OpenAI's Operator: Revolutionizing Side Hustles and Business Research

3 easy side hustles OpenAI's Operator just made possible - plus how you can get started

OpenAI recently announced Operator, an AI agent designed to perform tasks on the web. After testing it (yes, I paid the $200 bucks, but, more importantly, I kept the subscription🤯), this is a game-changer, but not for the reason you think. This article will probably get me in trouble with my business partner. Also: Will AI kill creativity and destroy human innovation? Here's the unsettling truth I'm about to snitch on myself for your benefit. 😩 I'm going to tell you the secret sauce behind how our ecom business generates millions in revenue and how Operator can help. In this article, I'll break down: Grab a pen and paper if you're into this kind of stuff. You'll want to take notes. 🧐 To understand why this is a game changer, first, you must understand who I am and what I do for a living. If you are new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les. I'm a founder with a successful exit under my belt. These days, I'm the exec chair for a group of ecom brands, but at my core, I'm an award-winning performance marketer. 🤓☝️ Also: From zero to millions? How regular people are cashing in on AI Needless to say, data and insights are my jam. We operate more like a data company than an ecom brand. Our secret sauce? Pairing data and insights with ideas that generate revenue. If you are into leveraging AI or emerging tech to help your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI along with actionable insights to implement... no fluff, just facts (see what I did there). But enough about me. I have to tell you why Operator is a game changer! 🤫 Operator helps US-based PRO users perform browser activities like filling out forms and ordering groceries; apparently, it can even help you create memes. 💃 It interacts with web pages by clicking, typing, and scrolling like a human. A new AI model powers Operator called Computer Using Agent (CUA), combined with GPT-4's vision and capabilities for advanced reasoning. This is what allows it to understand what is happening on a website. Now that you're all caught up, let me share the opportunities. 🤗 Also: The billion-dollar AI company no one is talking about - and why you should care Price is the biggest complaint among users. At $200 per month, it's a significant jump from the $20 plan, and many don't see enough value to make the upgrade worthwhile, which is a valid point. But instead of comparing it to the cheaper plan, I look at it in terms of the time and resources it can save. A big part of my day job is validating ideas, visiting different websites, looking at trends, and documenting them. While this is not the best use of time, it is still necessary and has a cost, whether I do it myself or hire an assistant to do it for me. $200 is a lot of bread, especially in this economy, but the alternative could cost thousands of dollars per month and tens of thousands per year. 🤧 Operator allows small business owners and professionals to automate without hiring or paying a developer to create an internal tool. Sure, there are online tools that can perform similar functions, but that is yet another tool to learn. OpenAI is already part of my workflow, so having everything in one place is beneficial. Also: Have a genealogy mystery? How I used AI to solve a family puzzle Operator is a great tool to handle the mundane, time-consuming tasks I don't want to do. The biggest limitation may not be Operator itself, but our imagination when using it. Ah yes, the reason why my biz partner may beat my you-know-what. First, I need to explain the core of any business. ☝️ Most businesses operate on some form of arbitrage, whether it's sourcing a product at a lower cost and selling it at a higher price, or offering a service where the cost to deliver is lower than the price charged. Whether you are selling a product or service, the core of what is happening is the same. The key is creating value while managing cost differences between markets. Also: Don't want to pay for ChatGPT Deep Research? Try this free open-source alternative Now that we understand that, let's dig into how we build businesses. 🧐 Everyone sees Amazon as a place to buy, but we consider it a place to validate product ideas. Let's say we have an idea for a funny candle. We go to Amazon first to see if the concept already exists. If it does, we document things like: This information is critical. The arbitrage is then sourcing that product and introducing it to our audience. Bonus tip: We do not just copy. We look at how a product can be improved and offer our audience the new and improved version on our website. Make sense? Now that we have that out of the way, let me explain how we used Operator. 😎 As I mentioned, part of the job is endless scrolling -- looking and looking. I instructed Operator to do my product research for me. Here is the exact prompt I used: "I need you to go to www.amazon.com and search 'funny candles.' I then need you to tell me the price and name of each listing. Then, I need you to tell me the sales rank for the first 48 product listings." After a CAPTCHA and a little finessing with the prompt, I got the exact output I needed. Operator was able to handle the most critical role in our business, which is product research. Also: Are ChatGPT Plus or Pro worth it? Here's how they compare to the free version It freed up my time and allowed me to focus on things like talking to customers. 👨💻 Nobody likes doing these types of tasks as they are monotonous and tedious. It's all the "ous-es" you can think of. Sure, there are flaws and things that could be better, but at this moment, the real issue is me. I wish I could think of even more creative ways to use it. To be clear, I'm not talking about everyday stuff like grocery shopping. That's table stakes. I mean, how do I get this thing to 10x my business while I am on vacation? 🙃 With any emerging technology, there will always be a group of people who: There's potential to build a business around either of these scenarios. 🤑 Also: ChatGPT's Deep Research just identified 20 jobs it will replace. Is yours on the list? In my humble opinion, this is a great place to start, especially if you are an early mover, as it could position you as the go-to resource. That said, here are a few more ideas on how you can use Operator to generate income. Offer automation services to businesses that want to streamline repetitive tasks like data entry, email responses, or customer support. Use Operator to send personalized messages to potential leads on LinkedIn about your product or service. Use Operator to automatically list, update, and optimize product listings on eBay, Amazon, or Shopify. These are just a few ideas, but the biggest opportunity is using Operator to enhance what we are already doing. Rather than looking for some magical new opportunity, the best move is to integrate it into your current workflow. Operator is a tool that makes us more efficient and provides an opportunity to win back some of our time. The real opportunity is looking within and asking yourself, what can AI help me do? 🤔 As I mentioned earlier, it really comes down to your imagination and how you use it in your existing workflow or even how you create a new one. The critics aren't wrong about its limitations, but the tool is still incredibly powerful. Unlocking its full potential just requires a bit of creativity and a willingness to work around its constraints. Writing the technology off entirely because it is not there yet is unwise. 😞 The price of $200 is relative and depends on how you use it. If you are using it to book your Airbnb or something like that, I am hard-pressed to find any reason to justify paying $200 for the luxury of not doing it yourself (unless this is your job). I can see a future where Operator, when used effectively, becomes one of the best business assets in your toolkit by automating repetitive tasks. However, it's not a magic fix. You still need to build a strong business by solving real problems and maintaining solid unit economics. Also: The work tasks people use Claude AI for most, according to Anthropic We are not at a place where AI can do everything for us. A do-it-with-me approach would be the better way to look at it. All that said, I am bullish on Operator as a business tool and look forward to seeing where it goes. 😇 Hope this helps; I am rooting for you. By the way, if you want to learn more about leveraging AI or emerging tech to optimize your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI, along with actionable insights you can implement and the occasional pep talk. If this sounds like your jam and you wanna be besties forever, click here to sign up. It's totally free. 🤗

The most critical job skill you need to thrive in the AI revolution

I have 78 million reasons why your career depends on what you do today. Here is everything you need to know. A few weeks ago, The World Economic Forum dropped its predictions for the future of jobs and the seismic shift in the workforce over the next five years (2030). Here's a link: The Future of Jobs Report 2025 Let me tell you, this thing is really well put together. As a connoisseur of well-formatted PDFs, this one goes hard. Also: Searching for your dream job? Google's new career AI tool can help - and it's free It has tons of relatable info and is super easy to follow, even though it's like 10 million pages long (OK, I'm being dramatic; it's only 290 pages). That said, the future of jobs might look much different than what you've heard. So buckle up, my friend. This is going to be a good one. If you stick around to the end, I'll share the best game plan for prosperity over the next five years. 🤓 If you're new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les 👋 I'm a founder with a successful exit under my belt. These days, I'm the exec chair for a group of ecom brands, but at my core, I'm an award-winning performance marketer. Needless to say, data and insights are my jam. We operate more like a data company than an ecom brand. Our secret sauce is pairing data and insights with ideas that generate revenue. Also: Are public speaking skills a cheat code for IT career success? If you're into data-driven business and marketing insights and strategies, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what's working in the world of business, along with marketing insights and trends I'm seeing. But that's enough about me. I need to tell you all the juicy details about this report. I read all 10 million pages, so you don't have to. 😏 As I mentioned earlier, this report is very thorough and 290 pages deep, but I wanted to focus on the areas that are the most helpful for revenue and understanding the possible landscape. 😎 So, the hot topic is whether AI will take our jobs. The answer is maybe, but you'll probably have a new one. According to the WEF, a net 78 million jobs will be added by 2030. This includes 170 million new jobs created (14% growth) and 92 million jobs lost (8% decline) The fastest growing jobs are AI-related (shocker), Fintech, and Engineers. Renewable energy engineers are also on the rise. However, a surprising and potentially massive opportunity lies in the care economy. More on that later. By 2030, about 39% of skills will be outdated or completely transformed. Honestly, it's not shocking; it's kind of expected. The fastest-growing skills are AI, big data, networks, and cybersecurity. What caught my attention was that the report mentioned soft skills like resilience, creativity, and flexibility, but I found it even more interesting that lifelong learning made the list. The report also noted that 70% of employers consider analytical skills the most essential. The report says that by 2030, 59% of the global workforce will need training. Of this, 29% will be upskilled in their current role, 19% will transition to a new role with additional training, and 11% will risk unemployment without it. The report also highlights that 85% of employers plan to prioritize upskilling, while 70% aim to hire talent with new skills. 64% of employers will prioritize health and well-being to get new talent. I won't lie; I'll believe that one when I see it. The report mentions that diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives have increased to 83% adoption globally. However, President Trump is rolling back some of these programs, raising questions about whether other countries and corporations will follow suit. It's unclear how this will unfold. Nonetheless, wage alignment with a focus on productivity and talent retention will be key, with 52% of employers planning to allocate more revenue to wages by 2030. Again, I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm hopeful. Alas, the juicy bit... Half of the employers plan to reorient business strategies in response to the rise of AI. In fact, 2 in 3 plan to hire for AI-specific skills (this is where the new jobs will come from). 40% of those same businesses also think their workforce will shrink due to AI automating tasks. On the surface, this might seem like doom and gloom, but remember, we are talking about 78 million new jobs by 2030. It is safe to assume some of that workforce will find employment in companies that don't exist yet. Another insight that stood out to me but deserves its own article is that an aging population will drive the demand for more healthcare jobs. This could be a huge opportunity. Let me know in the comments if you want me to discuss the possibilities. It is no secret that AI is supposed to be the next big thing. I believe this topic goes a lot deeper and I talk more about that here. That said, while AI is here and we need to use these tools, we should not focus on hacks like knowing the best prompt or whatever gimmick the influencers are peddling today. 🤧 Let me explain. A lot of this report stood out to me, but the one thing that will go unnoticed is the soft skills of resilience, creativity, and flexibility. This is probably the most critical skill you can learn as we move into the future. Here's why: Communication is obviously how we interact with different tools from the likes of OpenAI and others. Also: Could AI make you a billionaire in 2025? But here is what is not talked about as much: If everyone has access to AI, the market will become more crowded. Businesses are infinitely easier to launch now and everyone is an "expert." How you communicate with your audience to get them to interact with your business will become a premium skill. I promise I am not ranting here, but effective communication is not a skill, it's theeeeee skill. 🎯 As for your big opportunity, I feel like everyone is so focused on the shiny objects, like what are the best prompts or the best tool? Those are fine, but not enough focus is placed on the soft skills. It's as if we're forgetting that even though we use AI to create, our creations are still intended for humans. If I had to say it another way, it is almost like some businesses are using AI and becoming sloppy. Not caring about the customer, and so on. It blows my mind how someone could use any AI tool, understand the frustrations and the obvious limitations, and then decide, "You know what? Imma use an AI chatbot, so I don't have to talk to customers"... bruh, seriously? 🤨 Also: ChatGPT Search could destroy online businesses - how you can stay ahead To get the most out of AI, you do not need to know the latest hacks or have access to some secret button or magic prompt. I believe the soft skills are where the money will be made, where you separate the wheat from the chaff. 💪 That said, here are a few skills I believe will put you in the best position to maximize the opportunities ahead: I am not saying you shouldn't learn best practices, etc., but don't lose focus on the soft skills that separate the elite from the average. If this were a sport, these soft skills would be the fundamentals. 🤗 I know I came at you with a lot today, so I'll leave you with this: I am a savage in these AI streets (not bragging) with an elite workflow that has doubled my productivity and keeps my ADD in check. I operate at this level because I know what I'm looking for when I use AI. Just because I have access to OpenAI does not mean I stop learning or working on my craft. Also: ChatGPT's Deep Research just identified 20 jobs it will replace. Is yours on the list? AI can take you from good to great, but it cannot take you from bad to great. I hope that makes sense. If you work on your soft skills, perfect your craft, and embrace AI, you make yourself impossible to replace. 😇 Hope this helps; I'm rooting for you. By the way, do you want more data-driven business insights that drive growth? Sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what's working, the latest trends, and the occasional pep talk to keep you inspired. If this sounds like your jam and you wanna be besties forever, click here to sign up - it's totally FREE!

3 genius side hustles you can start with OpenAI's Operator right now

OpenAI recently announced Operator, an AI agent designed to perform tasks on the web. After testing it (yes, I paid the $200 bucks, but, more importantly, I kept the subscription🤯), this is a game-changer, but not for the reason you think. This article will probably get me in trouble with my business partner. Also: Will AI kill creativity and destroy human innovation? Here's the unsettling truth I'm about to snitch on myself for your benefit. 😩 I'm going to tell you the secret sauce behind how our ecom business generates millions in revenue and how Operator can help. In this article, I'll break down: Grab a pen and paper if you're into this kind of stuff. You'll want to take notes. 🧐 To understand why this is a game changer, first, you must understand who I am and what I do for a living. If you are new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les. I'm a founder with a successful exit under my belt. These days, I'm the exec chair for a group of ecom brands, but at my core, I'm an award-winning performance marketer. 🤓☝️ Also: From zero to millions? How regular people are cashing in on AI Needless to say, data and insights are my jam. We operate more like a data company than an ecom brand. Our secret sauce? Pairing data and insights with ideas that generate revenue. If you are into leveraging AI or emerging tech to help your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI along with actionable insights to implement... no fluff, just facts (see what I did there). But enough about me. I have to tell you why Operator is a game changer! 🤫 Operator helps US-based PRO users perform browser activities like filling out forms and ordering groceries; apparently, it can even help you create memes. 💃 It interacts with web pages by clicking, typing, and scrolling like a human. A new AI model powers Operator called Computer Using Agent (CUA), combined with GPT-4's vision and capabilities for advanced reasoning. This is what allows it to understand what is happening on a website. Now that you're all caught up, let me share the opportunities. 🤗 Also: The billion-dollar AI company no one is talking about - and why you should care Price is the biggest complaint among users. At $200 per month, it's a significant jump from the $20 plan, and many don't see enough value to make the upgrade worthwhile, which is a valid point. But instead of comparing it to the cheaper plan, I look at it in terms of the time and resources it can save. A big part of my day job is validating ideas, visiting different websites, looking at trends, and documenting them. While this is not the best use of time, it is still necessary and has a cost, whether I do it myself or hire an assistant to do it for me. $200 is a lot of bread, especially in this economy, but the alternative could cost thousands of dollars per month and tens of thousands per year. 🤧 Operator allows small business owners and professionals to automate without hiring or paying a developer to create an internal tool. Sure, there are online tools that can perform similar functions, but that is yet another tool to learn. OpenAI is already part of my workflow, so having everything in one place is beneficial. Also: Have a genealogy mystery? How I used AI to solve a family puzzle Operator is a great tool to handle the mundane, time-consuming tasks I don't want to do. The biggest limitation may not be Operator itself, but our imagination when using it. Ah yes, the reason why my biz partner may beat my you-know-what. First, I need to explain the core of any business. ☝️ Most businesses operate on some form of arbitrage, whether it's sourcing a product at a lower cost and selling it at a higher price, or offering a service where the cost to deliver is lower than the price charged. Whether you are selling a product or service, the core of what is happening is the same. The key is creating value while managing cost differences between markets. Also: Don't want to pay for ChatGPT Deep Research? Try this free open-source alternative Now that we understand that, let's dig into how we build businesses. 🧐 Everyone sees Amazon as a place to buy, but we consider it a place to validate product ideas. Let's say we have an idea for a funny candle. We go to Amazon first to see if the concept already exists. If it does, we document things like: This information is critical. The arbitrage is then sourcing that product and introducing it to our audience. Bonus tip: We do not just copy. We look at how a product can be improved and offer our audience the new and improved version on our website. Make sense? Now that we have that out of the way, let me explain how we used Operator. 😎 As I mentioned, part of the job is endless scrolling -- looking and looking. I instructed Operator to do my product research for me. Here is the exact prompt I used: "I need you to go to www.amazon.com and search 'funny candles.' I then need you to tell me the price and name of each listing. Then, I need you to tell me the sales rank for the first 48 product listings." After a CAPTCHA and a little finessing with the prompt, I got the exact output I needed. Operator was able to handle the most critical role in our business, which is product research. Also: Are ChatGPT Plus or Pro worth it? Here's how they compare to the free version It freed up my time and allowed me to focus on things like talking to customers. 👨💻 Nobody likes doing these types of tasks as they are monotonous and tedious. It's all the "ous-es" you can think of. Sure, there are flaws and things that could be better, but at this moment, the real issue is me. I wish I could think of even more creative ways to use it. To be clear, I'm not talking about everyday stuff like grocery shopping. That's table stakes. I mean, how do I get this thing to 10x my business while I am on vacation? 🙃 With any emerging technology, there will always be a group of people who: There's potential to build a business around either of these scenarios. 🤑 Also: ChatGPT's Deep Research just identified 20 jobs it will replace. Is yours on the list? In my humble opinion, this is a great place to start, especially if you are an early mover, as it could position you as the go-to resource. That said, here are a few more ideas on how you can use Operator to generate income. Offer automation services to businesses that want to streamline repetitive tasks like data entry, email responses, or customer support. Use Operator to send personalized messages to potential leads on LinkedIn about your product or service. Use Operator to automatically list, update, and optimize product listings on eBay, Amazon, or Shopify. These are just a few ideas, but the biggest opportunity is using Operator to enhance what we are already doing. Rather than looking for some magical new opportunity, the best move is to integrate it into your current workflow. Operator is a tool that makes us more efficient and provides an opportunity to win back some of our time. The real opportunity is looking within and asking yourself, what can AI help me do? 🤔 As I mentioned earlier, it really comes down to your imagination and how you use it in your existing workflow or even how you create a new one. The critics aren't wrong about its limitations, but the tool is still incredibly powerful. Unlocking its full potential just requires a bit of creativity and a willingness to work around its constraints. Writing the technology off entirely because it is not there yet is unwise. 😞 The price of $200 is relative and depends on how you use it. If you are using it to book your Airbnb or something like that, I am hard-pressed to find any reason to justify paying $200 for the luxury of not doing it yourself (unless this is your job). I can see a future where Operator, when used effectively, becomes one of the best business assets in your toolkit by automating repetitive tasks. However, it's not a magic fix. You still need to build a strong business by solving real problems and maintaining solid unit economics. Also: The work tasks people use Claude AI for most, according to Anthropic We are not at a place where AI can do everything for us. A do-it-with-me approach would be the better way to look at it. All that said, I am bullish on Operator as a business tool and look forward to seeing where it goes. 😇 Hope this helps; I am rooting for you. By the way, if you want to learn more about leveraging AI or emerging tech to optimize your workflow or generate revenue, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I break down what is working in the world of AI, along with actionable insights you can implement and the occasional pep talk. If this sounds like your jam and you wanna be besties forever, click here to sign up. It's totally free. 🤗