This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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In this week's first $1,000 segment, we hear from a guy who sells AI-generated art to internet companies, startups, or otherwise, I don't know if they're starting up. They could be established companies that publish hundreds of articles a day online. So these companies are publishing all kinds of random articles. You've probably seen them online about every sort of topic. They're trying to do this whole SEO strategy.
They have basically a content farm. All these people writing articles, no doubt they're using AI for that as well. And this guy comes in, he'll tell you a little bit about his story and how he got started, how he makes money from it. He actually provides a lot of the art that accompanies the stories, the posts that go out. Now these companies also have stock photo licenses.
They get art elsewhere. They probably have some in-house people doing infographics and such, but they have so much content, they want to vary it. They don't want it to all look like stock photos. And of course, AI is the big thing these days. So they're like, let's get some AI art from this guy.
He's publishing, he's just cranking out so much of it, and he'll tell the story. So how did he get started? How did he make his first thousand dollars? What might you take from this? Maybe it gives you an idea.
Maybe it encourages you to move forward with the existing idea. Maybe you'd just like to hear different stories of how people are succeeding in the new, new economy. Maybe it's new, new, new economy at this point. In any case, let's hear from Daniel. I'll come back at the end with a quick wrap-up.
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My name is Daniel from Austin, Texas. I've carved out a niche in the world of AI-generated art, specifically serving content companies. These businesses, constantly seeking engaging visuals for their hundreds of articles, found a valuable resource in my work. Custom, compelling images created through the power of artificial intelligence. Understanding the needs of my clients, content companies looking for quick, decisive, and hassle-free solutions, I developed a straightforward pricing model, a flat rate per image, with the price reflecting the complexity, exclusivity, and licensing rights.
This take-it-or-leave-it approach resonated well with companies adverse to the back and forth of negotiations, offering them a clear, upfront cost, with no hidden fees. The challenge was not just in creating arts, but in producing images that could speak to the content, enhance its message, and captivate the audience. These days, everyone knows how to use chat GPT, so I had to go deeper. Building a portfolio was my first step, showcasing the range and depth of AI-generated visuals I could offer. This portfolio, coupled with a robust online presence and targeted outreach to content managers, helped me break into the market.
My services provided a fresh alternative to stock photos, offering uniqueness and creativity that stock images often lacked. This also helped a lot with future art, since the models are trained on whatever you tell it to make. I wanted my pieces to look different from everything else you see out there, so that took some work. My flat rate model eliminated the dread of negotiation, making it easier for companies to budget for their needs and streamline their content production process. This approach not only simplified transactions, but also built trust.
Clients appreciated the transparency and reliability of knowing exactly what they were getting and how much it would cost. For anyone looking to venture into a similar field, the key is understanding your client's needs and crafting your offerings accordingly. The AI-generated art space is vast, with immense potential, but it's also changing week by week. So that's why I wanted to get a contract with retainers for my work. I don't want to work myself out of a gig.
Still, I doubt I'll be doing this forever, but it's been a lot of fun and very profitable so far. - Daniel, thanks so much for telling us about your first $1,000 and listeners, I hope you found it encouraging. I hope it gave you, as I said, an idea, or maybe just gets you thinking there's so many different creative approaches these days. The new, new, new, new economy, let's call it. If you have a question and update about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com/questions.
This has been episode 2,669. I'm excited to bring you new episodes every day this year, seven days a week, always completely free. Subscribe wherever you like to listen. My name's Chris Guillebeau, this is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
