"You don’t need to be famous—just be useful": how to start earning from a Telegram channel with 80 subscribers

Since 2022, Anya has changed her life several times: first, she transitioned from the restaurant industry to IT, then became a blogger, quit her job, and now works just half an hour a day helping others. On her Telegram channel, "Avos' prorvemsya" (roughly translated as "We'll make it somehow"), Anya teaches IT beginners how to pass technical interviews, complete test assignments, and negotiate salaries. She shared her journey in detail with Tribute.

In and out: from the restaurant industry to IT and then to blogging

I first thought about leaving the restaurant industry for IT during COVID, and I started learning Python in March 2022. At the beginning, I had a ton of questions: how to write a resume, how to handle technical interviews, how to complete test assignments... As someone who was used to simply negotiating how much I’d be paid per shift, all of this seemed overwhelming.

Surprisingly, I didn’t have many unsuccessful interviews—usually, I’d get an offer by the second round. After landing a job in IT, I noticed the same common mistakes candidates kept making.

That’s when the idea for my blog was born. I first helped a friend transition into IT and realized that most beginners had the same fears and questions I once had. Then I thought: If I’ve already been through all of this and figured it out, why not share my experience? There must be others willing to pay for this knowledge.

At first, I charged very little for consultations and struggled with how to scale my work. When you’re selling only your time through one-on-one sessions, you quickly hit an income ceiling, and I didn’t want to spend my whole day on calls. Eventually, I came up with the idea of a private channel and a group: some people could simply read my posts, while others could ask questions in a live chat.

Why I needed Tribute

I spent a long time looking for a service that would allow me to grant access to a single chat or channel per subscription—this way, I could separate content so people would only pay for what they needed. It’s unrealistic to expect someone to pay for 15 different chats at 2,000 rubles per month each just to check everything out. People want to join only the chat relevant to them, without being bombarded with spam from other topics.

I also needed a way to officially connect my Telegram channel to a subscription system with multiple payment options.

When I found Tribute, it solved my biggest issue: one subscription automatically grants access to the private channel, and if a user wants, they can also join the chat and interact with others. Plus, payments are linked directly to bank cards, making it much easier for my subscribers compared to figuring out alternative payment methods.

How much I earn

In the very first month of launching my Tribute subscription, I set the price at 1,000 rubles per month. My logic was simple: the number of subscribers equals the number of thousands I’d earn. That first month, I made around 80,000 rubles. I was shocked—"Wait, I made this much just from a private channel?"

Then, my subscriber count grew thanks to word-of-mouth. One person would get hired and tell others: "Hey, there’s this channel that teaches interview prep." Soon, I had 120, then 150, then 200, then 280 subscribers—all while running blogs on other platforms.

There were months when my total income reached 600,000–700,000 rubles. And this was without running large-scale ad campaigns or pouring money into targeted marketing. People found me because they genuinely wanted to understand IT interviews.

The most surprising part? You don’t need to be a top-tier programmer or a famous blogger to make good money. What really matters is having content people are willing to pay for. My audience is small but highly engaged—they need guidance on breaking into IT, and I have the experience and insights to help.

How to earn without overworking

When I first launched my paid chats, I spent entire days in them—answering questions, reviewing resumes, and hopping on one-on-one calls for 1.5–2 hours at a time. It was exhausting, especially since I was also working a full-time job.

Eventually, I streamlined my process: subscribers get access to pre-made materials, cheat sheets, and educational posts, while I remain available in the chats to answer specific questions. Some people prefer to stay anonymous and just read—that’s why the closed channel works so well for them. As an introvert myself, I totally get it.

Now, managing my private channel takes just 30 minutes a day. Someone asks about a test assignment—I check in and reply. Once a month, I add new case studies, interview reviews, and salary negotiation tips. I’ve already built a large library of breakdowns, so new subscribers can go through that content on their own. Essentially, I just maintain this "product", and it consistently generates income—often more than I’d make working an 8-hour job or doing non-stop consultations.

I love the fact that I can now go on vacation without worrying—subscriptions keep coming in, people get access automatically, and I’m free. It’s a huge contrast from my past life, where I spent 12-hour shifts in the kitchen or sat in an office all day when I first entered IT.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned

One of the key takeaways from my journey is that you can make great money if your product is actually valuable. I used to think you needed a million followers to earn anything through blogging. Turns out, that’s not true. You can have a small but dedicated audience—if they genuinely benefit from your content, they’ll pay for it, and you won’t have to grind away at a job 24/7.

In the end, everyone wins—my subscribers land better jobs thanks to my materials, and I get to enjoy more free time while maintaining a solid income. No need for millions of followers or big-brand sponsorships. Just real, useful content.

You don’t need to be famous—just be useful.