This is the first ExitLab project — and it starts now.
Hamster Wheel Exit is new, and instead of overthinking it, I’m starting by doing something I’ve wanted to test for years: Print on Demand. Mostly t-shirts. On platforms that offer as much passive income as possible.
I’ve always enjoyed designing simple, slightly odd, sometimes funny t-shirts — things I would actually wear myself. Whether they’re good or not isn’t for me to decide. That part is up to you.
Here’s one example:
A quick transparency note
I’m not starting from zero.
In the summer of 2024, I designed around thirty t-shirts. So this project builds on that — it doesn’t pretend otherwise. I just wanted to be crystal clear about that from the start.
Why Print on Demand?
Because it checks a few important boxes for me:
- Low upfront risk
- Creative work I enjoy
- Easy to test and iterate
- Scales without demanding more hours
It’s not magic. But it’s testable. And that’s enough for an ExitLab project.
My goals for January and February
- Publishing 100 t-shirt designs
(on platforms like TeePublic, Redbubble, and similar sites) - Reaching $100 in total sales by the end of February
- Running one small social media campaign
(TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram) - And, hopefully: inspiring you to try your own PoD project
A couple of clarifications:
The $100 goal isn’t about income — it’s about momentum. Proof that something moves when you actually put the work out there.
And when I say 100 designs, I don’t necessarily mean 100 completely unique designs. Variations count — different colors, fonts, layouts, and small adjustments.
Like this:
ExitLab Project Updates
Maybe I’ll succeed.
Maybe I won’t.
Either way, something important will still have happened: I moved.
Hamster Wheel Exit isn’t about guarantees.
It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, testing ideas in the real world, and seeing what actually happens.
Along the way, I’ll share what works, what doesn’t, and what I’d do differently if I started over — with Exit Lab updates every other Thursday (sometimes more often), followed by a proper wrap-up at the end of February with numbers, results, and what I learned.
I’ll also share how I promote the designs — where I post, what I try, and what I skip. That part will come later.
These posts are the public side of the ExitLab. Some things will stay more detailed and more raw elsewhere.
If it makes sense, I’ll revisit this project a few months down the line — to see what happened after the initial push.
The experiment is officially live.