How I Created Passive Income As a Teenager

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Passive income as a term has doubled in significance over the last few years, following the surge in awareness of digital financial options and ventures. The internet, especially YouTube, is flooded with countless videos and guides attempting to explain or uncover various income-generating skills and ideas. But the question remains: how many of these thousands of strategies are truly proven to work, even if they take time?

Many content creators knowingly or unknowingly promote Ponzi schemes (scam offers). These platforms promise mind-blowing amounts of money for doing almost nothing, after making a one-time deposit fee. Don't fall for this. Verily, I tell you, only the early birds (the so-called coaches) actually make a small profit from these platforms. I have been a victim of this several times and have lost a significant amount of money, all because I had the wrong definition of passive income.

Passive income does require conscious effort, at least at the start. It is about creating or developing something once that will repeatedly bring money into your coffers without requiring you to redo the hard work.

I started making a decent income from the digital space in 2022. In this article, I will share some of the things I have personally tried and strongly recommend that you do as well. Let's go…

1. Selling Stock Pictures

I loved photography at the time but never knew I could turn my passion into a money-printing machine that could run on autopilot. I stumbled upon a YouTube video that introduced me to platforms like Shutterstock, Unsplash, Getty Images, 500px, Adobe Stock, and several others.

I started using Shutterstock immediately after watching the video and have always been thankful for the moment that video was uploaded to YouTube.

I didn’t start with an expensive, high-end camera. In fact, I didn’t even have a great phone at that time, I was using a second-hand Tecno Pouvoir (an old model that my cousin had locked away in his safe for years). Imagine how bad the camera on such a phone would be!

Despite this, I made my first few dollars within three to four months of starting. I uploaded content as if my life depended on it and never stopped watching more tutorials on the subject.

2. Blogging

Blogging, by far, is the online venture that has made me the most money. I started my first Blogspot blog in 2022 after completing senior high school. However, I made nothing as a blogger for over a year.

Later, I discovered revenue-sharing platforms like Medium, MyBlogPay, Opera News Hub, PostNow, Vocal, and several others, which helped me scale my income a little as a beginner. In 2024, I also became a writer for blog.musicmax.ga and earned a great deal.

I am currently considering a serious career in blogging and website development.

To get started, I recommend reading anything you come across about the field. Take courses on SEO and web development, as they will help you identify the obstacles in your path and strike at the right spots at the right time.

3. Selling Guides and Courses

I had considerable knowledge in affiliate marketing and mini importation, so I organized a WhatsApp group class and had a few people join. I shared general insights on the topic (affiliate marketing or mini importation) and packaged my most valuable tips and personal strategies into a guide, which I uploaded to my Selar.co account and sold to my students.

It was really fun making money this way. I genuinely felt I was making an impact on people's lives by sharing valuable insights that had the potential to elevate them financially, even though the class wasn’t completely free.

What Kept Me Going

The question I get asked a lot whenever I talk about my journey is: Where and how do I find my motivation?

First, let me say this, I am not special in any way. I started this journey because of hunger (poverty and brokenness), and that is what has kept me going.

I don’t want to see myself suffering emotionally because I can’t afford basic things for myself and the people around me. That alone has been my driving force.