Lessons from Side Projects

• Life

Reflections on what I've learned from building side projects over the years.

#side-projects #learning #reflection

Lessons from Side Projects

Over the years, I’ve built dozens of side projects. Some succeeded, many failed, but all taught me something valuable. Here are the key lessons I’ve learned.

Start Small, Think Big

The biggest mistake I made early on was trying to build everything at once. I’d have grand visions of complex applications with dozens of features, only to burn out before shipping anything.

Now I start with the smallest possible version that provides value. You can always add features later, but you can’t ship what you haven’t built.

Ship Early, Ship Often

Perfect is the enemy of good. I used to spend months polishing projects before showing them to anyone. Now I try to get something in front of users as quickly as possible.

The feedback you get from real users is infinitely more valuable than your own assumptions about what they want.

Choose Your Stack Wisely

Early in my career, I’d use side projects as an excuse to try every new technology. While learning is important, constantly switching technologies slows you down.

Now I have a go-to stack that I know well:

  • Frontend: React or Astro (depending on the project)
  • Backend: Node.js with Express or Next.js API routes
  • Database: PostgreSQL or SQLite
  • Hosting: Vercel or Railway

This doesn’t mean I never try new things, but I’m more strategic about when and why.

Document Everything

Future you will thank present you for good documentation. I can’t count the number of times I’ve returned to a project months later and had no idea how it worked.

At minimum, document:

  • How to run the project locally
  • Environment variables needed
  • Deployment process
  • Key architectural decisions

Embrace the Learning

Not every project needs to be a commercial success. Some of my “failed” projects taught me the most:

  • A chat app that never launched taught me WebSockets
  • A failed e-commerce site taught me payment processing
  • A productivity app nobody used taught me user research

The skills you learn building side projects compound over time.

Know When to Stop

This is the hardest lesson. Sometimes you need to abandon a project and move on. I used to feel guilty about “unfinished” projects, but now I see them as stepping stones.

If a project isn’t bringing you joy or teaching you something new, it’s okay to stop working on it.

The Real Value

The real value of side projects isn’t always the project itself. It’s:

  • Skills: You learn by doing
  • Portfolio: Tangible proof of your abilities
  • Network: You meet people who share your interests
  • Confidence: You prove to yourself that you can build things

What’s Next

I’m currently working on a few small projects:

  • A simple note-taking app (because I’m never satisfied with existing ones)
  • A tool for tracking reading progress
  • This website (which counts as a side project!)

Each one is teaching me something new, and that’s what makes it worthwhile.

What side projects are you working on? I’d love to hear about them!