How I Used ChatGPT To Make $200+ Per Hour

On November 30th, 2022, ChatGPT burst onto the scene. Within 30 days, I was using it to earn over $100 per hour. A short while later, that number jumped to $200+ per hour. It completely transformed my workflow—and, honestly, my entire life.

Here’s the story:

I’m a software developer who’s done a lot of work in various programming languages—Python, JavaScript, Flutter, you name it, I can do it. Around the time ChatGPT was released, I was building Flutter projects for a cryptocurrency company. They needed a custom tool to connect their mobile wallet to “decentralized applications” (dApps). They wanted to do this via WalletConnect, a specialized service dedicated to (surprise) connecting cryptocurrency wallets to these dApps.

That was technical. Now on to the good stuff…

Because of my background and activity in the space (I’d already built multiple libraries in multiple languages), the company reached out to me. I quoted them a price, and with a couple days of work over Christmas break, I earned about $6,000 from that single project. Things got really exciting when the founder of WalletConnect, Pedro Gomes, noticed my work. He asked if I’d be interested in making the library official and bringing it under their wing.

That led to a whole new agreement—and an even bigger opportunity. They wanted all the bells and whistles, so I quoted them again and ended up making around $30,000 over the next four or five months, working just two hours a day. How was that even possible? It was all thanks to ChatGPT. I used AI to write the code, to brainstorm, to troubleshoot, to plan, and even to help me figure out pricing. AI became my coding and consulting buddy throughout the entire process.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was how to charge for value instead of time. When I first did the math, I doubled everything—both the time estimate and my hourly rate—because I realized how valuable this solution was for them. It was nerve-racking to send off a quote for $24,000, but they said yes. Then, later, I asked for a 25% increase (due to increase in project scope), and they said yes again.

Working with Pedro and the WalletConnect team was amazing. They helped me grow as a developer and collaborator, and I’m insanely grateful for the chance they gave me. But there was one big problem: ChatGPT was doing 80–90% of what I used to consider “my job.” On one hand, it was incredible to watch the AI generate code faster and more efficiently than I ever could. On the other hand, it was terrifying.

How would YOU feel if AI was doing 90% of your job?

I found myself thinking: If AI is doing most of my work, what do I do now? How do I stay relevant? That’s when I decided to

1. Walk away from AI (because it was scary) and

2. Skill up in other areas of my life, specifically coaching.

I wanted to add more human value—the kind of value that (I believed) AI couldn’t replicate as easily—and this new path seemed like the perfect solution.

And that’s when I ended up absolutely broke.

I’ll pick up from there tomorrow…

Talk soon,
Sterling Long!

P.S. I am running a training this Saturday for Utah Tech Week for Experts on how to land clients with AI that sounds like them.