How I’m building my online business on the side
And how you can too — without burning out
I started my business at the end of January. No brand. No testimonials. No portfolio. No clue. And limited time.
I live in Cologne, Germany, and although I love the punctuality and efficiency (and the Schnitzel) here, the cost of living is extremely high. Plus, I have a student loan to pay off. It’s “only” €10,000 — but still.
(I’m saying “only” because I know some of you guys probably have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. To us Germans, the fact that that’s even possible is beyond crazy —but that’s a discussion for another day, I guess.)
That’s why I’m working a part-time job as a Data Scientist at the University Hospital. I did my PhD here, so I already know the environment.
I work 27 hours/week because I want to give myself enough financial cushion to live comfortably without stressing about money. The rest of the week is spent on my online business. Although I could work less without struggling too much to pay the bills, I made that conscious choice.
Why? I’ve seen too many creators back themselves into a financial corner. They burn out or start chasing quick wins — monetizing things they never even wanted to offer in the first place.
Not because they don’t care about purpose or their moral integrity — but because their financial struggles forced them to make money quickly. And like with everything, quick solutions are not the best for the long run.
I didn’t want that. I wanted to build something I believe in. Something that aligns with my values. So, even if it takes longer, I’m okay with that. I’m building a life, not a temporary fix.
I’d rather go slow than end up building a business I secretly want to escape from.
I’ve been trying this setup for a few months now — and honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I made in my life.
Taking it slow has kept me from burning out. I’m still energized. Still excited. Still focused.
But I won’t pretend it’s easy. Running a business and working part-time basically means I have 2 jobs. And the only way to make that work has been ruthless time management.
I tried splitting my day in half — job in the morning, business in the afternoon. Didn’t work.
Switching between tasks drained me. I’m not built for rapid context switching.
So I changed the structure. Now, I dedicate full days to ONE THING only. That shift changed everything.
I also started managing my business like an actual project: I use a project management tool, break big tasks into small ones, and schedule everything step by step.
Also, I put every task — no matter how tiny it is — into my calendar. Even my non-work stuff (gym, groceries, or meeting friends).
I’m the kind of person who thrives in structure (what a surprise coming from a German lol), and even though it’s sometimes hard (and annoying) to schedule every single detail, it skyrocketed my quality of life AND productivity.
You may know the famous 1% rule, popularized in the book Atomic Habits — if you haven’t read that book yet, I urge you to immediately close your laptop lid aggressively (if you're reading this on your phone, do something else that's equally dramatic) and go read it.
Even the tiniest increments lead to massive results over time through compounding. Whenever I feel low or unproductive, I look at this graph.
It helps me stay on top of things, even when I’m moving slowly. Because after all, I’m still moving. Here’s what that “slow” movement has gotten me so far:
40,000+ followers on Threads
4,200+ followers on Medium
2,500+ email subscribers
4 figures/month by April
I believe in that 1% rule wholeheartedly. I often have days when I barely accomplish anything. But over time, this “barely anything” has compounded into massive results.
I know people who are building their businesses while working full-time or while raising a child. And I can guarantee you: ALL of them are good at time and project management. It’s one of the most crucial skills you have to learn.
So, if you’re building a business alongside tons of other responsibilities, please believe me when I say:
YOU CAN DO THIS! Is it easy? Hell no. But it’s a million times better than trying to juggle everything without structure.
And remember: There’s a reason why only a few people endure and succeed. If it were easy, everyone would do it.
If you’re looking for specific tools, here are some recommendations (their FREE versions are good enough for online business purposes):
ClickUp: Ideal if you prefer simplicity combined with high customizability.
Jira: Ideal if your workflow involves software development or detailed project tracking.
Notion: Ideal if you want maximum flexibility with a more minimalistic interface.
Trello: Ideal if you prefer visual task management and simplicity.
Monday.com: Ideal if you want a visually appealing and intuitive interface.
Bonus Tip: You can use Notion for documentation, storage, and libraries, and use one of the other tools for task management.
What's really cool is that you can embed tools like ClickUp, Jira, Monday.com, and Trello directly into your Notion database.
I also found these videos helpful for making my decision:
But don’t overcomplicate it. All of these tools are great, so just quickly choose the one that fits your needs best and stick with it.
That’s it for now. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. My door (aka inbox) is always open.☺️
Much love,
Your kiwi-with-the-skin-on-eating friend
Hussein
PS: If you want to see more content, check out my other channels: