Stuck In Traffic? I Just Launched A Side-Hustle
Stuck In Traffic? I Just Launched A Side-Hustle
Twenty minutes of brake lights.
Normally, rage.
But I opened Grok, said “help me build something”, and didn’t shut up.
The Traffic Jam Launch
What I built:
- Course videos outline
- Blog posts structure
- Paywall implementation plan
- Entire product in Notion
Time: 20 minutes Tools: Phone, voice, Grok Laptop: Never touched it
When the light turned green, I still had the whole thing documented.
How Bad Traffic Became Productive Time
Old traffic routine:
- Sit
- Rage
- Check social media
- Feel worse
- Arrive angry
New traffic routine:
- Open Grok
- Start talking
- Build something
- Document everything
- Arrive accomplished
Time wasted: Zero Side-hustle launched: One
What I Actually Said
First prompt (out loud, sitting in traffic):
“Help me build something. I want to create a course that teaches people how to write secure prompts. I need video content, written material, and some kind of paywall.”
Grok’s response:
Started asking questions. Structure? Audience? Price point? Delivery method?
My responses:
Kept talking. Answering questions. Iterating. Refining.
All while moving 3 miles per hour on I-95.
The Build Process (Mile by Mile)
Mile 1-2: Course Structure
- Module breakdown
- Learning progression
- Time estimates per section
- Prerequisites and outcomes
Mile 3-4: Content Planning
- Video scripts outline
- Blog post topics
- Supporting materials
- Example prompts and labs
Mile 5-6: Business Model
- Pricing tiers
- Paywall strategy
- Payment processing
- Email delivery system
Mile 7: Documentation
- Dumped everything into Notion
- Organized by priority
- Tagged action items
- Set next steps
Distance traveled: 7 miles Product completion: 100% Keyboard usage: 0%
Why This Works
It’s not about being stuck in traffic.
It’s about repurposing dead time.
Dead time most people have:
- Commute (30-90 min/day)
- Waiting rooms (10-30 min)
- Lines (5-15 min)
- Walking (20-40 min)
- Cooking (20-40 min)
Total per day: 2-4 hours
If you used 20 minutes of that…
You could launch a side-hustle every week.
The Math Is Absurd
Traditional side-hustle launch:
- Find time after work (exhausted)
- Sit at computer (more screen time)
- Force creativity (brain is fried)
- Spread work across weeks
- Maybe ship something eventually
Total time: 20-40 hours over weeks
Voice AI side-hustle launch:
- Use dead time (already happening)
- Talk on phone (no additional screen time)
- Natural conversation (brain flows)
- Complete in one session
- Ship immediately
Total time: 20 minutes in one day
Speed improvement: 60-120x faster
What I Learned
1. Dead Time Is Build Time
Nobody builds during dead time because it requires:
- Laptop
- Desk
- Focus environment
- Uninterrupted blocks
Voice AI only requires:
- Phone (already have it)
- Voice (built-in)
- Dead time (already wasting it)
The shift: Dead time becomes the most productive time.
2. Traffic Removes Distractions
At desk:
- Slack notifications
- Email alerts
- Coworkers
- “Quick questions”
- Meeting invitations
In traffic:
- Can’t check Slack
- Can’t read email
- No coworkers
- No interruptions
- Literally trapped with your thoughts
Turns out: Being trapped is an advantage.
3. Voice Forces Clarity
Typing: You can ramble, delete, rewrite, overthink
Voice: You have to actually say coherent things
Result: Faster decisions, clearer thinking, better output
4. You Don’t Need Perfect Conditions
I used to think I needed:
- Quiet environment
- Large block of time
- Proper workspace
- Right mood
Reality:
- Loud traffic background
- 20 minutes
- Driver’s seat
- Mildly annoyed mood
Still shipped a complete product.
What This Changes
If I can launch a side-hustle in traffic…
What can you build?
During your morning commute:
- Product ideas
- Marketing campaigns
- Course outlines
- Business plans
- Content calendars
During your evening commute:
- Technical designs
- Project specs
- Process documentation
- Problem-solving
- Strategic planning
Total build time per week (assuming 40 min commute):
- 5 days × 40 minutes = 200 minutes
- That’s 3+ hours of pure building time
- Using time you’re already spending
- Without adding more screen time
The Traffic Jam Challenge
Tomorrow morning, try this:
Before you start your commute:
- Think of something you want to build
- Open voice AI on your phone
- Start talking when traffic hits
During traffic:
- Describe what you want to build
- Answer AI’s clarifying questions
- Iterate on the ideas
- Keep refining until traffic clears
When you arrive:
- Review the conversation
- Pull out the key pieces
- Document in Notion/Google Docs
- Ship it
Time required: However long your commute is Additional time cost: Zero Output: Complete product spec
What I’m Building Next
Tomorrow’s commute:
- Email automation sequence
- Lead magnet design
- Landing page copy
Friday’s traffic jam:
- Workshop curriculum
- Pricing experiment
- Partnership outreach strategy
Next week’s commute:
- Technical architecture for new feature
- Content marketing plan
- Revenue diversification model
Total additional time investment: Zero
I’m commuting anyway.
Might as well build something.
The Pattern Everyone Misses
Most people optimize for:
- Finding more time
- Reducing distractions
- Creating perfect environment
- Blocking calendars
They should optimize for:
- Using dead time
- Embracing constraints
- Working in chaos
- Removing friction
Voice AI optimizes for the second list.
What You Already Have
You don’t need:
- More time
- Better workspace
- Fewer distractions
- Different job
You already have:
- 2-4 hours of dead time per day
- A phone
- Voice capability
- AI that can think with you
The only thing missing: Decision to start.
The Real Breakthrough
It’s not that I built something in traffic.
It’s that traffic is now productive time.
Before: Lost time, wasted, frustrating After: Build time, productive, energizing
That’s the shift.
Dead time doesn’t exist anymore.
It’s all build time now.
The Numbers
Time I used to waste per day:
- Commute: 40 minutes
- Waiting: 15 minutes
- Walking: 20 minutes
- Cooking: 30 minutes
Total: ~2 hours
If I build during 25% of that:
- 30 minutes × 5 days = 150 minutes/week
- 150 minutes × 52 weeks = 7,800 minutes/year
- That’s 130 hours of building time
From time I used to waste.
The Bottom Line
Traffic sucks.
But if you’re stuck there anyway…
Might as well launch a side-hustle.
P.S. - If you’re ever crawling on I-95, remember: the time isn’t wasted.
It’s just repurposed.
What will you build in tomorrow’s traffic?
The Challenge
Pick one:
- Your morning commute
- Tomorrow’s traffic jam
- Your evening drive home
- Next time you’re waiting somewhere
Then:
- Open voice AI
- Say “help me build something”
- Don’t stop talking until you arrive
Result: You’ll have built something by the time you get there.
No laptop. No code. Just prompts.
Try it.