In partnership with
AI Agents Are Reading Your Docs. Are You Ready?
Last month, 48% of visitors to documentation sites across Mintlify were AI agents—not humans.
Claude Code, Cursor, and other coding agents are becoming the actual customers reading your docs. And they read everything.
This changes what good documentation means. Humans skim and forgive gaps. Agents methodically check every endpoint, read every guide, and compare you against alternatives with zero fatigue.
Your docs aren't just helping users anymore—they're your product's first interview with the machines deciding whether to recommend you.
That means:
→ Clear schema markup so agents can parse your content
→ Real benchmarks, not marketing fluff
→ Open endpoints agents can actually test
→ Honest comparisons that emphasize strengths without hype
In the agentic world, documentation becomes 10x more important. Companies that make their products machine-understandable will win distribution through AI.
👋 Hey Hustler,
Software developers don’t need to quit their jobs to earn six figures or more outside work — but they do need to focus on the right kinds of side projects that scale and don’t burn them out.
In 2026, the world has shifted: AI + automation + lightweight SaaS products are now the fastest way for a dev to bootstrap income and build something that could eventually become a company worth millions — all without sacrificing your day job.
🧠 1) Build a Micro SaaS That Solves a Real Business Problem
Unlike bloated SaaS that require huge teams, micro SaaS are tiny, focused products — often targeting a niche that bigger players ignore. They’re ideal for part-time devs.
🔥 Examples:
AI-powered invoice summarizer for small businesses
Automated Slack-to-email responder service
Quick compliance report generator for ecommerce stores
👉 How to start (practical steps):
Scan communities/forums for repeated pain points. Where are people complaining about the same mundane task?
Build an MVP with no-code + AI tools — use FlutterFlow, OpenAI APIs, or even Airtable + Make to get something working fast.
Validate before building fully: create a landing page + collect emails. DM 30 potential users — if 10 say “yes I’d pay $10–$30/mo,” you’re onto something.
Launch with 10–50 beta users. Support them, then iterate.
💡 I built (or saw devs build) micro SaaS that earn $1,000+ per month with just a few hours a week — and some have turned into full startups.
💡 2) AI-Powered Mini Tools That Just Work
One of the most underrated modern paths is small AI tools that solve a single, specific task. These don’t need huge users — a handful of paying users can cover your time.
📌 Examples that have actually paid developers recently:
Job Description Skill Extractor — parses job posts so recruiters can filter candidates faster.
Auto Blog-to-LinkedIn Repurposer — takes blog content and automatically repackages it for social platforms.
These are tools that run on a schedule or as a SaaS and bring in money while you sleep.
🛠️ 3) Productize Your Automation Scripts
You’ve written automation scripts hundreds of times — but what if someone else pays to use them?
Rather than freelancing, package your automations as paid tools:
✔️ Desktop utilities
✔️ CLI helpers
✔️ Browser extensions
✔️ Workflow plugins (for Notion, GitHub, VS Code)
Example — an automation that auto-syncs Notion tasks into Jira and GitHub issues in a specific format. Sell it as a plugin → recurring revenue. (This is happening now — developers are selling automation tools on marketplaces).
⚡ 4) Modern “Solo Startup in a Weekend” With AI
Tools like AI-driven development platforms (e.g., the ones described by Replit’s CEO) enable you to literally create a functional web app in hours using natural language and AI — a concept known as vibe coding.
That means:
You can prototype real products quickly
You can test ideas before committing a ton of time
Even non-technical cofounders are building initial apps
Dev advantage: you can go further than just prototyping — you can polish and scale them
People are earning tens of thousands per month from tiny AI-assisted apps built this way.
📈 How to Turn This into Your Company One Day
Start with a repeatable process, not a random idea:
🔁 Your Developer Side Hustle Ladder
Scan for a problem → validate it with real users
Build a tiny MVP using AI + micro-SaaS frameworks
Launch with a small subscription plan
Grow users organically via content + niche communities
Automate support + billing so it’s hands-off as possible
Reinvest revenue to scale features & acquisition
If you repeat this 3–5 times with success, you're no longer “just a side project developer” — you’re a founder of recurring businesses with real revenue. That’s how many solo creators in 2025–26 are building companies worth millions without ever quitting their day job first.
🏁 Bottom Line
You don’t need:
✔️ Venture capital
✔️ A cofounder
✔️ A full quit from your job
You do need:
✔️ A problem worth solving
✔️ Real user validation
✔️ Quick building + launching
Today’s tools (AI, micro-SaaS frameworks, automation platforms) make all that possible — and many devs are already earning real recurring revenue from these paths.
