↓Skip to main content

Over engineer your side project

·2 mins·

The majority of side projects never see the bright white lights of production. If your side project gets past the pearly gates, then the likelihood of your side project making any money is also minimal. This isn’t a depressing post—there’s a reason they’re called side projects.

We’re in a time where everyone is trying to sell something, especially large content creators, because it’s either their full-time job or they’re trying to make it their job. It’s either through sponsorship links or they’re invested in the product. Or trend grifters—people shilling products to develop your applications quicker. Does your 0-user side project really need to be using some AI SaaS, or could you try and figure out how to implement that logic yourself? Teach a man to fish.

I believe you should use side projects to learn and develop your skills. This could be learning a new language, framework, paradigm, etc. It could also be continuing to learn and develop through repetition and honing those skills. Side projects can be used as blank canvases where you can create whatever you want, however you want. It’s fun—give it a go.

The issue with today’s online landscape is you will be told that is incorrect, you need to get whatever your project is online as fast as possible. USING PROMO CODE MATTROBINSON YOU CAN GET 20% OFF MY SAAS YOUR SIDE PROJECT TOTALLY NEEDS.

USE MY PROMO CODE

I took a dislike to the recent trend I saw online about how everything is about speed and discouraging learning at the same time. Do whatever you want at your job—businesses are businesses. I understand speed to market (and whatever other corporate jargon you want to spiel), but a short-term pain in speed and struggle will benefit and build strong habits in the long run.

Look, if you’re building a real business or solving an actual problem for users, then yes you may want to make decisions based on speed or ease of implementation. But if it’s a side project with zero users? You’re optimizing for the wrong thing. The ROI isn’t revenue, it’s knowledge.

Have a good one.