3 Non-Conventional Ways to Make Money as a Programmer (That Actually Work) 💰

I've done all three this year.

Jan 26, 2025

When you think of making money as a programmer, what comes to mind?

Probably coding all day or landing a big-name tech job, right? 💻

But what if I told you there are non-conventional ways to earn money with your skills that don’t involve grinding out 80-hour weeks or burning out on side projects?

Here are 3 creative ways to boost your income as a programmer.

Unconventional Strategy #1: Start a Tech Substack Newsletter ✍

Imagine sharing your expertise in programming, your favorite tech trends, or lessons learned from your career—and getting paid for it.

Here’s how it works:

💰 Monetize with paid subscriptions: Create exclusive, high-value content for paying subscribers.
📚 Sell digital products: Think templates, code snippets, or mini-courses.
👨‍🏫 Offer coaching: Help others level up by teaching programming skills or guiding them through career challenges.

💡 Pro Tip: Focus on a niche like career advice for people in tech. The more specific, the better.

The thing is: you already have the knowledge. You are just not acting on it.

You have seen me do it without any prior experience or following.

And here is where we stand today 👇

We are growing so much lately. Thanks for all your support! 🧡

I’ve said this before, but it’s worth saying again… and again:

Your knowledge is so familar to you that you think everybody has it.

They don’t.

Start leveraging your information advantage.

Unconventional Strategy #2: Get Paid to Write LinkedIn Posts for Your Company 📱

Companies want a strong social media presence—but most lack the tech-savvy voice to pull it off.

If you’re a solid writer, here’s a win-win opportunity:

Volunteer to write LinkedIn posts that explain what your team is working on, highlight innovative projects, or share technical wins.
As your posts gain traction, your company may pay you extra (or even promote you!) to keep them coming.

Good writing is a rare skill in tech.

If you can bridge the gap between technical jargon and engaging content, you’re golden.

I don’t really like LinkedIn, but I have proven that I can write some semi-viral posts.

Boom! Salary level up!

💡 Bonus: A mix of strategies 1 and 2 is to get them to sponsor your newsletter.

Unconventional Strategy #3: Get Referral Bonuses by Recommending Friends 🏆

This one’s simple but underrated: If your company has a referral program, refer people you already know will crush the tech interview.

Here’s the magic formula:

🤝 Look for friends or former colleagues who fit the job description.
💁‍♂️ Share tips with them about the interview process (you already know the drill).
💰 If they get hired, you get a referral bonus—sometimes thousands of dollars.

This works especially well if you’re connected to great engineers who are open to new roles.

I know, I know.

This one is a bit sneaky, so only try it if you really know what you are doing.

Why These Work

These methods go beyond traditional coding tasks.

They leverage skills you already have—like communication, networking, and technical expertise—in creative ways that add value to others:

You teach people and you get paid for it.
Your company gets exposure and you get paid for it.
Your friends get a job and you get paid for it.

See the pattern there?

What’s stopping you from trying one of these?

🚀 Let me know which idea you’re excited to explore—or if you’ve got your own unconventional money-making tip!