It sounds like you are looking for a loophole. This is really bad idea. Don't throw away your future for something that is statistically going to fail.

However, after giving that a disclaimer, I know quite a few H1Bs who have side projects. As an H1-B visa holder, you are not allowed to work for anyone except for your sponsor. You cannot work for your own business same as F1 students.

So they don't make any money off them and are very careful to make it look like a business. They don't even have affiliate links or anything on their websites. Everything is 100% free.

However, privately their hope is that one day once they are citizens, they can monetize their product or sell it.

In a way, I envy their position because they are able to focus on product 100% without worrying about monetization.