Ask HN: How to come up with a useful, coding hobby project?

If you have the space and desire, build a reasonably sized shed (10'x10' in US for example) from scratch and up to code will take you probably around 100 hours if you put in windows and electrical.

So a Rube Goldberg project(s)?

Learn 3d printing skills / CNC skills / coding & encoding skills / programming skills via making/assembling a useless one person mechanical TV[0][2] broadcasting station[3] with paper tape recording[1].

Today's off the shelf hardware/software makes for a 'relatively' easy software 'mechanical tv'.

asciimation : https://octobanana.com/software/asciimation

pal to ascii : https://github.com/joelibaceta/video-to-ascii

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Can always see how far can substitue diy paper circuits and still have same functionality/quality as silicon circuits[4][5][6].

Perhaps perfect a way of using scotch to convert paper into a plastic version for longevity.

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[0] : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_television

[1] : punch card : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oke-7lsvFug

      original pearl programming : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gALLuttm8tI

      1920's VCR : https://pinshape.com/items/108598-3d-printed-paper-tape-reader-machine

[2] : Ben Heck's Mechanical TV part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI0TtyVEcs8

[3] : digital camera with a nipkow disk : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCzMLl-cB94

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[4] : robotic arm : https://howtomechatronics.com/tutorials/arduino/diy-arduino-...

[5] : "circuit printer" : https://www.hackster.io/news/sketch-a-circuit-anywhere-with-...

[6] paper circuit quality verification : https://www.hackster.io/news/jerry-de-vos-plastic-scanner-tu...

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Note: "This is what I had in mind. Sorry for not being clearer." not a reply to this comment.

Think about everyday challenges you face – maybe a task that could be automated or an app that simplifies a process. Combining hobbies with coding can also be rewarding; for instance, if you're into fitness, create a workout tracker.

Remember, the journey is as important as the end result, so enjoy the learning process and don't hesitate to seek inspiration from coding communities and online project repositories!

Not everybody wants or needs to be an entrepreneur

Sounds like an open source point.