This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
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You know how whenever you want to install an app or pretty much use anything online these days, you have to go and scroll down a lengthy list of terms and conditions that you never actually read because who has time to do that and what's the point? They've already got your data, you want to use this tool, et cetera. Well, today's caller has an interesting side hustle idea. They wanna help brands improve their terms and conditions, also known as TNC. Can this caller design and license a template that companies will pay for?
Interesting idea. We always love to hear from our listeners or from anybody out there with a side hustle idea. And I am all about solving practical problems. But of course you also have to ask which problem does this solve? So let's talk about it.
Can you get paid to help brands with their terms and conditions? Every brand has one. Can this side hustler help? Detailed question, the scenario from Jackie and my response coming right up. [Music]
Hi, this is Jackie and I'm a longtime listener, first time caller.
I'd like to help brands simplify their terms and conditions. No one ever reads those long pages of texts that were required to approve before downloading an app or joining a website. My idea is to make a series of templates that cover any important legal clauses, but written in a way that makes sense to regular people. I will license the templates to companies for an annual fee agreeing to make any reasonable number of updates a couple times a year. What do you think about this idea?
And how can I market it? Looking forward to hearing from you. [Music]
I think this is a great example to get people thinking about why a side hustle or small business idea can work and why it might not work. So for every idea, you need to think about a problem. What is the problem that your service solves?
What is the solution you're providing? So when it comes to terms and conditions, I would say consumers, we hate them, but we're also kind of a nerd to them. We just kind of scroll through these documents, we click the button, we move on. Whereas brands, when you think about what's in their interest, and they're the ones paying the bill in this case, they don't always want their terms and conditions to be simple and easily understandable. They actually want to bury some stuff in those terms often.
Like they're written in a way to be very favorable to the company. So it's not like there is a neutral party somewhere that's like, hey, how can we make these terms and conditions more favorable, or at least more friendly or understandable in a way that's fair to both parties. And it's actually the company that is writing the terms and conditions. So I know that may sound a little bit cynical, but I don't think it's wrong for a lot of companies. One thing I like is if you ever read the Verge, I like to read the verge.com.
It's like news and information about tech, media, and so on. In a lot of their reviews for products, they include a little sidebar, a little box, somewhere in the review that says, like, what are you actually agreeing to with this product? Because some terms and conditions have become really egregious and lengthy, and you're just kind of signing away everything. And so they do at least in their reviews try to make it a little bit more transparent. And so there might be another answer somewhere, maybe instead of focusing on brands who are not likely to pay you to make their terms and conditions easier, maybe there's a way to focus on consumers, just like what the Verge has done with those reviews, maybe educating them about the rights that they give up to these brands or something else.
Maybe there's another angle there. That's my first take. I'd love to be wrong, but I think it just might be a difficult battle. And so because you could start all kinds of side hustles, why not choose one that is a little bit easier and has a clear solution to a problem where the person or company or brand actually wants to pay for it. Jackie, best of luck to you listeners, best of luck to you as well, sidehustleschool.com, complete archives of the podcast, available for download or streaming new episodes out every day, wherever you get your shows, always completely free.
My name is Chris Guillebeau, you're listening to "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
