Building side projects outside full-time job

[henchwill]

For those who actively building side projects, how much time did you spend each day? Does your full time job require regular overtime?

When I made my first side project as a junior developer, I took learning + experience as priority. I couldn't identify any project idea that relies primarily on my backend Java/C++ experience. I ended up making an Android app, as I can at least leverage my familiarity with the language. Guess what, when I started, latest Android was 1.4; by the time I published, latest version was already 4.x. The progress was crawling mainly due to unpredictable and long working hours, there was a number of times I thought of abandoning the incomplete project.

Any advice for makers with demanding full-time job? TIA.

 

[toyoken]

@henchwill I started building side projects as a junior/mid as a way to become proficient at my job. I've never worked at a place that didn't have great WLB but I knew that if I wanted to climb, I needed to put in the time. I always had ideas, nothing great but something to hack away at and use as an excuse to learn a new technology. As a senior, I'm kind of burned out at my job but still have the same burning passion to build something on the side. I never had a truly good idea until recently, most were hobbies that had a pretty low ceiling. At this point I'm enjoying it and working towards faster FIRE. At the worst, it makes me more proficient at my job and I can accomplish what I'm expected to accomplish in 8 hours, in 4.

I think there are 2 ways to approach it. You either have a great idea in the area of your expertise (building native apps) or you use it as a chance to learn something new, which doesn't feel like a job but more of a hobby. Maybe it gives you financial impendence, maybe it leads to a career change at somewhere with a more healthy WLB.

 

[henchwill]

@toyoken Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. I appreciate it.

I've never worked at a place that didn't have great WLB...

Wow. By any chance are you based in N. America? Any tip for searching dev jobs that have healthy WLB?

I'm based in Asia. Most of my dev friends already quit dev career, after changing companies a few times but still ended up in long hours dev jobs, including some US tech firm's office in Asia. Actually... one of the dev divisions in my company do have healthy WLB, but with 0 resignation over a few years, no chance to get in.

I'm kind of burned out at my job but still have the same burning passion to build something on the side.

Feeling the same

Maybe it gives you financial impendence, maybe it leads to a career change at somewhere with a more healthy WLB.

I really hope so.

 

[mikaedi]

@henchwill I average about 10 hours a week. I count market research and reading documentation type things. I typically get most of me time in Sunday morning with my coffee. Like 2-4 hours. Then, the rest is scattered across the week looking into solutions for problems I found that Saturday morning with some minor tweaks.

 

[henchwill]

@mikaedi How long did you take to launch it? Do you use stack that you already familiar with?

 

[mikaedi]

@henchwill Still working towards MVP for launch. The side project that I have the most progress on is a project management system for undertaking and accomplishing large personal goals. The core element is a written document of the system I created, and I am developing software as a tool to facilitate the use of that system. The first version of the core functionality, the written document, I have released to a single person and have been working very closely with them as the first user feedback loop. I am working on version 2 based on this feedback.

The software side of things I chose tech that I am most familiar with and/or want to use in my life. So golang fore the backend because I like the language and want to make something professional with it, but none of my jobs were ever interested in adopting it.

I haven't done front-end work for a little over 2 years, and when I did, it was angular or classic html with Bootstrap. So that I did a bunch of research based on what I didn't like about angular and decided on Svelte with TypeScript. For the front-end UI and functionality, I am trying to find a well-used library whenever I can and limiting as much need for custom code as possible.

Most of these decisions were driven by reading Peter Levels MAKE book. I think they make a lot of really good points about prioritizing the making the quickest/shortest path to launch vs. taking time to learn new tech/skills or trying to have a perfect code base. Also, getting your product in the users' hands as soon as possible. Which I did by just getting the document to a really good user instead waiting for the software to be created or having the perfect final draft of the document.

The next step is to finish version 2 and get that to a user group of about 10-20 without having the level of hands-on participation I have with my first user. While creating the MVP of the software for a closed beta.

Edit: first created the system for myself about 8 years ago and recently, at the end of last year, had multiple educators and mental health providers tell me I might have something. Started writing the first draft in January because I responded to a mentorship request and completed the first draft in about 2 weeks.

 

[henchwill]

@mikaedi Cool!

 

[faithfully92]

@henchwill Are you making any money with the app?

 

[henchwill]

@faithfully92 Nope. For that old app, my intention was to obtain full experience in designing, building and releasing software from scratch. My job in corporate was mainly about extending/maintaining backend system of existing mature products, with very limited exposure to tech challenges.

 

[faithfully92]

@henchwill So why spend any more time on it? If you learned the new app building process, focus on something that can make you money now.

 

[henchwill]

@faithfully92 Ah... that was my first side project years ago. No longer working on it.

I'm wondering how other makers cope with side projects while doing demanding full-time job. Or... are most makers having a job with healthy wlb. In my experience, regular overtime demotivates me from continuing side project, as it was fairly common to have project stalled for a few months every now and then. In my region, it's challenging to me to identify dev jobs that have healthy wlb.

 

[faithfully92]

@henchwill I think you basically need to be very aggressive about setting your hours at work so you have time and bandwidth for your side project.

 

[henchwill]

@faithfully92 I think that should be the way. Did it once for few months, then performance rating dropped from "exceeded most" to "missed some".

When most coworkers are willing to put in the hours to meet aggressive deadlines, being strict on my boundary place tremendous stress on job security. I'm starting to think I may have to move to other region with different work culture.