Ask HN: Haven't worked for a while, best guide/advice to start a hobby project?

If you are wanting to pick up Vue, choose node.js and start with the basic tutorial on setting up your project and project organization. Then do a tutorial on state management in Vue. At that point you should just get started on a project and stop doing tutorials until you run into something you don't understand. To get moving I like to pick a piece of functionality. In this case, login could be a good place to start. Whether you want to use third party auth or roll your own, it is a good place to start. Get login and state management working because once you have that running you can start implementing other functionality pretty fast.

The key is to pick a piece of functionality that does two things, one: simple but once completed is a component you'll need for your project, two: at the end of implementing that functionality there is something that works which you can build off. That's why I suggest doing those two tutorials and then starting with login and state management, it will help you move forward. Don't get ahead of yourself, pick small components of functionality and just start knocking them out. Don't think about the millions of options.

On your tech stack, pick whatever is most common for your stack, don't try to be complex when all you need is to get started. For example, node.js, postgresql or mongodb, Vue. That will give you the widest set of tutorials and help online and in the end it is extremely capable platform for nearly anything you want to build. And all of those are marketable skills.

edit: fixed a word

Thanks Davis! That seems look a good start. Sometimes I just need someone to tell me what to do I feel to put things into perspective. I'll start with the basic Node/Vue tutorials and focus on getting something deployed, implementing login and then some basic api integration and move from there.

I guess I can always refactor the code when I start learning about more complicated stuff.

Don’t follow tutorials. They kill your creativity. Instead think about something useful to you and build it. Get stuck? Learn and ask. Build more. And so on.

If you want to play with APIs, and you know Python, I would just access them from normal Python with 'requests' (or any other normal HTTP client you like, but 'requests' is the most popular and makes doing the right thing straightforward).

In my opinion there's a lot of value in building something that works and then going from there. If you know Python and Flask, build your thing in normal Python and Flask, rendering templates, not doing dynamic stuff in JS. Then add Vue or whatever else once you have a basic thing working to make it fancier.

Obviously, the paralysis and anxiety is something to look at.

Also: I wouldn't so recommend Vue. Focus on rendering boring, server-rendered HTML first. Add vue later.

I'm a big fan of rails for the unique focus on developer happiness and velocity it places on the stack. There are similar stacks "technically" but it's the difference between a modern OS and windows 3.1. To which I say, the stack DOES matter; they are not interchangeable because they each have different philosophies and priorities. If rails wasn't free I'd paid for it.

But it depends on your priorities and what you're trying to do. I want to be effective at, and enjoy building, web applications. But if you're trying to just learn X technology or language vs building an MVP, those priorities can shape what you work with.

My best advice is aim to succeed even if you fail. Do things the RIGHT way, use the tools / technologies you've always wanted to. Even if the project goes nowhere, at least you got to play with something, and be professional about doing it.

Lastly, think of small problems you COULD solve, or explore. then build off those.