{"id":15562,"date":"2018-07-09T13:56:29","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T12:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=15562"},"modified":"2018-07-20T17:37:21","modified_gmt":"2018-07-20T16:37:21","slug":"working-side-project-best-move-developer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/working-side-project-best-move-developer\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Working on a Side Project is Your Best Move as a Developer"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a developer, the moments when I learn the most are those when I am building things. This is true for the stuff I build on the job, but even more when I work on something I choose<\/strong> to work on, a side project that really excites me and that I do on my own time.<\/p>\n

Coding a feature or a full product is usually a process of tackling problems one by one, some easier to solve than others.<\/p>\n

The hardest problems, those seemingly insurmountable at first, that force me to go deeper into the workings of a technology, are the ones that make me learn things that stick with me forever afterwards.<\/p>\n

This is why I firmly believe that the best way to learn new technologies is by doing<\/a>. More than that, as explained in Indrek Lasn\u2019<\/a>s articles, we should strive to build useful things as a way to make progress.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If, like me and many developers, you enjoy building stuff, working on something you are excited about is one of the most glorious experiences you can have<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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We developers are extremely lucky. We get to use our creative energy to produce things that others can use, and to enjoy the pure act of applying our craft to get things done, while getting better at it in the process.<\/p>\n

And when the things we create also bring value to other people, the rewards are tremendous.<\/p>\n

Benefits of working on a side\u00a0project<\/h2>\n

There are numerous benefits of working on a side project. Here are a few of my favorites:<\/p>\n

Keeps you motivated<\/h3>\n

A side project you are excited about gets you going and fuels your creativity. It\u2019s your thing, your baby, your sweat and tears. With patience and work, you might even end up bringing a lot of value to its users and transform it into a business.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou have to do in order to learn. You have to try stuff, break stuff, regret you ever tried, overcome your laziness and get s**it done. \u201d - Andr\u00e9\u00a0Pena<\/a><\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

Drives you to learn new technologies faster and\u00a0in-depth<\/h3>\n

When you are trying to make things work, you are learning far more in-depth than when just reading, watching, or coding along. Getting your hands dirty and treating the technology as a means to get where you want to be is the most effective way go from theory to actionable knowledge.<\/p>\n

Opens up new opportunities<\/h3>\n

Having a side project and a particular interest for the technology you are using is something that makes you stand out, technically and as a person.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSide projects can be immensely rewarding to talk about. They demonstrate a lot about how you work.\u201d \u2014 Tanner Christensen<\/a><\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

This article<\/a> explains in detail how working on and talking about your side project can have a great impact on your career, even as a beginner and\/or self-taught developer.<\/p>\n

Improves your other\u00a0skills<\/h3>\n

It helps you get better at other important skills: product design, UX\/UI, marketing, and so on.<\/p>\n

In your professional life, you don\u2019t often get to work on a project from end-to-end. But with your side project, you are responsible for conceiving and designing the product, developing it, deploying it and marketing it. The responsibility of finding a way to learn enough to get to the results you want falls upon you.<\/p>\n

How to choose your side\u00a0project<\/h2>\n

The side project you choose can tremendously boost your creativity and growth, when you find your own sweet spot.<\/p>\n

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The side project sweet\u00a0spot<\/p><\/div>\n

Below, I\u2019ll be discussing how you can benefit the most while working at various stages of your side project.<\/p>\n

The Fear of\u00a0Shipping<\/h2>\n

The fear of shipping<\/a>, procrastination, and resistance have been heavily documented. They rank among the main reasons why a great amount of projects are never born and end up in the graveyard of abandoned projects. This means that the mere fact of finishing a project and bringing it out to users is already setting you apart<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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However, since there is nothing important at stake, you can keep the pressure to a minimum. A side project is all about succeeding slowly, at your own pace, on your own terms.<\/p>\n

Unlike in the workplace environment where failure has real-life consequences (downsizing, losing clients), the side project space is somewhere you can experiment, define your own measure of success, fail without risking anybody\u2019s career or income, and have fun in the process.<\/p>\n

Taking it\u00a0easy<\/h2>\n

Tobias van Schneider<\/a> said that side projects should be silly or trivial:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way a side project will work is if people give themselves permission to think simple, to change their minds, to fail - basically, to not take them too seriously. When you treat something like it\u2019s stupid, you have fun with it, you don\u2019t put too much structure around it. You can enjoy different types of success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You should treat your side projects as experiments and not let crippling questions and doubts kill the project before it becomes something. In other words:<\/p>\n

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\u201cMy first piece of advice is to just f*****g do it.\u201d - Tobias Van Schneider<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

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This is the place where you can fail without consequences and have as many shots as you want.<\/p>\n

It is also the place where you can make tangible and measurable progress towards a goal that excites you. This will keep energizing you, and make you happier too.<\/p>\n

Finding the\u00a0idea<\/h2>\n

How can you find ideas for side projects?<\/p>\n