You research and publish paid questions for people who would have had a staffer. Readers buy a membership, or organizations buy a retainer memo.
This is independent research. You pick a beat and ship findings: paid questions for people who would have had a staffer. Readers pay for a membership, or organizations pay for a memo retainer. Cite sources and state your limits on the page. A normal week is interviews or archives, a published note, and a bibliography you keep honest. Do not give licensed financial, legal, or medical advice unless you hold the license. A beat plus trust can fund a life; a random newsletter usually cannot.
Substack or a static site is $0. First paid subscriber or contract is typically 1–6 months of publishing (On Substack / SCORE).
Each required material has a matching shop listing — photo, price, and a way to add it to the cart.
Laptop
Used laptop
A reliable used laptop for writing, editing, and running a one-person shop. Ships checked and wiped, with a charger — not a gaming tower and not a Chromebook that cannot run your tools.
Archive access or library card
Archive and library research pass
A checklist for getting a library card or archive reader pass, plus request-slip templates. Guide, not admission to a specific archive.
Notes system
Notes app seat
A notes-app workspace with a capture inbox and a weekly review template. Instant setup. This is software, not a paper notebook.
Recording permission workflow
Recording permission workflow. Talent-release and location-permission forms plus a shoot-day checklist. Digital documents, not a lawyer.
Public examples matched to this path by what they actually publish — not endorsements, and not a claim they run this exact shop. Handles change. Verify before you write to anyone.
Justin Welsh
Left a CRO role, then built a one-person content and course business from LinkedIn.
Freelancers Union
Advocacy and benefits community for independent workers in the U.S.
自由职业 / 副业 (Xiaohongshu)
Freelance and side-income case studies popular with younger Chinese creators.
Platforms on this card: Instagram, Xiaohongshu, LinkedIn, X, Website.
Priya Nair left salaried work and now coaches this craft. Book a slot for a tailored plan, a starter kit list, and follow-up support.
Court-Watch Newsletter
Research and publish local justice reporting
Court-Watch Newsletter
Research and publish local justice reporting
You research and publish local justice reporting. Readers buy a membership, or organizations buy a retainer memo.
Minimum initial capital Minimum initial capital None
Fact-Check
Research and publish creators and small newsrooms
Fact-Check
Research and publish creators and small newsrooms
You research and publish creators and small newsrooms. Readers buy a membership, or organizations buy a retainer memo.
Minimum initial capital Minimum initial capital None
Standards-and-Compliance Writer
Research and publish accessibility, privacy, docs
Standards-and-Compliance Writer
Research and publish accessibility, privacy, docs
You research and publish accessibility, privacy, docs. Readers buy a membership, or organizations buy a retainer memo.
Minimum initial capital Minimum initial capital None
