[HN Gopher] My framework for building side projects as a solo de...
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My framework for building side projects as a solo developer
Author : raunometsa
Score : 97 points
Date : 2021-10-18 15:43 UTC (7 hours ago)
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(TXT) w3m dump (raumet.com)
| decebalus1 wrote:
| > You can follow me on Twitter as I continue to share my journey,
| building small side projects from my home office.
|
| Talking about how to bootstrap side projects is a side project in
| itself.
| nickthemagicman wrote:
| There's a huge push I've noticed recently on the social media to
| sell 'How to' guides in the tech industry.
|
| How to build side projects, how to ace the technical interview,
| how to get a tech job, how to learn to code, and on and on ad
| nauseum.
|
| It seems in the tech gold rush people are selling shovels.
|
| It's like this new age self help mentality but instead of preying
| on people who want to lose weight or have larger privates...
| they're preying on people who need a job/money and selling the
| idea that learning to code will skyrocket people to financial
| success.
|
| I don't know if it's good or not, just an interesting
| observation/comparison I've noticed.
| bdcravens wrote:
| The marketing from bootcamps is scarcely better, even though
| that industry is more or less dying off.
| mattmanser wrote:
| Recently? That's been going for years. Literally since I
| started reading hacker news in 2005 there's been how to info
| products aimed at tech workers.
|
| And people were calling it a gold rush then and talked about
| selling the shovels that long too.
| HeyLaughingBoy wrote:
| > I don't know if it's good or not
|
| Then "preying" might not be such a good way to phrase it. In
| any case, it's really not recent. Info products have been
| suggested for years as a faster way to have a product you can
| sell than developing software.
|
| And there is a genuine need: there are many people who want to
| learn about technology but don't know where to start. "How-To"
| guides are a good hand-on introduction to many topics.
|
| I've considered writing a few based on the demand I've seen,
| but my heart really isn't into teaching.
| aazaa wrote:
| I'm going to simplify the framework here:
|
| - give yourself a stable income
|
| - give yourself energy
|
| - manage your well-being
|
| Unfortunately, this is also a framework for being a non-producer
| of side-projects. One element that's missing is _drive_.
|
| You need something driving you to take on side projects. And it
| doesn't matter if you're a solo developer or a well-paid worker
| bee at FANGMAN.
|
| Without drive, you'll have no courage to take on a side project.
| After all, what will you gain by it?
|
| Without drive, you'll lack the guts to stick with a side project
| that spins out and seems to go nowhere.
|
| Without drive, you won't keep looking for the next thing to fill
| your notebook to overflowing with ideas that might someday work.
| Draiken wrote:
| I'm not convinced drive is the word.
|
| A younger version of myself wanted to have a company and build
| something of my own. Today I know all the sacrifices that come
| with that and I'm simply not willing to make that sacrifice
| anymore.
|
| Does that mean I don't have any drive, or just different
| priorities?
| gtaylor wrote:
| Right there with you. Used to want the same, now I've got the
| drive to do other things with the time and headspace.
| TrackerFF wrote:
| A bit unrelate, but: FANGMAN sounds like some western tech
| equivalent to the Japanese salaryman.
| DiggyJohnson wrote:
| Amen, and well put.
|
| Somewhat related question? Did you ever play a MMORPG?
| soneca wrote:
| Probably worth repeating here an old comment of mine for "side-
| project" disambiguation.
|
| The term "side-project" has a lot of possible interpretations:
|
| A - Hobby project to play with some tech just because you find it
| interesting
|
| B - Hobby project to play with some tech that might help your
| career in the future by learning it
|
| C - Homework project to learn about the tech you currently use at
| work
|
| D - For-profit project to hopefully earn some extra money on the
| side and keep it that way
|
| E - For-profit project to hopefully earn enough money that will
| allow you to quit your day job and make it your main job
|
| F - Portfolio-making projects to show at job-interviews as a
| junior developer
|
| The OP is about case E apparently (maybe D).
| soneca wrote:
| I can no longer edit my original comment, so here is an update
| (new case and rearranging order) following suggestions by the
| other comments:
|
| A - Hobby project to play with some tech just because you find
| it interesting
|
| B - Hobby project to create something you want to exist (e.g. a
| tool for personal use or for close friends, an art project with
| interesting results)
|
| C - Hobby project to play with some tech that might help your
| career in the future by learning it
|
| D - Portfolio-making projects to show at job-interviews as a
| junior developer
|
| E - Homework project to learn about the tech you currently use
| at work
|
| F - For-profit project to hopefully earn some extra money on
| the side and keep it that way
|
| G - For-profit project to hopefully earn enough money that will
| allow you to quit your day job and make it your main job
| karmakaze wrote:
| My current fave type isn't listed: Hobby project to create
| (and use) some opensource tech that I want to exist and might
| help your career in the future.
|
| Also I don't distinguish between A and C. Some seem more
| relevant than others but there's not much that I learn that I
| don't draw from in one way or another.
| valbaca wrote:
| I really like this stepwise delineation of Avocation to
| Vocation, of fun-to-utility-to-profit. As others pointed out,
| there is "scratch your own itch" which usually falls between A
| and B. I also think that F would better fall somewhere right
| along B.
| jameshart wrote:
| Also a somewhat flexible definition of the word 'framework' it
| seems.
| city41 wrote:
| I'd add "Hobby project because you want the idea to exist."
| That's where virtually all my side projects land. They are
| different from (A) in that using new tech is not required and
| may even be detrimental to the goal.
| pknight wrote:
| Am I an odd case? Nowadays all my side-project code is to
| scratch an itch, fix a problem or create a solution I want to
| use that doesn't exist yet. I'm not motivated by the tech
| itself and the money is not a primary driver either.
| timw4mail wrote:
| What about a tool for a personal use-case?
| soneca wrote:
| Good one, makes sense to be another option I think
| ipnon wrote:
| It's been said the typical founder of a successful startup is on
| their 7th attempt. It would seem the secret to success then is to
| be the founder of 6 duds!
| moffkalast wrote:
| Practice makes perfect haha
| mental1896 wrote:
| I'd say it's practice
| rpwilcox wrote:
| Yes thank you. I know what I'm going to say goes against the
| millennial / Protestant Work Ethic hustle pr0n... but not
| _everything_ needs to be monetized. (Given a comfortable base
| salary. Hustling side projects or side gigs because you're not
| making enough money is another thing...)
| narraturgy wrote:
| >(Given a comfortable base salary. Hustling side projects or
| side gigs because you're not making enough money is another
| thing...)
|
| Isn't that precisely why the "monetize everything"/"hustle
| pr0n" mentality has reached critical mass, though? The
| millennial generation has achieved existential dread as they
| have realized that they are not as financially well-off as
| their parents were at the same age, and they are desperate to
| find. Away to achieve some semblance of financial stability
| so that they can start their personal life journeys?
| cadence- wrote:
| Growing up in the 1990s, I remember noticing that most of
| money-making computer initiatives were usually started in the
| US (think Bill Gates starting Microsoft), which geeks in
| Europe were more about cool and artsy pursuits (think Amiga
| demo scene). I wonder if there is something here related to
| mindset on the two continents.
| vagrantJin wrote:
| You may be on to something. Maybe because Europe is
| generally considered old money?
| vptr wrote:
| I think it's because despite the fact that the US is called
| the land of opportunity, the system is rigged against
| entrepreneurs (no social safety net) unlike EU where you
| can fuck around without a job for years. So, I think there
| is something about money making initiatives because you
| don't have time to mess around.
| ChuckNorris89 wrote:
| _> the system is rigged against entrepreneurs (no social
| safety net) _
|
| So then, why does the EU lag behind the US so much at
| successful startups even with our safety nets?
|
| Or is it mostly due to the US VC funding system that
| pumps crazy amount of $$$ in tech companies plus having a
| giant homogenous market with a high purchasing power, all
| speaking the same language, that's lacking in the EU and
| in the end has nothing to do with social systems?
|
| _> unlike EU where you can fuck around without a job for
| years._
|
| That's definitely not true. While there are a few people
| who have made a lifestyle from playing the system in
| order to live off unemployment their whole lives, that's
| a minority and not something you can easily voluntarily
| do.
|
| For the most part, you can't just voluntarily choose not
| to work for years and still receive unemployment. They'll
| just cut off your welfare if you do that.
| samsolomon wrote:
| I am not sure I buy that argument--the US has been
| incredible for entrepreneurs for a long time.
|
| You're right about the lack of a social safety net, but
| US entrepreneurs are succeeding despite that. Whether it
| is talent, funding, taxes or mindset something appears to
| be working.
| Claude_Shannon wrote:
| I felt as if the article was... shallow? I mean, it was very
| short and I feel like there wasn't said anything of note.
| SadWebDeveloper wrote:
| Thank you!... m not the only one feeling this was BS rambling,
| that could probably be someone making an article out a twitter-
| thread.
|
| Article felt pointless, maybe someone venting his frustration
| on how to pursue new things during or after a burnout.
|
| Probably he needs a friend(s), at least a chocolate one
| (https://youtu.be/CISFw4o0j4U)
| sam0x17 wrote:
| Yeah this guy knows the secret -- step 4: write shallow updates
| that make it to the front page of HN to boost your side
| project's sales
| jastr wrote:
| Lots of developers believe that if they think hard enough and
| choose the right side project, it will succeed.
|
| I think the takeaway here is that chance plays a big role. So
| increase your chances by shippings lots of projects. And a tip
| to ship several projects is to stay emotionally, physically,
| and financially healthy.
| sam0x17 wrote:
| Well it also depends on what your success criteria are. If
| it's a side project and you've invested nothing in it other
| than your own free time, success could be $200/month in
| eventually passive revenue.
| HeyLaughingBoy wrote:
| Success also depends a lot on your approach. If you define
| it as $200/month revenue, then you're probably better off
| building something you know other people want. If success
| is "I built this really cool thing" then you can build
| something only _you_ want.
| CodeWriter23 wrote:
| It did have a "measure twice, cut once" mastery of the obvious.
| Of note, the one word he did not use: persistence, and I will
| demonstrate it in my own sort of fluffy presentation (and in
| much fewer words):
|
| There's a certain number of modest side projects one must
| complete to end up with the breakaway project that leads to
| financial independence. I can't tell you what that number is,
| but it does exists and if you fail that many times, you will
| eventually get there. Or die first.
| Draiken wrote:
| But if you die first, you won't get there, making the
| "eventually" false, hehe.
|
| My point is that I don't think saying "try and you'll make
| eventually make it" is very accurate. Survivor bias makes
| many people say so, but the reality is that everyone should
| know that you may never get there.
|
| It's helpful for motivation to say to yourself (and others)
| that if you stick to it then it'll eventually work, but it's
| never a guarantee.
| shanecleveland wrote:
| Well put. Similarly, and one of many analogies that could be
| made, a published author's first "successful" work is
| unlikely to be the first thing they have ever written.
|
| Just keep making stuff!
| Lokinew wrote:
| I think one of the many reasons so many side projects are never
| finished is the complexity.
|
| Its important to focus on a MVP and keep it minimal.
|
| In the development there are always great ideas but they lead
| away from finishing the project.
| dakotabaker395 wrote:
| Wow! Thats so nice! I want to share me project with you:
| https://itmaster-soft.com/en/custom-web-application-developm...
| umvi wrote:
| > You can follow me on Twitter as I continue to share my journey,
| building small side projects from my home office.
|
| How important is building a "personal brand" in the success of
| side projects? I see he has 1000 followers on Twitter (whereas I
| just _barely_ dusted off the twitter account I made in 2016 and I
| have 2 followers). I had a few "dud" side projects in the past
| (in the sense that they didn't make money; they were still fun to
| make and scratched a creative itch) and I still have creative
| sparks to make more, but I can't help but think I need a _lot_
| more Twitter followers in order to boost visibility of my future
| side projects. Anyone have more insight?
| michaelbuckbee wrote:
| If you're selling an "info product" (course, book, etc.) it
| matters a lot more as people often buy those things
| aspirationally. If you're selling something that's more
| transactional (in OPs case a job site) then it doesn't matter
| so much.
| endofreach wrote:
| Obviously it can make things easier. But i will never develop a
| ,,personal brand". It cringes me out af.
|
| In the end, it's just marketing. A good personal brand would
| give some kind of authority to all your projects. I'd rather
| build multiple brands and take longer.
|
| I prefer software from people who don't make everything about
| themselves.
|
| But: yeah, obviously a good engaged twitter followership will
| give you more reach. But you don't need them. Just need
| different ways of marketing.
| huntermeyer wrote:
| Author says they make $8k/month from their job board.
|
| That's the story I want to read.
| Aeolun wrote:
| How is it that so many people seem to be able to make money
| just off job adverts? Who pays for these things?
| granshaw wrote:
| Umm, the hiring companies.
|
| Job boards are one of the most monetizable industries
| bdcravens wrote:
| Companies that are hiring
| wunderlust wrote:
| I don't follow the logic of "It's not certain that [a project]
| will start making money, but it's certain that one of my next
| small projects will, again."
|
| If the success of any one project is uncertain, then summing (so
| to speak) projects doesn't make any future project _certain_. On
| some intuitive level it does seem like the likelihood of each
| successive project doing well does go up (as you develop skills
| and learn about markets, etc.), but no single project is "due"
| for success because N prior projects failed.
|
| This seems obvious to me, but I didn't see anyone else
| specifically comment on it so I figured I would.
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