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Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

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Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#31

Post by gramstrong »

Ocerge wrote: post #15

None. After my first cup of coffee in the morning when I have artificial enthusiasm I always tell myself I will start when I get home, but after 9 hours of making somebody else rich, I am just out of energy, and not interested enough in software to push through.

If I could program while exercising I would be incredibly productive. I normally go for a run after work, during which my brain gets a "second wind" and becomes super active in a way similar to how I feel in the morning.

Once I'm done though, that feeling is incredibly fleeting. That's when I normally just get dinner started.

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#32

Post by metaphyze »

To everybody posting about not working on a side project because of children, I would ask you to reconsider that if you're truly passionate about something and want to develop it. I've been working on a side project for a few years now. I also have kids and spend a lot of time with them. I've discovered that it's actually very beneficial to spend an extended time working on a project, and by extended time, I don't mean hours every day. I mean stretching the project out over years. For one thing, it gives you the freedom to reconsider solutions and approaches. Work is usually focused on delivering as quickly as possible. It's very refreshing to have the time to consider a problem thoroughly and let it play in your subconscious freely. Also, your kids need time to themselves too so there's no need to feel guilty. But to answer the question, I spend probably 0-15 hours per week, usually working at night after the kids have gone to bed.

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#33

Post by jermaustin1 »

I replaced programming with woodworking. I find it a lot more enjoyable after 8 hours of building software and 1 - 2 hours of administrative work to transition to building "hardware". My side projects are all furniture my wife or other family members ask for.

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#34

Post by Jemaclus »

I have a bunch of side projects. I spend about 5-10 hours per week on them, but usually just one project at a time. For example, one week I might spend 5 hours working on a Hamilton costume. The next week I might spend 8 hours working on my MUD, and the following week a few hours on my arcade cabinet.

None of my projects are really monetizable...

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#35

Post by fuball63 »

metaphyze wrote: post #32

To everybody posting about not working on a side project because of children, I would ask you to reconsider that if you're truly passionate about something and want to develop it. I've been working on a side project for a few years now. I also have kids and spend a lot of time with them. I've discovered that it's actually very beneficial to spend an extended time working on a project, and by extended time, I don't me…

It took me a long time to realize that letting a hobby project last years is not a bad thing. I've even gone on spurts where I will put it down for several months and pick it back up later. Good code documentation and external documentation is a must.

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#36

Post by jwr »

metaphyze wrote: post #32

To everybody posting about not working on a side project because of children, I would ask you to reconsider that if you're truly passionate about something and want to develop it. I've been working on a side project for a few years now. I also have kids and spend a lot of time with them. I've discovered that it's actually very beneficial to spend an extended time working on a project, and by extended time, I don't me…

Seconded. It took me two years to build my current side project, and that's ok. I am no longer 20, I don't have to rush to do everything in an instant.

I also noticed that because of the slower pace I often avoid solving problems that can be bypassed altogether. When working at a frantic pace I'd often notice that I solved a problem that didn't really need solving.

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#37

Post by roryisok »

jermaustin1 wrote: post #33

I replaced programming with woodworking. I find it a lot more enjoyable after 8 hours of building software and 1 - 2 hours of administrative work to transition to building "hardware". My side projects are all furniture my wife or other family members ask for.

This is happening to me at the moment, currently upcycling an old timber door into a bench

I find woodworking a lot more satisfying than coding. You can point to something solid and say, "I made that", and your family don't have to be technophiles to enjoy and appreciate it

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#38

Post by judah »

2-3 hours a week on Chavah Messianic Radio[0], a non-commercial Pandora-like radio station for my religious community.

It's been going for several years now, and enjoys a nice user base. It started out in Silverlight, then KnockoutJS, and now AngularJS [1].

[0]: https://messianicradio.com

[1]: http://github.com/judahgabriel/chavah

Re: Ask HN: How much time per week do you spend on side projects?

#39

Post by 8bittaco »

Usually about 12 hours. I try to get 2 to 3 hours in on weekdays as soon as I get home from the office. I take weekends off unless I'm feeling particularly motivated/inspired, but with the MLB, NASCAR, F1, and Indycar seasons in full swing right now, my weekend schedule is pretty packed...
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