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Side projects I've built since 2009

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Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#51

Post by skeeter2020 »

fm2606 wrote: post #21

Virtual hat tip to ya! I finally have four ideas that I think worthy to build that I would like to monetize. All would be well within my abilities to build. No vision of grandeur that I'd retire from any of them and if I made $100 from one site I'd be ecstatic. Two are simple games, one a directory and one a utility type site. No AI, no sign-up, no affiliate marketing, no upselling, just simple sites with ads. Howeve…

I think you have the motivation wrong. The cost-benefit economics work if you want to have fun building something, learn a lot and share it with others. It doesn't work if the goal is to make up to $100/month selling ads; getting a part-time job would be a better path. In this scenario not finishing your side project is the correct decision, and not starting an optimization of that.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#52

Post by diggan »

jonplackett wrote: post #6

I should make a page of ‘Every Side Project I haven’t quite finished building since 2009’ But it would be so huge I can’t afford the hosting bill.

Meh, just change your personal definition of "finished" and everything gets easier :)

I too struggled with the feeling of not completing things, until I realized I didn't actually want to "finish" projects in the sense of "have paying users" but instead wanted to learn something new, try out some design/architecture or just solve a personal problem.

So for the last few years, my "finished" ratio is much higher, as I got the value I wanted out of almost every project I started.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#53

Post by dakiol »

How does one pay taxes when selling minor side projects? I have never been a contractor/freelancer and I have never setup a company. This is the main pain in the ass for me when it comes to generating some side income. I'm in Europe, so it makes it worse I think.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#54

Post by 90s_dev »

skeeter2020 wrote: post #46
jonplackett wrote: post #6

I should make a page of ‘Every Side Project I haven’t quite finished building since 2009’ But it would be so huge I can’t afford the hosting bill.

I have - and still - struggle with this. My (unsolicited) advice: 1. just start anything NOW. Don't worry about getting organized or the correct order; just go. The act of working creates momentum; early on moving is more important than progress. 2. today's good enough > tomorrow's perfect. I found an OSS project for something I was going to build to help me capture "personal content". It's rough and not exactly what…

> just start anything NOW. Don't worry about getting organized or the correct order; just go

Yes! Projects develop organically, with many stop gap solutions and temporary scaffolds built and torn down along the way. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#56

Post by radlad »

90s_dev wrote: post #40
PaulRobinson wrote: post #18

I wish I had this energy again. I've got a list of side projects to get on with. I've made little progress in the last year, and suspect its burn out to blame - I'm just constantly exhausted. I think if you have the energy, this is awesome fun. It might even get to the point where one of them makes some decent income. But if you don't, like me, just realise that there is a reason for that, and it's OK. You need rest…

> I wish I had this energy again. I used to think my youthful energy was gone forever. Then about 3 months ago I had an idea for a project I truly believed in. I was able to write code for 16 hours straight, day after day, for most of the last 3 months. And it's not exhausting, it's rejuvenating . I feel like a young man again, despite my gray hairs! (I was planning on releasing it today actually, but this weekend I…

Careful not to fall into the trap of never releasing - it can always be better.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#57

Post by 90s_dev »

radlad wrote: post #56
90s_dev wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wish I had this energy again. I used to think my youthful energy was gone forever. Then about 3 months ago I had an idea for a project I truly believed in. I was able to write code for 16 hours straight, day after day, for most of the last 3 months. And it's not exhausting, it's rejuvenating . I feel like a young man again, despite my gray hairs! (I was planning on releasing it today actually, but this weekend I…

Careful not to fall into the trap of never releasing - it can always be better.

Definitely something I've worried about. But a major architectural change is different than an improvement. I've left a lot of low hanging fruit for me to fix up after release. But with this change it would literally become a new, backwards-incompatible product. That's where I personally draw the line for when to wait.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#59

Post by 90s_dev »

skeeter2020 wrote: post #48
90s_dev wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe someone can make a curated wiki page of people's unfinished and/or abandoned projects so everyone can put theirs there? (Oh wait, that's just github.)

except you said curated :) I actually love this part of github; it reminds me of the old internet, full of under construction Geocities pages and other half-baked projects. It's the polar opposite of today's bland, instagram-perfect same-same internet.

Yep. I love finding someone's old project on github and going through it and especially comparing it to stuff they did release and seeing how it was merely a stepping stone and a way for them to learn something. That significantly influenced how I code and helped me to be okay with writing code that never sees the light of day, as long as it helps me get past something in a project that does.

Re: Side projects I've built since 2009

#60

Post by msephton »

dakiol wrote: post #53

How does one pay taxes when selling minor side projects? I have never been a contractor/freelancer and I have never setup a company. This is the main pain in the ass for me when it comes to generating some side income. I'm in Europe, so it makes it worse I think.

It depends on the country the funds originate. Some countries have tax treaties each other. So it can be complicated. The easiest way is to get an accountant to deal with it. Then you can spend your valuable time building more stuff.
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