
Finding the Energy to Work on Your Side Hustle - jrs235
https://www.startups.co/articles/finding-the-energy-to-work-on-your-sidehustle?ref=quuu&utm_content=buffer98172&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
======
metalhipster
I do the opposite, I work on my side project right after I wake up and make my
coffee. Then I go to the gym and workout, then head into work. The workout is
the perfect reset and I have not really had any issues with my side project
taking over my thoughts while doing my full time job.

~~~
Kenji
I cannot get more than 4-5 hours of pure brain work out of my day. Usually,
those hours are spent at work, except on weekends. I have no idea how other
people do that but if I regularly spend more than 8 hours working per day and
then add a few hours of _even more_ programming in the evening, I go insane.

~~~
WalterSear
I regularly feel that way. But when I stop working on side projects, I feel
worthless. I'm sure it's not a healthy place to be. I don't see how side
projects could get anywhere without a little irrationality - it's inherently
unhealthy to take on what amounts to a second job.

------
jondubois
I've been working on side projects for about 7 years now. All my side projects
are open source. I wouldn't advise going into open source to make money but
it's a great way to build connections. Considering the failure rate of for-
profit side-projects among people I know, I think that maybe open source isn't
such a bad idea from a career point of view.

My first open source project was a failure; I worked on it for 3 years for
maybe 20 hours per week. At around the same time, a number of hot SV startups
started building very similar products 'as a service' \- I felt that I could
not compete with that kind of VC money so I gave up (I felt that open source
did not stand a chance in that industry against the 'as-a-service' model). It
was my first project so I wasn't too disappointed; it was mostly a learning
experience. It was good to know that I could at least come up with the right
ideas but that I had to improve execution. Also, picking an area/industry
where open source software can thrive is important. Open source is not easy;
it still has to compete with big advertising dollars and VC money.

I've been working on my second open source project for almost 4 years now.
It's quite well known in its area (it got traction pretty soon after launch
and kept growing steadily).

Looking back, it does feel like I could have spent my time on more lucrative
things; but the problem with money is that everyone wants it; so things get
very competitive and marketing-oriented. So maybe from a career/networking
point of view, my open source work wasn't a bad ROI after all... For a side
hustle.

~~~
zitterbewegung
Why don't you try marketing your opensource experience or software? It seems
like you have a product that has traction.

~~~
jondubois
I did get some consulting contracts from companies over the past year. Also,
very recently, I accepted a sponsorship deal from a very interesting company
which is using my project.

I feel that it's just starting to settle into a niche which might have
commercial potential but I don't want to rush anything. Commercial stuff is
secondary for me.

~~~
k-mcgrady
I think what OP may have been hinting at (although I may be wrong) was a
book/course/blog on what it's like working on a OS project and teaching other
people how they can do the same while avoiding common mistakes.

~~~
zitterbewegung
No, I wasn't but those are good ideas!

------
lavamantis
Who among us have called in sick to the day job just to put in a solid block
of daytime hours on a side project? It's happened to me a few times over the
years, and I've been 97% guilt-free about it.

~~~
overcast
I do that regularly, especially when I'm particularly excited about something
new. I've woken up in the middle of the night, registered a new domain, and
then emailed the office to tell them I'm not coming in that day. More than a
few times.

You do what is best for you.

------
arunaugustine
I didn't know Ryan Hoover built product hunt as a side hustle. I always
thought he worked on it full-time, blogging and sending email newsletters to
organically build his audience.

------
purplezooey
clickbait article

