Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

331–340 of 372 posts

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#331

Post by dinkleberg »

JackFr wrote: post #273
dinkleberg wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That struggle is real. I've got a ridiculous amount of half-finished MVPs that I simply got bored of. It often makes me feel like an absolute failure, especially when I've told others about something I'm working on. When they ask "Hey, how is that project X you were working on 3 months ago going?" I'll have to think about it because it was probably 3 projects ago. But I think you're spot on. From each of these projec…

I’ve been working on the same project for over 15 years. It’s been written in C, C++, Python, Ruby, Java and Scala. It had an XWindows front end, Swing front end and now a simple web front end (but there is talk of moving to Vue or React.) It ran on the local machine, then shared web hosting, and now AWS. It’s used flat files, SQL and Mongo for storage. Currently it’s in the shop because I decided to rip everything i…

That's awesome! Maintaining the same project over 15 years, having gone through many transformations, has got to be an incredibly valuable experience.

I always try new problems with new technologies, but I can see the benefits of sticking to one problem over and over.

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#333

Post by smilebot »

yboris wrote: post #49
agentultra wrote: post #16

I’ve been employing a tactic I’ve picked up from artists/authors: don’t talk about your project . Talking about it tricks your brain into thinking you’ve done the work and you lose motivation. Sticking to a schedule can help as can ritualizing the process of working on your project: have a certain place you associate with the project or a particular genre of music that gets you excited (it’s important to not listen t…

I've come across this tactic, I think there may be some psychological studies backing up the suggestion. There is an opposite suggestion that may work too: telling others you're planning on _releasing_ an app at some date (setting a public deadline). This way you may feel pressure (to avoid the pain of 'losing face') to complete it on time. Note, do not talk about "I'm working on this thing" (see comment above why th…

I read that in the section Commitment and Consistency of the book, Influence - https://sites.google.com/site/724ecialdiniwiki/home/commitme.... If you commit to something publicly to someone especially written, you are more likely to do it.

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#334

Post by ucacian »

pdr2020 wrote: post #113
zulban wrote: post #86

I've finished loads of hobby projects, despite full time jobs, and I've been told that I'm a bit of an expert on this. I see there's lots of comments already so I'll keep it short. 1) If you can't focus on a project longer than two days, then pick a project you can finish in three days. Honestly evaluate how big such a project can be. I also see this as students learn to code. They learn the basics then think they're…

Point 2 is such a golden piece of advice and so obvious in hindsight, yet this is the first time I've encountered it online. If you have any online written pieces or blogs, please share them.

Not a written content, but Derek Sivers' TED talk https://youtu.be/NHopJHSlVo4

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#335

Post by gitgud »

There's a lot of advice saying "don't talk about your side project".

I used to believe this whole-heartedly, but now I believe you should actually talk about the project somewhat.

If you don't talk about your project to anyone, the project dies with you. If you talk about the progress you've made, you can get people excited and that excitement can motivate you and hold you accountable (as they'll remember what you've done so far).

I guess the take away is to talk about side project progress, to build excitement and motivation. Don't talk to much about plans, as you are robbing your future self of gratification.

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#337

Post by dlivingston »

StavrosK wrote: post #204
arosier wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"maybe you already got what you came for." As someone who frequently starts projects and doesn't finish them, I've wondered if the part I enjoy about the project is the dreaming about what could be. That little rush you get when a new idea is upon you and it's all you can think about for x days. Doing the initial research and formulating a plan. This is a dopamine rush for me. The feeling of being laser focused for t…

I frequently think about how lucky I am that my dopamine rush is linked to seeing projects finished. People ask me how I get so much done, but there really isn't much of an answer other than "I like doing them and I enjoy seeing them finished". Here's a beeping ball toy I made for my blind cat yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ml-2KgjsW/

Very cool! How did you make this? I wonder if having the vocalizations of a prey animal (i.e. mouse) would provoke a stronger response in your cat than a generic beeping.

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#338

Post by StavrosK »

dlivingston wrote: post #337
StavrosK wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I frequently think about how lucky I am that my dopamine rush is linked to seeing projects finished. People ask me how I get so much done, but there really isn't much of an answer other than "I like doing them and I enjoy seeing them finished". Here's a beeping ball toy I made for my blind cat yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ml-2KgjsW/

Very cool! How did you make this? I wonder if having the vocalizations of a prey animal (i.e. mouse) would provoke a stronger response in your cat than a generic beeping.

I used an ESP8255, a motion sensor (a spring in a tube with metal walls) and a buzzer. Something better-sounding than a beep would definitely be preferable, but I don't think the buzzer can really play anything other than a beep...

I'll have to do some research, maybe it can do some rough approximation, thanks for the idea!

Re: Ask HN: How can I pick a side project and stick with it?

#339

Post by randomdude402 »

abakker wrote: post #174
slothtrop wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Myers-Briggs they'd call that either the INTP or ENTP type. Similarly, I'm more interested in research, learning. I'm in the wrong profession.

INTP here. Starting projects and having multiples at once sure seems comfortable, but, ADD does not. It is a measure of rigor that there are projects that get done. Now, there's something to be said for projects that were always "low priority" and are waiting for the right moment, but there are also ephemeral, same-day kind of projects that come from having the tools/resources available to you to scratch whatever itc…

I think the origin of this idea comes from the time when personal computers started becoming available, and a generation of then young people started tinkering with them.

Some of us then went on to do some version of this hobby/passion professionally. In that case, having software side projects doesn't seem so weird.

Analogies that come to mind are folks like climbing instructors and mechanics, who also may have had these activities as fun hobbies before making a living at them.

Nowadays there is a higher percentage of folks who got into software (or hardware or whatever) the same way the bankers, lawyers, and doctors did; it was presented as a good career choice if they learned it.

I agree that expecting those folks to have side projects is unreasonable.

Post reply on HN