

Why Do Side Projects Die? - nsheth17
https://codelympics.io/blog/why-do-side-projects-die

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Udo
There is a very real evolutionary component to side projects. They are usually
born out of an idea, a will to experiment or just because they sound fun. And
they _are_ fun, not necessarily due to reaching a certain goal, but as a way
to spend time. You could argue that time is wasted, but not every intellectual
or emotional pursuit _has_ to be oriented on externally viable goals. Time you
spend on side projects could also be time you spend on playing a computer
game, crafting something, or any other hobby-like activity. Even though the
remnants of old projects can sometimes feel like tombstones or failure
markers, for some reason we don't feel the same way about, say, an old save
game file.

But most importantly, I want to circle back to the evolutionary aspect: side
projects are explorations. The subject of that exploration can vary hugely,
but at the end there is a result. The result may be that the project is not
viable or not fun. Or it might be a lesson about programming that will improve
your performance further down the road. Occasionally, side projects survive
and get to pass on their genes in the form of continued development, or
partial re-use, or even a commercial spin-off.

All of this is fine, and it's part of the process many programmers go through.
I would like to invite people to embrace the impermanence and whimsical nature
of side projects from the get go. Learn to love what you're doing, instead of
thinking about what the world will be like when you're done with a project.

~~~
nsheth17
> "Even though the remnants of old projects can sometimes feel like tombstones
> or failure markers, for some reason we don't feel the same way about, say,
> an old save game file."

Very true. We beat ourselves up over leaving projects unfinished in a way that
we don't about other things. It's probably because side projects mean
something more to us, and the way we look at ourselves.

Also true that side projects are explorations. It's also more fun to explore
with other people than it is alone.

------
derrickroccka
Hi! First of all, I'm new here :) My name is Juan Carlos, but everybody knows
me as Derrick Roccka. I'm 25.

I've visited hacker news a lot of times, but I never signed up. So, let's get
down to business.

I'm a person who has an anxiety disorder. One of my biggest "problems" is that
I'm always trying to create. I force myself to come up with new ideas that
make me feel motivated. Unafortunately, this has a really bad side. Though I
can imagine really interesting things, when I can't acomplish the "eternal to-
do lists" that I have in my head, I feel extremely frustrated. I've tried a
lot of things to avoid this kind of feeling, but with no success.

I'm grateful to you because your article gave me a few clues about one part of
my problems. Obviously, I have a lot of technical limitations, like everyone,
and this world spins so fast. Anyway, being alone didn't help me in the past
and I'm pretty sure that won't do it in the future. It seems an easy thing to
detect, but you really made me think about it.

About motivation... what can I say that you didn't hear before... You're
completely right. I'm like a kid (and I'm sure you guys feel the same): when
I'm bored, I quit. That's probably wrong, but I really suffer when I have to
do something that completely blocks me. And this is a "double-pain" because
there's a new thing in my to-do list that I'm not going to complete, once
again.

I hope that your article and your project is helping a lot of people like me.

Thanks for all and sorry for my bad english!

See you later!

~~~
Udo
Welcome Derrick!

 _> when I can't acomplish the "eternal to-do lists" that I have in my head, I
feel extremely frustrated._

You are not alone in this. There are several things you can do - in my
experience - to manage this.

First: scope. Drastically limit every idea to its absolute core, implement
that, and _then_ if you're still motivated (it's OK to not be) built outward
from that. What really helped me personally is Ludum Dare, it's a game-making
jam, and it lasts only 48 hours. If you can't get it done in that time, lay it
to rest. This is immensely liberating.

Second: expectation. I already ranted about that in this thread, no need to
repeat it here.

 _> Obviously, I have a lot of technical limitations, like everyone, and this
world spins so fast._

It may seem that way if, say, you're trying to keep up with every single new
JavaScript framework that comes out. But it's not the right way to look at it.
We live in a world that's keeping legacy software alive indefinitely. When
something new comes out, eye it critically, and acknowledge that the _menu_
you can choose from has expanded. There is no need to consume the entire menu
or even a large part of it. If you choose to perceive it as a rich, ever-
expanding world that gives you more possibilities from day to day, you stop
seeing it as a pressure-cooker you have to keep up with in order to stay
relevant.

To keep with the game-programming examples, one of the most successful game
development stories in recent history was built in Java, as a software
renderer if I recall (Minecraft).

~~~
derrickroccka
Wow! Thank you Udo for answering so fast! Nice to meet you.

You're definetely right. I completely agree with you. I know that I have a
problem with the scope and the "pressure-cooker" haha. Jokes aside, it's true
that I should eliminate from my list those things that, after a short period
of time, are no motivating me, at least the way they are supposed to. I'll try
to move in that direction ;)

About the second part... DEFINETELY TRUE. I know it's my fault, but the only
thing I can do is trying to focus my mind in what I'm doing, "eat my own food"
and when I'm done, then I'll be able to ask for a big dessert if I want. It's
a pretty simple concept, but I liked it!

Thank you so much!

------
davisclark
I think this is getting at one of the root absurdities of human existence in
general: the desire to be understood, to socially connect, and the
overwhelming truth that real understanding is impossible. We are born, we
live, and we die alone.

It reminds me of what Sartre wrote, "Man can will nothing unless he has first
understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone,
abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without
help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny
than the one he forges for himself on this earth."

~~~
Udo
Your outlook on this really depends on subjective definitions of "truth",
"understanding", and "alone". I realize it's one of the central hypotheses of
the article that side projects need to have a social component - but whether
that's true is entirely dependent on someone's personality. The overwhelming
majority of side projects will never get shared with anyone, and I differ with
the article in saying that's not a failure which needs to be corrected. On the
other hand, there are side projects that happen with many people collaborating
from the get-go; however, I would be hesitant to declare this a globally ideal
format for all programmers doing hobby hacking.

------
ciryon
I'm fortunate enough to have someone to talk to, discuss ideas and show the
latest and greatest to. It's my wife. She's technical and can do some
programming, but most importantly she's interested in helping me and knows how
positive and energized I become by working on my side projects.

------
bedub
Side projects die because of other side projects I think! ;)

~~~
keithblaha
Totally: [http://www.commitstrip.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/11/Strip-...](http://www.commitstrip.com/wp-
content/uploads/2014/11/Strip-Side-project-650-finalenglish.jpg)

~~~
derrickroccka
hahahahahahahha

------
mtimjones
There's probably an element of "creative destruction" in this. Time is a
precious resource, and side-projects like anything else compete for your
attention and time. I don't look at dead or dying side-projects as a bad
thing, you have to make the best of this time given your goal.

------
err4nt
Often a side project of mine will serve as a reference, or even provide
snippets of re-usable code.

I can now trace some snippets over multiple generations of projects, slightly
improved each time. In this sense code doesn't just grow vertically, even a
dead project can yield code that grows laterally too!

