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Ask HN: Why have a side project?

5 points by mhndrcksn ↗ HN
After running a project about side projects for about 5 months, we've noticed that the reasons people have a 'main project' are often similar and boring. Money, necessity and social pressure.

With side projects, the reasons why people have them seem to be as varied as their projects. It can be a fair bit of effort to grow and maintain a side project, so I'm curious...

Why you do it? What makes your side project tick?

13 comments

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sharemywin
self expression.
mhndrcksn
:) Wondering, is your 9-5 a particularly hierarchical environment, like a bank/multinational?
tlongren
I just like to build things, especially things that may make a buck or two.
mhndrcksn
Haha, that's always a nice kicker - is it the building that's more satisfying, progress and flow, or is it seeing the built product on completion and thinking "Fuck yeah, I DID that!"?
kohanz
1) It gives me hope that it could turn into something more. You could consider this along the same emotional reward people get from buying a lottery ticket. Whether the odds are worse or better are debatable :)

2) Allows me to learn technologies that interest me but are not used in my day-job.

mhndrcksn
1 is great. Everyone knows someone who's certain they're going to cash in big time, and I guess with sites like Flippa it's pretty straightforward to cash in not-so-big sometimes. But like you say, it's more about the ride than the payout right?

2 is interesting - it seems to be that format of learning through use that does it. i.e. The benefits in what you learn from a side project vs. what you learn from a presentation.

cunninghamd
I used to do side projects to earn extra income, but it became difficult to predict, and kind of a pain in the ass with invoicing, overdue clients, bug fixes, scheduling headaches (evenings and weekends working for mostly 9-5 companies), fatigue, family life, vacation time, etc.

The work dried up, partly "naturally", but also partly because I wasn't pursuing new work. I've been in a somewhat dead-state for almost a year, and have recently stumbled on two ideas that I've made my "passion projects". Neither idea has a (directly foreseeable) method of making money, but both ideas are near and dear to me.

I work on these ideas when I'm not too tired in the evening, or can find a stretch of time to concentrate on the weekends. So far it's hit or miss, but I'm progressing. One idea challenges me mentally, and has a near-epic scale result at the end of it's very long yellow-brick-road, it's a vision that in addition to all of my coding effort will take 10-20 years to come to fruition.

The other idea is effectively a CRUD system for a specific market demographic that's not being serviced the way I think it should be.

So far, neither is ticking, but give me time, and they will. :)

mhndrcksn
Sounds great! Putting a solid 10-20 years into something is a pretty alien idea to me, but damn, kudos for sticking to your vision.

Out of interest, was the work that dried up similar to your 9-5 at all? And when you say near and dear, what are the ties that keep them close to you? Feel free to not answer if that's asking for TMI :)

cunninghamd
Yeah, I do web development in my 9-5, and my side projects were generally web development or software development oriented.

The shorter term idea is related to beer, and I'm a homebrewer, so that keeps it close. The longer term idea is related to a game I enjoy playing.

I won't be so much putting a solid 10-20 years into something, as I will be waiting 10-20 years for information to be distributed and produced using my software. The software itself should take less than a year of part-time development (if the ideas required succeed), and then idle maintenance/improvements over the course of the 10-20 years required to achieve the final result.

If you're more curious than my broad rambling fulfills, email me and I'm happy to provide specifics. I'm not trying to be secretive, other than I'd like to have something to show before I make any sort of "announcements".

meerita
Simply: side projects trains your skills in other areas that your current job don't.
mhndrcksn
Great point. I wonder, is it more about diversifying risk (employability, keeping up with new tech)? Or the pure pleasure of learning? Both?
meerita
Well, the point is, if you want to make a side project, it is because you have a strong reason. It could be several things, among them, learn new things, solve problems or simply the mercenary way: win more money.