# 64 / Designers, Recessions & the 30-Day Side-Hustle: Catching 2025’s Gold Rush
Last week a friend DMed me at 1 am:
“Bear, hiring freezes everywhere. Is it crazy to quit and go solo now?”
I laughed because that’s exactly what Airbnb’s founders did in 2008—right in the teeth of the global financial crisis. They couldn’t pay rent, so they inflated air-mattresses for conference visitors and unwittingly kicked off a multibillion-dollar movement.
History loves that plot twist. When big companies slam on the brakes, nimble designers hit the gas. Basecamp bloomed after the dot-com implosion. Figma started while venture money was hiding under the bed. Tough seasons force small teams to build lean—and lean design sells.
Here's the video, and if you'd like to read, below is the full blog version.
Why 2025 Feels Ripe
A few datapoints had me double-take this year:
• US freelancers earned US $1.27 trillion in 2023—about the size of the entire agricultural sector.
• The creator economy already tops US $191 billion and is on pace to triple by 2030.
• Four in ten remote-capable workers now live the hybrid life; companies treat talent like modular Lego bricks—hire when needed, release when done.
• And yes, generative-AI has gone mainstream among creatives, letting one designer ship what an agency once required.
In short: budgets didn’t vanish—they shape-shifted. They’re hunting for specialists who can drop in, solve a problem, and bounce.
Seven Hustles I Keep Seeing Win
Instead of shotgun listing, let me paint a quick tour. Picture us on a Wellington waterfront walk, flat white in hand, gossiping about what’s actually working.
The One-Person AI Studio
My mate Emma prototypes with ChatGPT, mood-boards in Midjourney, polishes in Figma, then hands over dev-ready files. Two-week sprint, fixed fee. Clients love the speed; she loves the margin.
Digital Goods While-You-Sleep
Louis bundles sleek UI icons and Notion dashboards. Gumroad pings him at 3 a.m.—“You made another US $29”. It’s a modern version of selling stock photos, minus the gatekeepers.
Tiny SaaS or Figma Plugin
Ruby wrote a plug-in that auto-localises strings. Price: US $5 per user, per month. Last time we talked she was clearing rent before lunch.
Live Cohort Courses
Think four Saturday sessions on “Prompt Craft for Designers”. Twenty seats at US $399. Students finish with certificates and bragging rights; you finish with runway.
No-Code Venture Studio
Build founders’ MVPs in Framer or Figma Sites in two weeks. Charge cash up-front and take a sliver of equity for fun. If one pops, so do you.
Kickstarter-First Physical Product
Stats show nearly eight in ten campaigns that pass the 20 % mark end up fully funded. Set a friendly target; call in favours to cross that early line; let the momentum algorithm carry you.
Paid Crit & Job Club
Slack group, weekly design reviews, a curated job board. Ten bucks a month feels like lunch money to members—but adds up fast on your side of the ledger.
Notice the pattern? Each idea banks on speed, community trust, and tooling that didn’t exist five years ago.
How I’d Tackle It in 30 Days
Week 1 – Spot the itch. Write down ten micro-annoyances you or clients complain about (“Why is localisation still manual?”).
Week 2 – Prototype the aspirin. Build the scrappiest version that demonstrates relief—loom video, fig-jam link, whatever.
Week 3 – Charge a stranger. Post the offer on X, LinkedIn, and in a Discord you actually hang out in. Price it—even if it’s US $10. The first swipe of a credit card turns a hobby into a business.
Week 4 – Tighten the screws. Shipping reveals the parts that rattle. Fix one rattle per week. Repeat.
Rinse until you wake up and realise you just built a real thing.
A Friendly Nudge Before You Go
Recessions prune the forest but fertilise the soil. You don’t need venture funding—you need a small circle of humans who whisper, “Take my money and solve this for me.” Grab a weekend, pick one idea, and run a tiny experiment.
When you land your first paying customer, pop back and tell me. I’ll raise a Butterbeer to you—because, like Harry sneaking past Fluffy, the scariest part is just cracking the door.
What itch are you scratching first?
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Spoiler alert
You may say, “Bear, don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk!” Yes, I do! I’m currently doing a self-hackathon to turn $20 into $1,000 in 20 hours. Right now, with 5 hours left, I’ve already secured $615.
I’ll share the full details in my next newsletter.
Hello, I’m Bear—a product designer, UX mentor and an award‑winning bilingual podcast host, currently living in Auckland, New Zealand. I enjoy sharing insights from my work, life, and study, helping all of us grow together.
Bear Academy Newsletter is my weekly email packed with thoughts on technology, design, and productivity—featuring book breakdowns, learning tips, and career reflections.
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