How to Start Content Creation With AI, Step by Step
Built only from the steps described in 17 sourced Content Creation cases. Each step is attributed to the case it comes from; we do not add steps of our own.
How they started
Pick a narrow promise
One curated summary a week for busy professionals.
From Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152), step 1. About $1,400/mo, Self-Reported
Set up niche accounts
Each account has its own theme and voice.
From Ellis, St. Paul, Minnesota (Side Hustle School episode 2620), step 1. $8,000+ in commissions, Self-Reported
Design the persona
Months of experimenting with looks before settling on Aitana.
From The Clueless (Aitana), step 1. About $3,300 a month on average (EUR 3,000), Self-Reported
Build a directory
aitools.fyi lists AI tools and draws search traffic.
From World of AI (aitools.fyi), step 1. $6,000 a month, Self-Reported
Pick an audience others ignore
Instead of technical AI content for young people, he aimed at Americans aged roughly 30 to 65 who want simple, practical uses.
From Maverick Maltin, step 1. Around six figures a month, Independently Documented
Pick a niche
He aimed AI tips at solopreneurs rather than general AI news.
From Ole Lehmann (The AI Solopreneur), step 1. $176,885 in gross revenue, Independently Documented
Create the character
He built Bloo as a virtual on-screen personality.
From Bloo (Jordi van den Bussche), step 1. More than seven figures in revenue, Self-Reported
Build in a weekend
Prompted Claude to write the game.
From GeoSports (Frank), step 1. ~$40K/mo, Self-Reported
Test content where you already have reach
He tried AI topics as Twitter threads first.
From Superhuman AI newsletter (Zain and Awais Kahn), step 1. Six figures a month, Self-Reported
Start with an audience
He already had a podcast audience.
From Chris Koerner (The Koerner Office), step 1. $3K to $7K per sponsored send, Self-Reported
Post about AI
He built an audience covering AI on social media.
From Hasan Toor (The ProHuman), step 1. $60,000 a month combined, Self-Reported
Post daily
Two AI threads a day on X.
From Rowan Cheung (The Rundown AI), step 1. Eight-figure business, Self-Reported
Pick an audience
Senior professionals learning AI.
From Alex Fiore (AI Central), step 1. More than $150,000 from the ad network to date, Self-Reported
Pick a language niche
German-language AI coverage.
From The Autopilot (Sascha Hoffmann), step 1. $726 MRR, Independently Documented
Pick a niche carefully
He chose topics with care when using AI.
From Casey Botticello, step 1. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Create with Suno
Tracks start in Suno.
From Nik McFly, step 1. $65,000 received, Self-Reported
Write lyrics
Jones writes from her own poetry.
From Telisha "Nikki" Jones (Xania Monet), step 1. More than $52,000 (Billboard estimate), Partially Verified
What they did next
Draft with AI, edit by hand
AI gets it halfway; personal commentary is the product.
From Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152), step 2. About $1,400/mo, Self-Reported
Market on LinkedIn
Sample summaries in productivity groups and a two-week free trial.
From Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152), step 3. About $1,400/mo, Self-Reported
Use AI for trend analysis
Finds trending formats and hashtags per niche.
From Ellis, St. Paul, Minnesota (Side Hustle School episode 2620), step 2. $8,000+ in commissions, Self-Reported
Match products to the niche
Affiliate products that fit naturally, such as fitness trackers for a fitness account.
From Ellis, St. Paul, Minnesota (Side Hustle School episode 2620), step 3. $8,000+ in commissions, Self-Reported
Give her a life
Posts and stories that build a relatable personality.
From The Clueless (Aitana), step 2. About $3,300 a month on average (EUR 3,000), Self-Reported
Monetise reach
Ads and brand ambassador deals.
From The Clueless (Aitana), step 3. About $3,300 a month on average (EUR 3,000), Self-Reported
Launch a newsletter
World of AI on beehiiv.
From World of AI (aitools.fyi), step 2. $6,000 a month, Self-Reported
Sell plans
Paid listing and promotion plans for tool makers.
From World of AI (aitools.fyi), step 3. $6,000 a month, Self-Reported
Ride topics that already work
He makes his own faster version of AI topics that are already trending, often within a day or two.
From Maverick Maltin, step 2. Around six figures a month, Independently Documented
Build the video around the hook
He puts the AI tool in the opening line and uses curiosity hooks.
From Maverick Maltin, step 3. Around six figures a month, Independently Documented
Post daily
He wrote several threads a day with help from ChatGPT.
From Ole Lehmann (The AI Solopreneur), step 2. $176,885 in gross revenue, Independently Documented
Add a newsletter
He started a newsletter once the account passed 100,000 followers.
From Ole Lehmann (The AI Solopreneur), step 3. $176,885 in gross revenue, Independently Documented
Keep the human core
He still drives the personality and ideas.
From Bloo (Jordi van den Bussche), step 2. More than seven figures in revenue, Self-Reported
Hand repetitive work to AI
Thumbnails and translated dubbing are done with AI.
From Bloo (Jordi van den Bussche), step 3. More than seven figures in revenue, Self-Reported
Use his audience
Drew on his sports creator following.
From GeoSports (Frank), step 2. ~$40K/mo, Self-Reported
Make it habitual
Daily play and score sharing keep people coming back.
From GeoSports (Frank), step 3. ~$40K/mo, Self-Reported
Launch the newsletter
It passed 135,000 subscribers within three months.
From Superhuman AI newsletter (Zain and Awais Kahn), step 2. Six figures a month, Self-Reported
Sell sponsor slots
Ad spots sell out and drive the revenue.
From Superhuman AI newsletter (Zain and Awais Kahn), step 3. Six figures a month, Self-Reported
Repurpose with AI
A custom model turns his material into newsletter drafts.
From Chris Koerner (The Koerner Office), step 2. $3K to $7K per sponsored send, Self-Reported
Sell sponsorships
Direct sponsors pay per send.
From Chris Koerner (The Koerner Office), step 3. $3K to $7K per sponsored send, Self-Reported
Launch a newsletter
He monetizes it with ads.
From Hasan Toor (The ProHuman), step 2. $60,000 a month combined, Self-Reported
Start an agency
He manages other AI creators.
From Hasan Toor (The ProHuman), step 3. $60,000 a month combined, Self-Reported
Funnel to a newsletter
Each thread promoted The Rundown.
From Rowan Cheung (The Rundown AI), step 2. Eight-figure business, Self-Reported
Monetize recommendations and ads
Recommendations funded early hires.
From Rowan Cheung (The Rundown AI), step 3. Eight-figure business, Self-Reported
Build an AI pipeline
Claude Code, Notion and n8n support content.
From Alex Fiore (AI Central), step 2. More than $150,000 from the ad network to date, Self-Reported
Diversify revenue
Ad network, brand deals and affiliates.
From Alex Fiore (AI Central), step 3. More than $150,000 from the ad network to date, Self-Reported
Publish weekly
A free issue builds the list.
From The Autopilot (Sascha Hoffmann), step 2. $726 MRR, Independently Documented
Sell paid subscriptions
Readers pay for the full version.
From The Autopilot (Sascha Hoffmann), step 3. $726 MRR, Independently Documented
Draft with AI
GPT-3.5 produced first drafts.
From Casey Botticello, step 2. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Edit and fact-check
Heavy editing and original visuals.
From Casey Botticello, step 3. About $21K in one month, Self-Reported
Finish the release
Production, mixing and metadata.
From Nik McFly, step 2. $65,000 received, Self-Reported
Release at volume
80+ releases through his label.
From Nik McFly, step 3. $65,000 received, Self-Reported
Generate with Suno
Suno produces the tracks and the Xania Monet voice.
From Telisha "Nikki" Jones (Xania Monet), step 2. More than $52,000 (Billboard estimate), Partially Verified
Release and chart
Streams grew fast enough to draw label interest.
From Telisha "Nikki" Jones (Xania Monet), step 3. More than $52,000 (Billboard estimate), Partially Verified
How they grew
Fix retention
Bonus digests improved retention by about 20%.
From Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152), step 4. About $1,400/mo, Self-Reported
Wait before taking sponsors
He built an engaged audience of about 80,000 to 90,000 TikTok followers before his first paid deal.
From Maverick Maltin, step 4. Around six figures a month, Independently Documented
Hire help
He signed with an agency and hired a video editor so he can film more.
From Maverick Maltin, step 5. Around six figures a month, Independently Documented
Launch what followers ask for
Followers asked for a course, so he built one.
From Ole Lehmann (The AI Solopreneur), step 4. $176,885 in gross revenue, Independently Documented
Content Creation: common questions
How much do people make with Content Creation and AI?
Across the 8 of our 17 sourced cases that report a monthly figure, amounts range from $726 to $100,000 a month, with a median of $21,700. These are what each source reports, not typical results.
How much does it cost to start?
Low; mainly AI subscriptions in our cases. 1 of 17 cases disclose a startup cost.
How long until the first dollar?
About three months to the first $1,000 in one documented newsletter. This comes from what our cases report.
Which AI tools do these cases use most?
ChatGPT (7 cases), Claude (5 cases), Canva (1 case), ElevenLabs (1 case), Google Gemini (1 case). Only tools named in the sources are counted.
How reliable are these income figures?
3 of 17 cases are independently documented, meaning a news outlet says it reviewed records. 13 are self-reported. Every case links its source.
What are the main risks?
Viral results are hard to repeat. Platform algorithm changes. AI summaries need fact-checking and must respect copyright.
How many of these cases say when they made their first dollar?
5 of 17 cases state a time to first revenue. For example: Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152): "First month (42 subscribers, just under $300 a month)"; The Clueless (Aitana): "A few months of experimenting before the persona took off, per the co-founder"; Maverick Maltin: "A few months; he says he waited before taking his first brand deal, which paid $2,400 for two videos". The rest do not say, so treat any single timeline as one example, not a norm.
What went wrong or held these cases back?
17 of 17 cases list limitations or risks drawn from their sources. Examples: Unnamed side hustler (Side Hustle School episode 3152): Some subscribers left wanting more than one summary a week; Ellis, St. Paul, Minnesota (Side Hustle School episode 2620): Viral results are not repeatable on demand; The Clueless (Aitana): Undisclosed AI personas raise trust and labelling issues. Each case page lists them in full.
Do I have to report this income to the IRS if I never get a 1099-K?
Yes. The IRS says that whether or not you receive a Form 1099-K, you must report all income from selling goods or services on your tax return. Payment apps and online marketplaces must send a 1099-K when payments for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions, but they may send one for lower amounts. Source: IRS, "Understanding your Form 1099-K" (irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.
Do I owe self-employment tax on side hustle income in the US?
According to the IRS, you must pay self-employment tax and file Schedule SE if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more. The rate is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare), and you may need to pay estimated taxes quarterly. Source: IRS, "Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)" (irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.