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What is lean-side-bussiness?

easychen/lean-side-bussiness — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

11,973Audience · pm founderComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

In one sentence

A free online book in Chinese that guides programmers through building a side business alongside a day job, covering lean startup methods, passive income types, and how to validate ideas before investing time.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Lean Side Business))
    Core Assets
      Skills and knowledge
      Network
      Spare time
    Income Types
      Consulting tutoring
      Digital assets
      Video courses
      Indie software
    Lean Process
      Test demand first
      Build measure learn
      Minimum viable product
    Practical Topics
      Business model canvas
      User feedback
      Anti-piracy strategies
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Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Read a structured guide on testing a side business idea before investing significant time or money.

USE CASE 2

Learn how to apply lean startup principles, build, measure, learn, to a personal software product or digital content business.

USE CASE 3

Explore different programmer side income types: consulting, passive digital assets, video courses, or indie software products.

USE CASE 4

Study minimum viable product design and anti-piracy strategies for digital content creators.

How does it compare?

easychen/lean-side-bussinessxmake-io/xmakelonamiwebs/telethon
Stars11,97311,97411,976
LanguageLuaPython
Setup difficultyeasyeasymoderate
Complexity1/53/52/5
Audiencepm founderdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

So what is it?

This repository is a free online book written in Chinese, aimed at programmers who want to build a side business alongside their main job. The title translates roughly to "Lean Side Business: How Programmers Can Elegantly Build a Side Business." It was written in December 2020 and is organized as a structured guide with chapters and sub-chapters, each stored as a separate Markdown file. The content covers why side businesses matter for career flexibility and financial resilience, then walks through practical approaches. Early chapters discuss core assets a programmer already has (skills, network, knowledge) and how to use limited spare time well. Later chapters cover different types of side income: selling time in chunks (consulting or tutoring), building passive income through digital assets, creating paid video courses or written columns, and developing independent software products. A significant portion of the book focuses on a process the author calls the "lean side business" flow, adapted from lean startup principles used in the software industry. It applies that build-measure-learn thinking to side projects: testing demand before investing heavily, iterating based on feedback, and keeping overhead low. Practical sections include designing a business model canvas for a side project, building a minimum viable product, handling user feedback, and anti-piracy strategies for digital content creators. The README links to a companion project called "One-Person Business Methodology v2.0," a follow-up book the author recommends reading after this one. There is no software to install or run. The repository is a reading resource, available online through a linked website.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm a programmer with a full-time job and want to start a side business. Based on the Lean Side Business approach, what is the first concrete step to test whether my idea has demand before I build anything?
Prompt 2
Using the lean side business model canvas, help me design a business model for a SaaS developer tool. What are the key sections I need to fill in and what questions should each answer?
Prompt 3
I want to create passive income as a programmer. What digital asset types does the Lean Side Business framework recommend, and which is the lowest-effort starting point?
Prompt 4
Help me define a minimum viable product for a paid video course teaching React to beginners. What is the smallest version I can sell to validate demand without recording the full course first?

Frequently asked questions

What is lean-side-bussiness?

A free online book in Chinese that guides programmers through building a side business alongside a day job, covering lean startup methods, passive income types, and how to validate ideas before investing time.

How hard is lean-side-bussiness to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is lean-side-bussiness for?

Mainly pm founder.

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