Do you stay focused on one project at a time?
I've noticed this about myself that when I have great idea for a side project I think about it all the time, planning the design, features and everything in my head, but only until the point I actually start to work on it.
As soon I start to work on it I get another amazing idea for a different project and start to think obsessively about that other idea and I can't get it out of my head.
The last time this happened I thought that this other side project (chrome extension) will take me about a day to make so I might as well do it now - so I paused my current project and did the extension. It actually took 2 days in the end.
But now I'm again getting obsessed by yet another idea and not focusing on my current side project. I'm thinking whether I should try to focus and finish this thing which is halfway through or to jump to the next one. I can return to this project after that, but then what if I get a different idea and will keep jumping form project to project without finishing anything.
Do you also experience it? And how do you deal with it? Do you force yourself to stay focused on the current project or do you jump to something different when you feel like it?
Shiny object syndrome?
Eventually, there are two camps, the one that praises structure, focus and perseverance (you can't chase two rabbits at once, etc.) and the other that embraces chaos, creativity and experimentation.
I am from the latter camp, and I can totally relate to your situation. In fact, it's happening to me right now. I was diligently working on my side project, 20 Seconds, for the first couple of months this year, until another (already running and profitable) side business required my attention. And now, even worse, another opportunity arose and I'll probably bite and postpone the other project a little. (But even though I've been guilty of shiny object syndrome more than once, in this case it's an unemotional Covid-19 related reprioritization.)
But here's the deal I made with myself:
I will always put the majority of my working hours into the project that feeds my family. This may be an employment, or a freelance gig, or an own product. In my case specifically, it's a fintech software boutique I started with friends, 10 years ago. I take my responsibility for clients, projects, employees and co-founders seriously.
When it comes to side projects, unless I have any responsibilities towards users, I'll waste my time however I like and jump from project to project – the journey is its own reward.
Don't feel bad about it! Godspeed!
Thanks, that's a good rule of thumb - to focus the most on the project that brings the most money or where you have the most responsibility for other people.
I don't have such project yet, I recently quit my job with the intention to start something of my own, so that's probably why I'm so hesitant on this issue - I don't want to waste too much time.
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I personally can’t.
I must have 2-3 projects going on simultaneously. I have a main project that’s bread and butter for me, but I also work on several side-projects that I care about only after hours. The side-projects are also open source, so I receive pull requests from folks every once in a while and that drives my motivation up like a shot of glucose.
When I am tired of working with code, I do some light design work for a week, and vice versa. This strategy has worked well for me so far and I often take holiday breaks to not focus on anything.
You are not alone, many of us are in that situation. My unused domain names list is the proof.
When you buy these domains and then when you don't do anything with it for a year do you let it expire or do you keep renewing it?
Just curious, I never acquired this habit of domain buying, I guess I'm too stingy for that :D
Some I let them expire, every year I let one or two go. And some I give them away after few months..
I still have like ~15 domains. These are some
BookBibo.com
DearEle.com
EleBucket.com
Commit.fun
Write.wtf
WatermarkAPI.com
Stringify.me
ReactDude.com
...
Some garbage domains which are expired
DrawImg.com
Contains.fun
FreePiano.online
FreeChess.online
So much money spent on domains haha
In my experience the only things that eventually were getting somewhere are the things I kept working on. Maybe I didn’t need to work on it all the time, but at least I needed to come back to it regularly until it is „done“.
@catico Great subject! I've experienced same for a while. Know the feeling. A couple of things got to my head while reading and contemplating little on this. Also, words below come from years of different practices, solutions but also struggles.
I noticed that you don't mention anything about selling your product, and you refer to them as side projects. Is your goal to eventually build a business from your projects? If so, can you plan out the marketing? It looks like you are achieving your goals with your side projects, but there is no planning about how to sell the product. This will give you a better "why" as to why you are building the project.
You probably know how to code and build products, but have you considered trying to get customers while you are building the product?
Yes, technically those are not "side" projects since I don't have any "main" project. But in terms of size these projects are rather small. Some of those projects I don't expect to be monetizable, some I do. But I'm not too concerned about selling at this point.
You're totally right, that I'm a typical developer who's only concerned with building things and is not planning ahead as to how to sell it once it's build. And I agree that the right way to do it would be to validate the idea and see which idea has more potential and choose that project.
But I also don't think it's necessarily applicable to every type of project. I think it kind of depends on the scale of the project, the importance of the problem you're solving and how easy is to validate the idea. If it's a very small project it might not even be worth the time.
For my projects I don't think it's necessary or possible to sell just the idea without having built anything. Also I can't really identify with this mindset to be honest. I cannot imagine I personally would pay for something upfront if it's not even built yet.
Good question. I was just having the same dilemma. Putting aside the possible Shinny Object Syndrome, I am deciding between focusing on my current project, or switching to one with bigger audience. Both valuable to the end user and interesting. Thinking what is better long term...
My confusion: https://www.indiehackers.com/post/is-it-ok-to-have-2-projects-inside-the-same-newsletter-f15688e9c9
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Totally!