Ask HN: Automating Tedious Remote Jobs for Profit and Fun

Knowing how to create automatic scripts can be a god-like power in some jobs. I've read several stories of people automating their own jobs to the point of requiring only a few manual hours a week.

I'm wondering if this is a viable side-money-making strategy. Find remote, highly repetitive jobs, and automate them to the point of profitability. Has anyone attempted this?