What This Is

Most side projects fail before they start - not because of bad execution, but because the idea was never going to reach meaningful income. The problem is that's hard to see until you've already invested months.

This rubric is a structured filter. Run any side hustle idea through it before committing time or money. It takes about 20 minutes per idea and forces you to answer the questions that actually determine whether an idea can scale.

How to use it

  1. Read the Hard Filters first. If your idea triggers any of them, stop - don't score it.
  2. Score your idea on each of the 5 axes using the criteria below. Be honest. Optimism bias is the enemy.
  3. Add up your scores and check them against the Scoring Thresholds at the bottom.

Want the AI-powered version? The full template includes an AI scoring prompt that runs this rubric automatically using Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini - plus a candidate tracking database and worked example. Get it here.

Your Profile

Before you begin scoring, be honest about your constraints. The rubric only works if your setup reflects what you can actually execute - not what you wish were true.

Think through: what skills do you genuinely have (not aspirationally have)? How many hours a week can you realistically protect? What's your actual budget for tools and experiments? What will you simply not do, regardless of the opportunity? And what does meaningful income actually mean to you - $500/mo changes the math compared to $5k/mo.

Keep these in mind as you score. Revisit them whenever your situation changes. A good idea for someone with 20 hours a week and $1k/mo to spend is a bad idea for someone with 5 hours and $100.

Hard Filters

Apply these before scoring any idea. If any trigger, the idea is disqualified. Do not score disqualified ideas - it wastes time and creates false hope.

The default filters are written for someone who prefers inbound, automated, or platform-driven revenue over active selling. They're a starting point, not a fixed ruleset.

Read each one before you start scoring. If a filter doesn't match your actual constraints (for example, if you have sales skills and don't mind direct outreach) ignore it. If you have a constraint that isn't covered, treat it as an additional filter.

The only rule: don't soften a filter because an idea you already like would trigger it. That's the bias the filters exist to catch.