The Piggyback Principle: The “Lazy” Way to Build a Successful Side Hustle

The Piggyback Principle is a business idea framework that looks at popular market trends or “ecosystems” and seeks ways to support or supplement those trends.

It’s a faster way to start a business because you can capitalize on what’s already hot with an additional or complementary product or service.

Basically, your side hustle can ride piggyback on a larger business or trend. You could even say that my now-retired shoe-business was a piggyback business on the e-commerce trend and the comparison shopping trend.

It’s a concept I first wrote about 10 years ago, but at that time, I took a pretty narrow view by just talking about marketplace trends.

At that time, it was things like the rise of WordPress, or the popularity of the Paleo diet.

Now, I’ve broken this principle into three stages:

Idea generation
Startup creation
Marketing/growth

And to make this practical, I’m bringing in real-world examples from fellow entrepreneurs who’ve used this approach to build real businesses.

Here are the new and updated trends for the Piggyback Principle in 2025.

Table of Contents show

1. Piggybacking at the Idea Stage: Start Where the Demand Already Is

Ask yourself, “Where is the market already growing?”

One of the best ways to do this today is through resources like ExplodingTopics.com, which highlight up-and-coming search terms and product categories.

A few hot trends right now are lash clusters, cold plunge tubs, remineralizing gum, fractional CTO services, and beef tallow.

It doesn’t always have to be a viral consumer trend. It could be something in your own life. Noah Kagan (ep. 595) recommends reviewing your credit card statement.

What are you buying?
What’s frustrating you?
What products or services do you wish existed?

In his case, that led to starting AppSumo. He even joked about creating a cheaper alternative to DocuSign because he hated paying for it.

When you’re still in the idea phase, Nick Huber (ep. 373) advises looking where the demand is increasing. He notes how the number of people paying for lawn care went from 5% to 40% in the last couple of decades — and predicts it’ll keep climbing.

“People are outsourcing more. The pie is getting bigger every single day.”

Austin Church (ep. 417) says, “Pay attention to what wants to happen.” Sometimes we try to force square pegs into round holes.

But often, the better move is to zoom out and observe what’s already gaining traction in the marketplace. Which side hustles are others doing that seem to be working? What’s showing up in growing subreddits like r/coincollecting or r/fantasyfootballadvice?

Even r/finehair is trending — with niche influencers like Delilah Orpi (ep. 464) and Katie Emery (ep. 421) building audiences around gray hair care.

Where’s the pie getting bigger, and how does that intersect with something you’re interested in, curious about, or already have some expertise in?

Sarah McAffry (ep. 640) said she knew her business idea was the right one when it literally kept her up at night. “I couldn’t sleep. This idea will not leave me alone”

When the right idea hits, it’s not always subtle, so pay attention.

2. Piggybacking in the Startup / Creation Phase

Back when I built a review site for virtual assistant services, I didn’t hire a designer or developer. I copied a free WordPress theme used by a wine club site and modified the content. I even used free plugins to add star ratings.

Cody Berman (ep. 665) applies the same logic to Etsy. He uses Canva templates to create digital products, then reuses the same listing format over and over to speed up uploads.

Even the listing descriptions are templated. It’s plug-and-play productivity.

Pete McPherson (ep. 659) recommends using AI to get the big-picture view of any project. “Ask ChatGPT to give you a product suggestions based on your niche.”

Becky Beach (ep. 582) used ChatGPT to generate ideas for digital printables — then cross-referenced them on Etsy and Google Trends. AI didn’t give her a final product. It gave her a smart starting point.

Expertise Piggybacking

But sometimes the best shortcut is people. Last year, I tried a plugin that improved user experience, but broke my link tracking. I spent months fumbling through menus in Google Analytics. Finally, I hired Johann, an Upwork expert, who fixed it in 20 minutes. For less than $100.

“Who, not how.” That mindset saves months of struggle.

It’s what I call expertise piggybacking. Whether it’s a freelancer, a mentor, or a course, it accelerates your progress.

Blademir Hernandez (ep. 522) built a six-figure parking lot sweeping business after buying Brian Winch’s Cleanlots guide (ep. 266). He said just having someone to talk to gave him the confidence to take action.

Others like Anthony (ep. 662), Skyler (ep. 645), and Brian Schooley (ep. 286) joined specific programs — like vending machine or mobile notary training—to fast-track their results.

3. Piggybacking on Marketing and Growth

Once you’ve built your product or service, the next challenge is getting customers. One of the easiest places to start is Marketplaces.

I wrote a book about this, Buy Buttons, based on the idea that you should sell where people are already shopping.

Examples are Amazon, Etsy, Udemy, etc. These platforms have traffic. Your job is to get in front of it.

Summer Fisher (ep. 652) built a dress rental business by listing on peer-to-peer rental platforms like The Vault (in Australia) and By Rotation (in the US and UK).

You also don’t need to create demand from scratch. Just go where the buyers are.

Next, consider referral partnerships. Ryan Cote got referrals for SEO work from web designers. Johnny Robinson (ep. 480) got residential window cleaning jobs by partnering with local maid services. He offered a 15% kickback for every referral.

“Maid services don’t carry the right equipment to clean residential window.”

Even if your business is digital, the same rules apply. Dustin Lien (ep. 465) built his client list by doing workshops for partner audiences. The brands he partnered with already had trust. By introducing Dustin, they transferred some of that trust to him.

Influencer Marketing

Then there’s influencer marketing. Lou Rice (ep. 589) built the Strapsicle, a Kindle reading accessory, and sent it to micro-influencers on BookTok.

She didn’t spend money on big ads. She spent time building relationships with small creators who were thrilled to hear from a brand.

Finally, search-based content. Kristi DaSilva (ep. 627) grew DaSilva Life by making YouTube videos for highly specific search terms like “5 ClickUp Dashboards That Will Change Your Business.”

She wasn’t just piggybacking on SEO; she was piggybacking on the ClickUp and Honeybook ecosystems.

“The more specific we started to get with it, those are things that perform really well because people are searching for that exact thing.”

This works because people are problem-aware. If your video solves that problem, trust builds fast.

Your Turn

I’m sure with a little digging and an attentive eye, you can find a carrier trend to piggyback on. What do you think of The Piggyback Principle?

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