This interview is with Dhiren Mulani, Founder, Earningify.
For Featured readers meeting you for the first time, how do you introduce yourself and the niche you focus on within side hustles and digital entrepreneurship?
I usually introduce myself as someone who has spent a long time on the internet watching how people actually build income, not how it’s marketed to them.
I run Earningify, where my focus is on practical side hustles and digital income models that compound over time. I’m less interested in overnight wins and more in systems like:
- Blogging
- Affiliate marketing
- Freelancing
- Dropshipping
- Domain investing
These are areas where effort today can create optionality months or years later.
What shaped this niche for me is context. I started in traditional jobs, worked closely with international clients, and saw firsthand how fragile single income streams can be. That experience pushed me to experiment online, often slowly and imperfectly, but with a long-term lens.
When I talk about side hustles and digital entrepreneurship, I focus on the process—how people get started, where they get stuck, and what usually works if they stay consistent. My goal isn’t to sell motivation; it’s to help people make clearer decisions about what’s worth their time and why.
What pivotal experiences led you from unemployment to building Earningify and a diversified set of income streams?
I was never unemployed, but I did understand fairly early that relying on a single income stream is risky, no matter how stable it looks on paper.
While working regular jobs, I kept observing how quickly industries, roles, and pay structures change. At the same time, I saw people quietly building income online through content, skills, and digital assets that weren’t tied to fixed hours. That contrast stayed with me. It made me curious about how money could be earned in parallel—not instead of a job, but alongside it.
I started experimenting early: websites, content, affiliate programs, freelance work, and later, other digital income models. Most of it happened outside office hours and progressed slowly. Some ideas failed, some worked modestly, and a few compounded over time. The real value was in understanding how different income streams behave and how long they take to mature.
Earningify grew out of that mindset. It became a place to document what I was learning about building diversified, internet-based income systems in a practical way. The journey wasn’t driven by crisis; it was driven by foresight and a long-term view that one income is rarely enough in a changing world.
What is your step-by-step process to validate a side hustle idea before you invest real time or money?
When I look at a side hustle idea, I try to slow the decision down instead of getting excited by the upside. My validation process is intentionally simple and repeatable.
First, I check for real demand. That usually means searching how people phrase their problems, not how the idea is marketed. I look at search queries, forum discussions, comment sections, and even how people complain. If I can’t find consistent signals that people are actively trying to solve a problem, I don’t go further.
Second, I study who is already making money. Not revenue screenshots, but business models. Are there blogs ranking, creators consistently posting, or products being promoted over a long period? Longevity matters more to me than hype.
Third, I test my ability to enter without friction. Can I create something useful with my current skills? Can I publish, promote, or ship a basic version without spending much money? If the answer is no, the idea is usually too fragile for a side hustle.
Fourth, I run a small proof test. One article, one landing page, one offer, or one outreach experiment. I’m not looking for success; I’m looking for signals—clicks, replies, saves, or even objections that tell me how the market thinks.
Finally, I decide based on momentum, not potential. If early signals improve with each small iteration, I continue. If it feels forced or stagnant, I pause or drop it. That discipline has saved me far more time than chasing ideas that only look good on paper.
If you were outlining an “Earningify Guide” for beginners, what would the first three chapters cover to help someone earn their first dollars online?
If I were outlining an Earningify Guide for beginners, the first three chapters would focus less on tactics and more on decision clarity. Earning the first dollars online is usually blocked by confusion, not a lack of effort.
Chapter 1: Choosing the Right Starting Lane
This chapter would help readers understand how different online income models actually work. Blogging, freelancing, affiliate marketing, micro-tasks, and simple digital services all demand different skills, timelines, and patience levels. The goal here isn’t to pick the “best” option, but the most realistic one based on time availability, existing skills, and risk tolerance. Most beginners fail because they start in the wrong lane.
Chapter 2: Turning Attention Into Actionable Value
Before money comes in, something of value has to exist. This chapter would focus on creating simple outputs that solve small problems—an article, a service page, a profile, or a basic offer. Nothing polished. Just enough to be useful. It would emphasize publishing imperfectly, learning how platforms reward consistency, and understanding why clarity beats creativity at this stage.
Chapter 3: Earning the First Dollar and Reading the Signals
The first dollar isn’t about income; it’s about validation. This chapter would break down how to structure early monetization (freelance gigs, affiliate links, small commissions, or direct payments) and how to interpret early signals correctly. A single sale, click, or inquiry is treated as feedback, not success. The objective is to learn what to double down on and what to ignore.
Together, these chapters are designed to help beginners move from theory to their first real outcome, without overwhelming them or selling the illusion of fast money.
When building content-led projects like Earningify, how do you decide which topics to tackle first and which monetization paths to prioritize?
When I build a content-led project like Earningify, I separate topic selection from monetization decisions. Mixing the two too early usually leads to distorted choices.
I start with topics where intent is already visible. These are questions people ask when they’re trying to act, not just learn. “What is X” has value, but “how to start X,” “best tools for X,” or “mistakes in X” usually signal someone closer to a decision. Those topics create a foundation because they attract readers who are actively evaluating options.
Next, I look for topics with depth, not just traffic. A good early topic is one that can naturally branch into multiple follow-ups, comparisons, and use cases over time. This allows the site to grow horizontally without constantly resetting context for the reader.
Monetization comes after patterns emerge. I pay attention to what readers respond to—what gets clicked, saved, or followed up on. Only then do I prioritize monetization paths that align with that behavior. If readers are researching tools, affiliate models make sense. If they’re asking for execution help, services or guides become viable.
The key is patience. Content builds trust before it earns revenue. By letting reader behavior guide monetization instead of forcing it upfront, the project stays coherent and compounds more naturally over time.
How do you allocate your week between client services for steady cash flow and building assets that compound over time?
I treat my week as two different modes of work, not one blended effort.
Client services and my full-time role come first because they fund everything else. I block fixed, non-negotiable hours for this work and focus on execution, delivery, and reliability. This is the “cash flow layer,” and I’m careful not to let asset work interfere with commitments that pay predictably.
Asset building happens in smaller, protected windows. I don’t chase long creative sessions. Instead, I allocate short, repeatable blocks during low-energy hours like early mornings, late evenings, or weekends, where the only goal is to move something forward, even marginally. One article draft, one update, one internal link pass. Consistency matters more than volume here.
The key decision is sequence. Cash flow work gets my best focus during the day. Asset work gets my patience, not my urgency. I never measure asset progress weekly; I measure it quarterly. That mindset prevents burnout and stops me from abandoning compounding projects just because they don’t pay immediately.
Over time, this separation has helped me stay financially stable while still building things that don’t rely on my time forever.
In your domain investing, what specific criteria and pricing approach have proven most reliable for you?
In domain investing, I’ve learned to separate what looks valuable from what actually sells. That distinction shapes both my criteria and my pricing approach.
On the acquisition side, I’m conservative. I focus on names that are easy to say, easy to spell, and immediately understandable without explanation. I prefer domains that fit naturally into an existing business category rather than speculative trends. If I can quickly imagine who the buyer is and why the name would reduce their branding or marketing friction, it passes my first filter.
Pricing, however, has been the hardest lesson. A domain can have strong intrinsic value, but price always depends on who you’re selling to. I’ve learned that pricing for a fast sale and pricing for an end user are two completely different strategies.
If you’re financially dependent on domain sales, pricing has to reflect liquidity. That means accepting lower multiples and faster turnover. But if, like me, you have a job or other income streams covering your needs, you can afford to price for the end user. That usually means higher prices and much longer waiting periods, but also fewer regrets about letting good names go too cheaply.
Over time, I’ve become comfortable with patience as a strategy. Domains don’t reward urgency; they reward alignment between quality, pricing, and the kind of buyer you’re willing to wait for.
What is one failed experiment that meaningfully changed how you evaluate, pursue, or kill side-business ideas?
One failed experiment that reshaped how I evaluate side-business ideas was a content project I started early on called THVEGA, short for The Vertical Gardener.
On paper, it made sense. Gardening had clear demand, plenty of content angles, and long-term monetization potential. I got excited, built the site, and started publishing almost immediately. But there was a fundamental flaw I ignored at the time: my interest in gardening wasn’t deep or durable.
As weeks passed, I stopped growing plants and herbs myself. Naturally, the writing slowed down too. The problem wasn’t execution or opportunity—it was alignment. I had rushed to share something with the world before asking whether I genuinely wanted to live in that space long enough for it to compound.
That experience changed how I evaluate ideas. Now, before I commit, I ask a quieter question: Would I still work on this if no one was watching yet? If the answer is no, I don’t proceed, even if the market looks attractive.
THVEGA taught me that excitement can get you started, but only genuine interest sustains momentum. Since then, I’m much quicker to kill ideas that rely on initial enthusiasm rather than long-term engagement.
If you had to grow a new side business from zero to $3,000 per month in six months, what would your month-by-month plan look like?
If I had to grow a side business from zero to $3,000 per month in six months, I would lean into what I already know. I have been working in SEO for the last six years, so the approach would be practical, execution-driven, and focused on compounding rather than experimentation.
Month 1: Choosing a narrow, monetizable problem
I would start by identifying a very specific problem where search intent is already commercial. Not a broad niche, but situations where people are actively comparing, evaluating, or deciding. I would map a small keyword cluster around one clear outcome and confirm that existing sites are already monetizing that intent.
Month 2: Building a lean content foundation
Instead of publishing at scale, I would publish with intent. A small set of pages covering the core problem, comparisons, and common mistakes. Each piece would be internally linked from the beginning and written for clarity and conversion, not just rankings.
Month 3: Introducing early monetization and reading signals
At this stage, I would add monetization carefully. This could be affiliate links, a service offer, or a simple lead funnel depending on what the content supports naturally. The focus would still be on signals like clicks, inquiries, and page-level engagement, not revenue.
Month 4: Doubling down on visible traction
Here, I would expand only where momentum is already present. That means adding supporting content, strengthening internal links, and improving on-page conversions for pages that are getting impressions or early rankings.
Month 5: Strengthening authority and leverage
The focus would shift to topical depth and user experience. Updating earlier content, filling gaps in the topic cluster, and refining the monetization path so each visitor has a clearer next step.
Month 6: Scaling toward consistency
If the fundamentals are working, I would systemize what is already producing results. Publishing cadence, content templates, and monetization flows would be refined so revenue becomes repeatable instead of accidental.
The goal is not aggressive growth for its own sake. With SEO, results come from knowing where to apply effort and where restraint matters. Small, deliberate wins compound into stable income over time.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
What I’ve come to believe over time is that most people can achieve success, but the patience required to get there is directly tied to their current financial situation.
When someone is under financial pressure because of loans, commitments, or unstable income, side gigs start carrying unrealistic expectations. There’s an unspoken urgency for them to work quickly. Without realizing it, they put all their hope into one idea and expect it to deliver fast results. The problem is that most things worth building online move slowly. Overnight success is mostly a content narrative, not a business reality.
When nothing works in the short term, people often label themselves as failures. In reality, they didn’t fail; they simply didn’t have the time or patience their situation demanded. That distinction matters because it changes how you interpret the outcome.
Ironically, when people do reach financial stability, they often stop exploring. The urgency disappears, and so does the curiosity to build additional income streams. If more people used that stable phase to experiment calmly, they’d be in a much stronger position long term.
Side gigs absolutely have the potential to out-earn traditional jobs, but only when given time. It’s rarely a six or twelve month story. It’s a gradual process of layering effort, learning, and patience until the math finally starts working in your favor.