I Turned My Hobby Into a Global Startup — Here's How.

The Power of Turning Passion into Purpose

From an early age, I've been deeply immersed in the world of books. My favorite reads span a wide range of genres, from non-fiction to finance. But what started as a simple love for reading eventually led me to create My Passion, a top-2 e-book platform that has become a global success.

With over 1,000 books available and new releases every two weeks, the platform continues to grow. For those wondering if their passion can become a startup, here's how I turned my hobby into a thriving business — and the framework that can work for you too.

Define Your 'Why'

Many people who start businesses based on their hobbies report higher job satisfaction. However, it's important to understand that satisfaction doesn't always equate to success. Most hobby-based businesses remain small side hustles and never scale beyond that.

It's tempting to think that because someone like Mark Zuckerberg or Boeing started their companies as hobbies, you can do the same. But instead of jumping into entrepreneurship just because of a story, consider why you want to launch your own startup.

For me, reading was more than just entertainment. It shaped my worldview and showed me a life beyond survival. Through books, I discovered stories of artists like Van Gogh who transcended their environments. This inspired the belief that my background does not define me.

I didn’t just want to open a bookstore or write a book for money. My goal was to empower writers around the world. This vision became the foundation of my startup, Holywater, which combines storytelling with AI capabilities to unlock potential. Through this platform, writers globally share stories and gain recognition, while books evolve into series with a global reach.

We are also developing the PYSHY (WRITE) contest with Vivat Publishing, creating real earning opportunities for writers. So far, we’ve received 444 submissions, with three selected for publication and one adapted into a top-performing vertical series.

Monetize Your Hobby

You can monetize your hobby in various ways. For example, you could sell your books, paintings, or clay crafts. Or you could turn it into a global startup. The key is to find your "why" and determine the scale of your ambition.

Connect Your Passion with a Real-World Solution

Your passion must offer value to others, not just personal fulfillment. Many startups fail because they misread market demand — investing time and resources into products no one truly needs.

Identify how your hobby can solve real problems for others. Consider successful examples like Etsy, which transformed the love of handmade crafts into a global marketplace, or AeroPress, which turned one coffee enthusiast's passion into a portable solution for coffee lovers worldwide.

Through my journey, I realized a gap: people love stories but lack the tools to tell them well. Writer’s block, pacing issues, and structural gaps often limit creativity. By launching My Passion with Anatolii Kasianov, we applied AI to democratize storytelling support, giving every writer access to plot development, visual elements, structure recommendations, and pacing advice.

Start with a Small Community

Ask yourself: Is your hobby large enough to involve others? A community is essential for turning a passion into a sustainable business.

Many successful businesses began as small communities that later scaled. Reddit started as a platform for niche interests and grew into a global discussion hub. Duolingo began as a small beta community of language learners testing early lessons.

Today, you can build a community on social media and get feedback from like-minded individuals. This is a great way to test your idea and discover whether others share your passion and face similar challenges.

Don't Let Your Passion Turn into a Nightmare

Monetizing your hobby comes with its own set of pressures. When your livelihood depends on something that once brought you joy, the dynamic changes completely. Deadlines replace spontaneity, and market demands can override creative instincts. Financial pressure can drain the original magic, leading to burnout — a common issue among founders.

To stay grounded, I rely on other passions, like meditation. I share insights on LinkedIn daily. It's crucial for startup founders not to get stuck only in work, especially when their hobby and business are intertwined.

The Transformational Power of Passion

When your work helps others experience the same transformation that once changed you, the line between hobby and business disappears. When writers tell us our platform helped them overcome creative blocks they'd struggled with for years, I know we've moved beyond monetizing a hobby — we're scaling transformation.

Your greatest obsession might just be your greatest business opportunity, but only if you can preserve what made you fall in love with it in the first place.