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:

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.

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

New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here!

Sponsors:

Mint Mobile — Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month!

Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post!

OpenPhone — Get 20% off of your first 6 months!

Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses!