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Getting too absorbed in side projects

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Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#21

Post by oarsinsync »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10
IloveHN84 wrote: post #3

I'm too absorbed by parenting that I dream about side projects I will never do. Enjoy the free time

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

I have absolutely no idea how you've managed that, and well done to you, but the judgement at the start is unnecessary.

For another perspective, I lose 11 hours of my day with my day job, including commute time. With the 13 hours remaining, I get maybe 45 mins a day to groom myself at start / end, usually interrupted multiple times. I don't tend to get more than 2 hours continuous sleep in any given night, so while I get to bed and sleep by 10pm, and usually woken up and forced out around 5am, I've probably been interrupted twice over night. Most of the rest of the time is tending to cooking, cleaning, feeding, laundry, homework, ferrying to and from various hobbies, and when there's moments to enjoy, stopping to enjoy those moments.

When I find that elusive 10-15min break, I don't have the mental power to think about side projects. I just want a nap.

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#22

Post by morgancmartin »

Kiro wrote: post #13

> my laundry starts to pile up, my kitchen doesn’t get cleaned, and my social contacts get neglected from any meaningful conversation Yup, that's the sacrifice but worth it for me personally since that side project became a business and enabled me to do a big exit.

This is how I justify becoming so absorbed with my own side projects. Maybe one day it will prove to be a net positive!

Congrats on the exit. How long did it take you working on the side until you were able to make it your full time gig?

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#25

Post by mosselman »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10
IloveHN84 wrote: post #3

I'm too absorbed by parenting that I dream about side projects I will never do. Enjoy the free time

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

You mean the first few months, before they learn to roll-over, are easy; you can just put them anywhere and they will stay there, mostly asleep?

When they get older and start rolling around and walking, then the amount of time you have to be watching them increases dramatically. Especially when they go from 3-4 naps a day to 1 or 0.

Let alone that sitting around programming all day is probably not what you should become a parent for. Note that I am not saying you do this at all, I just mean it from a hypothetical 'maximum-amount-of-time'.

Personally I couldn't care less about my side-projects in comparison to the joy I get from seeing my daughter explore the world, learn languages, etc.

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#26

Post by eequah9L »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10
IloveHN84 wrote: post #3

I'm too absorbed by parenting that I dream about side projects I will never do. Enjoy the free time

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

A child really does not do much in the "first weeks". Most of the burden is figuring out all the APIs, but if the child and the mother are healthy, it does not really take much time and attention. This gets worse as the child grows up and gets more active. And there's the extra laundry, dishes and cooking that you need to take care of. And then the second one comes...

Parenting is really honestly taking a lot of time from me that I used to spend on hacks and projects.

+1 on the thinking ahead, that definitely helps. But that limits you to stuff that you already know and can model accurately in your mind, which BTW precludes any sort of debugging work, exploratory programming, etc.

(But as you witness, there's always time to shoot a random remark on HN ;) ).

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#27

Post by alzoid »

99052882514569 wrote: post #15
albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

>I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks Oh gee, no, no. If all you know is the first few months, you know not of parenting time requirements. You need to come back and talk about ruthless prioritizing and efficient coding when you parent a toddler, or two. Then we can all have a hearty laugh at this post together.

I'm lucky enough to have 1 - 3 hours between their bed time and my bed time to work on something. At the end of the day its hard to do more work when you want to decompress / spend time with spouse, but some days I make it happen.

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#28

Post by IloveHN84 »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10
IloveHN84 wrote: post #3

I'm too absorbed by parenting that I dream about side projects I will never do. Enjoy the free time

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

Well it depends on the context. I and my wife are expats and we cannot rely on any external form of help, except ourselves. Our parents live far away and cannot support us.

With a 8am-4pm job, plus commuting, plus cooking (you cook fresh for your kid and don't rely on delivery services, don't you?), playing with kid and buying groceries, well.. there's not so much free time.. my energy is over by 8pm

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#29

Post by Hates_ »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10
IloveHN84 wrote: post #3

I'm too absorbed by parenting that I dream about side projects I will never do. Enjoy the free time

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

As someone with a five week old that refuses to be put down most of the time and even the short quiet spaces of time are spent having to do things around the house, how do you do it?

Re: Getting too absorbed in side projects

#30

Post by IloveHN84 »

IloveHN84 wrote: post #28
albertgoeswoof wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like this is an excuse (sorry to be blunt). I’m a new parent and managed to build and release a side project in the first few weeks, as well as keep up with a bunch of other side projects. I’ve just had to adapt the way I work on them. Eg I’m spending significantly more time planning than before, I’m using tools that have been consistently applied to solve similar problems, I’m ruthlessly prioritising features…

Well it depends on the context. I and my wife are expats and we cannot rely on any external form of help, except ourselves. Our parents live far away and cannot support us. With a 8am-4pm job, plus commuting, plus cooking (you cook fresh for your kid and don't rely on delivery services, don't you?), playing with kid and buying groceries, well.. there's not so much free time.. my energy is over by 8pm

And even if you might feel free the first months, how are you helping your wife keeping up with the baby? Don't you change it? Don't you try to make contact with it? Don't you support your wife by giving her some hours of freedom between breastfeeding times?
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