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72 Comments

How many projects are you currently working on?

Hello, Indiehackers!

Was just wondering, do you have any projects that have been on pause for some time, are you focused only on a single one, or are you able to work on multiple projects simultaneously?

I'm currently split between BotMeNot development, launching a blog page and writing for it, promoting it, getting beta users and redoing my website and Price2Spy which is my ongoing and most successful project.

Please share your projects and let's discuss!

How many projects are you actively working on in this period?
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6 and more
Vote
  1. 15

    Personally, I can't work on one project. I get bored or burned out very quick. I also never finish anything. And I always feel bad about it. But lately I changed my mindset and found a justification for working on many unfinished projects at once: it's all about luck, so the more different things I try the bigger the chances that something will take off. It's a perfect excuse. Now if only I could actually finish something...

    1. 4

      That's not the best approach as perseverance I think is one of the key factors for success. Luck also is needed so you are partially on the right path :)

      1. 1

        Oh it's a horrible approach. Perseverance and discipline are the most important factors. But I'm using luck as an excuse. Just lying to myself to justify the fear of finishing.

      2. 1

        I think you are correct sir. Self-discipline to keep working on a project even though you don't feel like it seems like an essential quality to have.

    2. 1

      Hahahaha I'm the same

    3. 1

      Bobby, I can relate to a lot of this. Curious what you think could help motivate you to finish more projects? Do you think it's a lack of structure in the project, motivation or just lack of time?

      1. 1

        I have all the time in the world. I understand the project completely. Honestly, I think it's just fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of moving on, fear of being judged. When a project is still in development it has a lot of potential and is full of hope. If you never finish it, you never lose that potential and hope!

    4. 1

      I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes it feels like you are using up the last atoms of your energy to finish that one project!

  2. 5

    I think for most people it's one main project (or full-time job) + a few sideprojects. It's hard to be concentrated on multiple projects at the same time, so working on more than 2 projects in the same lifetime period might be very challenging.

    For me, 1 main project works great. When you love it - you don't need more =)

    1. 1

      For me it's 1 main project. The rest (my job) is a vehicule to sustain my #1 goal which is living off one of my projects :)

    2. 1

      Good point!

      One project that you love and are passionate about is more than enough!

  3. 4

    I voted for 3...

    1. My day job :P
    2. https://slantt.co
    3. https://teamfeels.app

    Maybe I should've said four...
    4) Dad to a 7mo boy

      1. 1

        Sorry, can't hear you over the no-sleep.

        1. 1

          Baha you chose that life ;P

  4. 3

    Currently focusing on one side project while working full time. In the past I tried to run multiple side projects at once but ended up not getting anywhere with either one. Focus is so important when you have limited amount of time. Actually scratch that, focus is always important. This time I am committed to not start anything new until I get the MVP shipped. When a new exciting idea comes around I just write it down and then go back to my project board to pick up the latest ticket that needs doing 🙂

    1. 1

      I think I see your point and I agree.

      If you see that starting an additional project will negatively affect the ones you're currently working on then maybe it's for the best to reconsider if you should start one more.

      Writing down ideas is so underrated I think? It's so good not to have to scratch your head and try to remember than one great thing you had in mind a couple of months ago.

      Cheers!

      1. 1

        Got that from Richard Branson's book Losing My Virginity. He claims he always keeps a notepad in his pocket to jot down ideas when they strike. The book is a great read by the way, highly recommended.

  5. 3

    I'm surprised by how many people are working on more than one project at a time.

    I feel like dedicating your full attention to one project gives your more chance of succeeding, because instead of having multiple "good" projects, you are building one great project!

    But from what I can see from this poll, many fellow IHs have more mental space than has been allotted to me 😄

    1. 1

      I’m surprised too… but it makes more sense than it seems:

      1. Indie Hackers are the kind of people who have ideas, and it’s not in our nature to say no to those ideas.

      2. Multiple projects reduce the stress that a sole project won’t work and increase the likelihood that at least one project will work.

      1. 1

        I could respectfully disagree to both points 😄 but I understand your points.

        In fact, there might be no good answer. Some people work better on one project and others work better when they have multiple projects going on.

  6. 3

    One per week as I‘m trying to build 10 products in 10 weeks as a part of my current Twitter challenge. But I want to improve all projects I‘ve done in the previous weeks at the same time. 😅🙈

    1. 2

      I think I remember your project from another post of yours!

      Sounds extremely challenging, though.

      Good luck!

    2. 2

      I don't understand how people can build so many products in so little time. I work on 1 and can barely deliver it completely 🙈

      1. 1

        I just quit my full-time job, so I'm full day on it 🙃

  7. 2

    Nowadays, I am taking some rest from job and freelance projects. I am focusing on my own project called Parker Clay. I recently launched it and hoping for the best.

  8. 2

    One makes me lazy while two makes me focus more on one.

  9. 2

    I am currently working on several projects alongside 3 clients which pay the bills :D

    • Simple Giveaways -> a WordPress plugin for giveaways
    • Live Scores for SportsPress -> extension for another WordPress plugin to show scores in "real" time for the matches managed by that site
    • Simple Sponsorships - a plugin for sponsorships
    • Simple Cart - enhancement for WooCommerce and EDD to have the cart on every page
    • working on an MVP for now to make searching and finding real estate easier
    • https://webfromdesign.com/ - preparing to launch
    • several other WordPress plugins
    • writing tutorials and improving membership content on https://ibenic.com
  10. 2

    Got some freelance work with GetOneDesk.com and am building a learning portal for highschool economics clubs.

  11. 2

    2 but my other one isn't to monetize (at least for now). It's just an interest of mine. It's a device to enable me to tweet from a lucid dream.

  12. 2

    I currently have 3 projects in active development + a day job, and 2 projects that I haven't worked on for a few months.

    1.- Legendsverse.com - A Marvel Legends figures tracking app. (shipped)
    This is my main project and the one I work the most. It has an average of $120.00 MRR.

    2.- RemoteDevs.lat - a job board for LATAM developers. (shipped)
    I started this as a free job board, and I started it because I couldn't find a job a few months back. Haven't marketed it at all. And I'm not sure what to do with it. But there's one company that uses it very often.

    3-. SocialCards.xyz - an image generator for social marketing (about to ship)
    This spinned off from Legendsverse, since I generate dynamic images for users profiles, and figures. I also generate dynamic images for the job postings at RemoteDevs.lat. So this is a need I have and that I think that a lot of people share. Still no audience or anything. Not sure how to market it.

    4.- MiisPeek.com - an animal shelter management app (shipped)
    I've been trying to get some beta users for a few weeks but haven't had the time to cold email or anything, so it's on the back burner.

    5.- knots.chat - A no BS chat / support form (shipped)
    I shipped this several months ago but I use it for my own projects. Haven't marketed it at all and it's not really complete because it doesn't have several users, a lot of stuff is hardcoded.

    So yeah, most of those came out of necessity and will develop them more as I see fit. But my main focus is on Legendsverse, since is the only one bringing money to the table. Hopefully social cards will do too.

  13. 2

    If you count my 9/5 job as a project then I am at 2. The experience of getting from start to finish with one project is way more important than the experience of starting 7 projects and only experiencing the early phase.

  14. 2

    Working on: 1

    Half finished and not motivated or not sure if I should continue: ∞

  15. 2

    I have 2 ideas but I decided to work on one because I have no time for both and if I work on both then it won't be good enough so it won't take me nowhere.

    I will rather focus on one for a few months and if it doesn't work switch to another

  16. 2

    I have one day job, one hardware product (Morpheus on my profile) and one hobbyist home-improvement project. Really trying to finish the home-improvement one asap so I can focus on my product Morpheus!

  17. 2

    Well the best part about software is i don't have to work on them daily so currently is always one but i have 6+ active

  18. 2

    Well, right now the main project is wickedtemplates.com
    but then I normally update the rest of them around the week.

    You can see them here:

    https://wickedlabs.dev/

  19. 2

    Three. Best thing is that the first one, which took me 7 months and was my first ever project, taught me so many things that the second project I'm working is double as complicated and will take half the time of the first one to be completed. Learning by doing is definitely the best way

  20. 2

    Three, but I can only really work on two in a day. I think of other projects in the back of my mind. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I wonder if I am doing it right.

    The good:

    • I'd steal code/idea from one project to another project I work on.

    The bad:

    • context switching is definitely not a productive thing to do
    • they all start to feel very similar...
  21. 2

    Congrats i hope i can post my 100k$ revenue cross on my 22nd birthday. (26 April 2022)

  22. 2

    I'm mainly working on a single project right now but maintaining another one which is open-source and doesn't provide any revenue except of a few donations. And yeah, then there is my day job as a freelancer in wed-dev where I am currently busy full time.

  23. 2

    On a related note, does anyone know how to remove a product from your indiehacker account once you've decided to move on and stop working on it?

  24. 2

    I'm currently working on two projects.

    One of those is "secondary"; I only work on it early in the mornings (5:30 to 7AM); it's a series of books about Software Development and IT: https://dev-concepts.dev

    The other one is a SaaS product that I'm currently validating in the Personal Knowledge Management space. I intend to work half time on that one.

  25. 2

    I'm currently working on 2: a freelance project building a career exploration platform and a SaaS for user research. The freelance project is my main 'side-project' outside of work, but the back and forth with my client can be a bit slow sometimes, so when I have the chance, I work on my own project.

    It's really nice to be able to copy non-proprietary code between the two projects. Like I wrote billing + auth for the freelance project and was able to copy 99% of it to my personal project.

  26. 2

    Good to know there are other people working on multiple projects. Great post idea @mkrunic

  27. 2

    Voted for 6+ , because I'm in 14 projects now 🚀

  28. 2

    Currently working on two.

    My main business and my side project engageful.app

    I honestly love every second of it.

    1. 1

      I honestly love every second of it.

      At the end of the day, it's all that matters right? :D

    2. 1

      Congrats and good luck!

  29. 2

    Interesting data! Was definetely expecting the majority to be working on 3+ projects but 1-2 seem to take up the mass. Would be interesting to see the trend over past years...

    Personally working on 2x projects at the moment with the majority of my focus going into Product HQ which we are launching on Product Hunt tomorrow!

    1. 2

      Haha really? I was expecting the data to be 80% working on 1 project 😆

      1. 1

        Ha! You've got a better grasp of the market than I do then!

        1. 2

          I'm 50% off, so I wouldn't say so 😆

    2. 2

      Yeah, it would indeed be interesting to compare this data with previous periods were it available.

      Good luck with your launch! Don't get stressed out (too much)!

  30. 2

    Just been working on my first project for the last 10 weeks

    1. 2

      Are you satisfied with your progress when you look back from where you started?

      1. 1

        Yeah very satisfied. I Had a little burn out for a week but I got my project done!

  31. 2

    I have one primary job/project (PeopleFish). But I've built a few side projects that help keep things interesting (MailThis, SincerelyMe), so I'm not doing just one thing every day. My rules for those is that they must be completely automated, so they don't steal time from my main job. That way, I can work on them when I have time, and never have to deal with anything urgent or pressing.

    1. 2

      My rules for those is that they must be completely automated

      Can it ever be fully automated? Bug fixes, customer support, feature requests :D

      Or you're like me and you have no users yet haha

      1. 1

        Yes, there's always maintenance. What I mean is that getting a new order/sale requires no work on my part.

        1. 1

          Got it, that makes sense. Basically you don't want to sell physical products 😆

    2. 2

      That seems like a good way to organize your tasks when you work on multiple at once.

  32. 2

    Personally, one at the current time. But I'm honestly surprised that two is getting more votes than one in the poll.

    1. 1

      Understandable.

      Btw, it looks like 1 is in the lead now!

  33. 2

    Working on my startup and ecommerce thing with friends. As our motivations are completely different, soon I'll drop the ecommerce project.

    1. 1

      Good luck with your startup, then!

  34. 1

    I usually have the day job (which I didn’t count) a marketing agency I run on the side (I do just the strategy and management for the most part and have several subcontractors who help out with the day-to-day execution) plus a monthly newsletter I run about my local startup scene.

    So 2+job.

    That’s mooore than enough! In the past I’ve tried to run the agency + get a startup off the ground and it has never ended well. Now I have a learning flywheel that builds both experience and reach while letting me play around with ideas for future companies. Or sleep.

    High fives for all the people doing parenting on top of it! I’m single and in my early 20s.

  35. 1

    Usually one project that I’m creating but a few that are on maintenance. Oh and a day job.

  36. 1

    Misha, Price2Spy seems to be an AWESOME solution. You really built a product that solves such a clear pain for all e-commerce players out there - clear example of focusing on a pain that exists and clients are willing to pay a good amount of money to solve it. Congrats!

    I have 2 projects that are correlated: my newsletter and my website. And I'm currently the VP Finance for a fast-growing startup that is the midst of a Series B fundraising round - which means I need to be the ultimate hacker of productivity.

    Baby #1: Open Books: https://openbooks.substack.com/subscribe?

    My weekly newsletter with the mission to provide short 'business finance quick wins' to entrepreneurs, CEOs & founders.

    Baby #2: LiquidCFO: www.liquidcfo.com

    B2B Marketplace to help startups and SMBs to chose the best virtual/fractional CFO provider for their business.

    As a VP Finance/CFO of startups for over a decade now, I'm an advocate that you don't need a full time CFO until you are preparing for an IPO - which means that there's a significant portion of companies out there will never need to have a CFO inhouse, ever.

  37. 3

    This comment was deleted 6 months ago.

  38. 2

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  39. 2

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

    1. 1

      Good to know, you seem like you manage your time and energy effectively.

      Has it ever happened to you to feel an urge to derail from the project you're currently working on to work on something else?

      1. 1

        This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

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