehiiv - the platform I use for all my newsletters. Super easy to use and FREE up to 2500 subscribers. That’s my referral link.

On Reddit, one founder shared that an AI animation SaaS reached early revenue and a handful of paying subscribers within about a month of launching ($186 monthly recurring revenue and $361 revenue in their first month).

No, it is not huge money yet but that is exactly what makes it interesting. It just shows how a super simple solution (built with AI) can generate revenue quickly by solving a specific problem really well.

Another Reddit story came from a solo developer who said he hit around $600 MRR within four weeks, despite having no real sales background. His product provides a “trust seal” that businesses can display on their site to show they are keeping up with privacy and security standards.

It’s been said many times - while everyone is chasing shiny SAAS and AI ideas, quiet, “boring” businesses work extremely well - under the radar!

One of the more eye-catching posts this week came from a founder who said his vibe-coded SEO agent hit $10K MRR in just two months.

Tools that help businesses get found in search — including AI-driven search — are clearly getting attention right now. As search changes, people are actively looking for products that help them adapt.

(Note: you may need to sign up to view some of the below stories, but it only takes 2-3 minutes).

An Indie Hackers founder shared how an open-source portfolio is generating five figures a month.

One especially smart move was using free tools and resources to attract users, then turning some of that attention into leads for paid products. It is a good reminder that free can be a very powerful growth strategy when it feeds into something bigger.

Another strong example came from a founder building in the AI education space. Instead of relying on one revenue stream, the business combines courses, paid community, and product-based income.

This hybrid model is showing up more and more. It gives founders multiple ways to monetize the same audience, which can make the whole business more resilient.

Not every online business story this week was SaaS.

One founder shared how a podcast production business grew to around $14.5K MRR by offering services like editing, show notes, publishing, and promotion. It is a great example of how productized services still offer huge opportunity online.

Why it stands out: Service businesses are still one of the fastest ways to generate meaningful online income.

One of the smartest models I came across this week was a founder using consulting income to fund SaaS development.

This is such a practical approach. Rather than waiting around for software revenue, he built a cash-flowing service business first, then used that income to support the bigger product vision.

Why it stands out: Services can be the engine that funds your next business or shiny AI startup.

A few themes really stood out across these stories.

First, plenty of people are still making money online with simple, focused offers. A lot of the winners are not broad, complicated businesses. They are solving one clear problem for one clear type of customer.

Second, AI is opening new doors, but it is not the whole story. Yes, AI tools are everywhere, but so are newsletters, services, niche software products, and audience-led businesses.

And third, the most exciting businesses are often built in layers. A founder might have a service, a tool, a newsletter, a community, and a few digital products all working together. That seems to be where a lot of the momentum is right now and I am seeing diversity isn’t just key when it comes to investing (as they say), but also when it comes to side hustles and online business.

I hope this first edition sparked some ideas and provided some inspiration for you. It was also good to reactivate this newsletter (there are around 1,000 of you here), and share a quick update on what I’m working on.

Chat soon - and reply with a “Nice!” if you enjoyed this one.

Anton

View some of my online business tools