Week 2: Hard Work Transforms into a 5-Digit Payday

Date: 11th Nov 2024–17th Nov 2024

This week was a wild ride! For the first time in six months, I skipped the gym — three days in a row. But I had a solid reason: bug hunting. If you follow me on X, you probably saw the highlight of my week — I landed a $12,000+ bounty! One of those bugs demanded every ounce of your focus and patience. The back pain? Worth it.

Finding that bug wasn’t easy; it took hours of grinding and a lot of coffee. But when you crack something like that, the rush is unmatched. Earning a five-digit payday in a single day is the kind of milestone that reminds me why I do this full-time.

This week wasn’t just about bounties. I hosted a Q&A session on X, where new bug hunters asked tons of questions about bug bounties and breaking into this field. If you missed it, you can still catch the thread here.

It’s clear that many people are curious about bug hunting, and I want to help as much as I can. This blog series is my way of giving back and showing what life as a full-time bug hunter really looks like. After all, I’ve been fortunate to earn over six figures in USD from bug hunting alone — and if I can do it, so can you.

Here’s something I’m looking forward to: starting in Week 3, I’ll be collaborating with some incredible bug hunters. I can’t share their names just yet, but trust me, these are some of the best in the game. I’m so excited to learn from them, share knowledge, and work together.

We’ve chosen Amazon as the program to focus on during this collaboration. While I’ve never worked on Amazon before, my collaborator has reported many bugs to them and has a deep understanding of their platform. It’s going to be an exciting challenge to tackle this together and see what we uncover.

This is a one-week collaboration since I have other plans lined up for Week 4. Let’s see how it goes — if we find anything cool, I’ll keep you updated. And who knows, you might spot their names on my X account soon!

In addition to this exciting collaboration, I’ve also had an opportunity to try out a newly launched bug bounty tool to automate some of my tasks. I can’t reveal the name just yet, but if I find something significant with the tool, you’ll be the first to know.

What makes this even more special is the creator of the tool — a great person I’ve known for years. It’s always inspiring to see the community push boundaries and create solutions like this. Hoping for the best as I explore its potential!

Let’s see where these exciting developments take us. Stay tuned!

Quick heads-up: starting next week, I won’t include the exact bounty amounts for my bugs. I’m not here to flex; I just wanted to grab your attention and show that I’m not a “Pro VDP hacker” who works only for free. These blogs are about sharing the journey, not just the numbers.

Skipping the gym felt weird, but now that I’ve found my rhythm in bug hunting again, it’s game on. I’ve got several pending reports awaiting triage, and I can feel more bounties coming my way. I’ll ride this wave of momentum until I burn out (hopefully not too soon!). And yes, the gym routine will resume next week — balance is key.

Finally, a personal note: 16th November was my father’s birthday. If you’re reading this on the 17th, drop an “HBD” for him in the comments. He’s a great man and a huge inspiration in my life — I couldn’t do any of this without his support.