Side Projects Kill

http://fr.anc.is/2012/07/13/side-projects-kill/

by c1sc0 • 14 years ago

8 12 14 years ago

fr.anc.is

gexla2• 14 years ago

Haha, I was just thinking the same thing today. There are two voices I have to listen to here.

Hacker: Scratch your itch, build something!

Freelancer: That itch will cost you money! You could be working during that time.

Compromise: Build something on the side (rather than client work) which will bring in cash. This is good for me because it diversifies my income.

c1sc02• 14 years ago

The problem with building something on the side that makes money is that most of the time it still means you need to spend time promoting it.

mark_ellul• 14 years ago

I am a father of 2 kids, any side project will mean time away from them, and I don't care what anyone says, I prefer to have a balanced life any day. I also find my ability to work during normal hours (9am to 9pm, as I am freelancer) during the week is enhanced by my down time with the family!

activepeanut2• 14 years ago

Do you know if there are family-friendly startups out there?

racER• 14 years ago

Yes, mine! ;) I'm father of one kid, additional twins expected in december. :)

I think it depends on the type of work. We're developing software, and this can be done practically anytime. Personally I go to office very late (to have some time with my kid in the morning), and often return early enough to also play in the evening. Then, after putting her into bed, I can work again until 02.00 AM. But it's also important to mention that your wife (or spouse) has to tolerate this, too! :)

And to side projects: I think they're even more important the more time you invest into a certain single project, to look beyond one's own nose. They keep you open-minded, and sometimes even integrate into your current main project.

gexla2• 14 years ago

EVERYONE has limitations. Everyone still has to sleep X hours per day. Spend X hours per day doing X. Kids or no, I can only squeeze out maybe 4 - 6 hours per day of solid coding before my brain quits on me. The rest of my working day is doing less taxing things which still need to be done as a freelancer.

Budgeting time is just like budgeting money. You just have to make sure you're spending it well. It's best to be diversified, so spend some of that working time on something which can bring in an alternative revenue stream. It may not pay off right away, but it could pay off huge in the end.

Mamady• 14 years ago

I totally disagree.

Side projects are a way to experiment and broaden your knowledge of technologies. Focus is good, but prolonged focus can lead to boredom and resentment.

Giving employees the chance to vent their creativity with new and fun technologies (via side projects) often leads to much happier employees. There is also a built-in feedback loop that allows that knowledge to flow back into the company with better practices, architecture or just the use of better tools.

Let me summarize it this way: Side projects are the best form of training you can provide for your employees.

And that's why Google has 20% time.

c1sc02• 14 years ago

I never said side-projects aren't great for experimenting & broadening your knowledge. In fact, I'm painfully aware of that. It's just that in a startup setting doing side-projects quickly becomes lethal. Maybe us entrepreneurs should get a traditional job once in a while so we can afford side-projects again?

griffordson• 14 years ago

I find that working too many hours outside of 9 to 5 quickly becomes lethal too. And working on side projects as a cofounder feels very much like cheating on a spouse for all the reasons you mentioned.

One approach is to look for future needs and do quick startup related R&D projects in place of true side projects. This doesn't have all the benefits of real side projects though. And it has some real disadvantages too. It still feels like work and can lead to resentment and burnout if you aren't careful. But this the best compromise I've found.

kstenerud2• 14 years ago

Hasn't been lethal for me. In fact, I'd say that being able to blow off steam in this way has kept me sane and balanced. It may sometimes seem that a startup is a zero-sum game where any time spent elsewhere is time (and runway) lost, but that's a very dangerous mindset to get into. You'll burn out before you even get to the halfway point.

kstenerud2• 14 years ago

Meh. I do side projects the way other people read a book or learn a musical instrument: to unwind in an intellectually stimulating manner.

You can't be head down in your business 100% of the time; that's just plain unhealthy. You need time to step back and focus on something else for awhile, so that you can come back fresh and full of new ideas.

The good life is all about balance. You can be the jackrabbit who's always first in line, but I'm still going to get my slice of pie, despite stopping to smell the roses.

Side Projects Kill

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