I've got a list of side projects to get on with. I've made little progress in the last year, and suspect its burn out to blame - I'm just constantly exhausted.
I think if you have the energy, this is awesome fun. It might even get to the point where one of them makes some decent income.
But if you don't, like me, just realise that there is a reason for that, and it's OK. You need rest and relaxation, and it's OK to prioritise that.
90s_dev · 3h ago
> I wish I had this energy again.
I used to think my youthful energy was gone forever. Then about 3 months ago I had an idea for a project I truly believed in. I was able to write code for 16 hours straight, day after day, for most of the last 3 months. And it's not exhausting, it's rejuvenating. I feel like a young man again, despite my gray hairs! (I was planning on releasing it today actually, but this weekend I had an epiphany that requires a half rewrite for significant gains, which might add another few weeks.)
ChrisMarshallNY · 59m ago
I'm 63, and still actively shipping "side" projects (quoted, because now they are my "day job"). Been doing it for at least a couple of decades. Probably more like 30 years.
Here's what I'm working on, right now[0]. It's a major rewrite of an existing app, that's been submitted to the App Store, and will probably go "live" in a day or so (unless someone at Apple has an issue with it, which happens, from time to time. Annoying, but not the end of the world). I'm working on the README and code documentation, now (I'll put together a docc catalog, as well as a Jazzy Docs site, and the supporting pages[1]).
I’ve been doing my ‘side’ project as my day job for 5 years, 10 productive hours a day, 7 days a week. Sunday is dedicated to side side projects for experimental ideas that are not on the critical path.
When working a normal job I could only work part time due to burnout that I later found out was in reality ME/CFS. After a Covid vaccine injury (long covid) I had to pause work for a few years while I found a way to treat it. Once treated I elected to work on my side project even though I make much less money as I considerer the regular workforce to be highly dysfunctional and liable to cause me to relapse into a fatigued state.
90s_dev · 15m ago
> burnout that I later found out was in reality ME/CFS
In my experience, burnout is really just a subconscious realization that what you're doing is just not worth doing, even for large amounts of money, and it manifests itself in fatigue or pain, because your mind is trying to stop you.
PaulRobinson · 1h ago
Congrats on finding something like that, and can't wait to see the Show HN thread!
What do you think made it something you could believe in? Was it the opportunity, that it aligned with something you were personally interested in or something else?
I had a project a few years ago that was a bit like that. I'd be coding it up every hour I could find around the day job, and loved it. Perhaps I need to reflect on that some more.
90s_dev · 23m ago
Actually maybe this is one way to explan it:
When Pico 8 came out, I immediately had a feeling of recognition and familiarity: "Oh! So this is the app I was half dreaming of making all these years!*
The app I'm making now gives me the exact same feeling, which is already a reward in itself, but it also means it'll probably give others that feeling too. So it's doubly exciting.
90s_dev · 29m ago
Thanks! It's hard to know exactly why. What I do know is that I'm surprised week after week with breakthroughs I never dreamed possible and which I think other people will find very useful, and these each renew my excitement.
johnmaguire · 2h ago
Careful not to fall into the trap of never releasing - it can always be better.
parpfish · 1m ago
Or not?
If his joy comes from endlessly coding and refactoring and tinkering, just have fun doing that.
90s_dev · 2h ago
Definitely something I've worried about. But a major architectural change is different than an improvement. I've left a lot of low hanging fruit for me to fix up after release. But with this change it would literally become a new, backwards-incompatible product. That's where I personally draw the line for when to wait.
yard2010 · 7m ago
Ship it! Ship it now!
90s_dev · 3m ago
I'm on the fence. But the new idea would fully break compatibility, and is much better. Should I continue to indefinitely support a product I no longer believe in?
dmos62 · 2h ago
Happy to hear this, good luck!
immibis · 1m ago
I've diagnosed myself with a lack of motivation, not a lack of energy. (Which is also what "burnout" refers to, by the way)
I could, in theory, spend six months writing Uber for dogs. But why would I? That hardly feels worth it. Or I could try to implement AF_ONION in the Linux kernel. Also doesn't really feel motivating. Or (let me check the list) port libsodium to WUFFS. Write a framework for interactive tablet applications (at least on the pinetab2). Try to compile something by telling an LLM to pretend it's gcc, just for laughs. Set up an IRC botnet (the legal kind). Write an SSH honeypot. All stuff that seems slightly interesting but not enough to actually do it. And what seems interesting enough to focus on it for a few months to the exclusion of all other possibilities? Nothing at all.
drish · 1h ago
totally feel you, I also have a list of projects I wanted to jump in, but I feel exhausted, and blame myself for not working on them.
PaulRobinson · 1h ago
Blaming yourself is something I can relate to.
[Comedy take: I blame you for my projects not being done too! :) Bada-tish!]
Seriously though, guilt, blame, shame all that stuff: it's not helpful. It just compounds the feelings that make it hard to get started again because those feelings are emotionally draining.
What I'm trying to get myself into the habit of is a 5-minute dip into something. If I just say to myself when I'm feeling slightly exhausted "I just need to put 5 minutes into this next task, and then I'll stop", I frequently find myself spending 30+ minutes on it. I can then feel a sense of over-meeting my "goal". That builds a little momentum, it makes you feel good about getting something done.
I also have reminded myself of the advice I gave others when younger: don't underestimate rest - particularly sleep, but also generally doing nothing - as being part of getting stuff done.
I don't do this well at all at the moment, hence my comment you're replying to, but I absolutely 100% will not let blaming myself get into my head like that, and that does help a little with the 5-minute trick.
deadbabe · 1h ago
Side projects lately feel the same as creating a blog: why bother, no one is ever gonna read it? And it’s not going to make much money or gain you karma.
mjr00 · 20m ago
The great part about side projects is that unlike a business, it doesn't matter how much money it makes or how much traction it gets on social media. You can build something that you think is cool or useful and release it to the world and be proud of it. Then when someone stumbles upon it and also finds it cool and useful, it's a nice feeling.
A focus on revenue or external validation is what turns a "side project" into a "side hustle" or just a plain old "business" and those tend to be a lot less fun to work on.
yard2010 · 3m ago
For me, a good side project is one you keep working on despite knowing these facts ;)
socalgal2 · 43m ago
I sometimes feel like that. All of the side projects I've done in the last 25 years have been mostly for my own enjoyment. I haven't done a single side project for money. I also used to run a blog for enjoyment. I stopped enjoying it, so stopped doing it.
I do sometimes feel like, if I'd spent 25% of the time I spent on these side projects on something that would have made me $$$$$$$$ then maybe I could now spend all my time on anything I want, or live in a nicer place and that sometimes dissuades me from some new side projects.
I think probably the biggest thing that gets me to start something is if I believe (even wrongly) that I can make tons of progress quickly. Usually that means I think I can get to something working in a few hours.
naeemnur · 3h ago
Totally relatable. I’ve stepped back a bit since my son was born. It’s a different pace now, but that’s fine. Rest isn’t a pause, it’s part of it.
jonplackett · 5h ago
I should make a page of ‘Every Side Project I haven’t quite finished building since 2009’
But it would be so huge I can’t afford the hosting bill.
skeeter2020 · 2h ago
I have - and still - struggle with this. My (unsolicited) advice:
1. just start anything NOW. Don't worry about getting organized or the correct order; just go. The act of working creates momentum; early on moving is more important than progress.
2. today's good enough > tomorrow's perfect. I found an OSS project for something I was going to build to help me capture "personal content". It's rough and not exactly what I was after but good enough. I've built (less than) half a system to help me with my job on top of PocketBase. Maybe someday I'll finish it (or even add another feature - #1 above has lots of ideas captured!) but until then I get value today.
3. Find something that has ongoing personal value: I help an animal rescue and pay the ongoing costs to run the system I built more than 10 years ago. Dropping $20/month to $5/month is possible but not a big enough motivation for a significant new version. The looming tech debt and support load might be over the rest of this year though!
4. Recognize that the incomplete part of side projects is a feature not a bug. Curiosity and exploration almost always end in specific dead ends, but the illumination gained can be used throughout your life. It's largely the act not the explicit output.
90s_dev · 2h ago
> just start anything NOW. Don't worry about getting organized or the correct order; just go
Yes! Projects develop organically, with many stop gap solutions and temporary scaffolds built and torn down along the way. Rome wasn't built in a day.
mickeyr · 4h ago
And if you’re like me, you probably wouldn’t finish the list either…
alentred · 4h ago
Preach. Sign me up when you finish this side project, I will list mine there too :)
jonplackett · 34m ago
This is actually quite a good idea.
SideProjectCemerary ?
You upload your side projects’ data/github/seni-working-prototype, it performs a very quick ritualistic ceremony/blessing and buries it in a little marked grave.
Visitors are free to go grave robbing if they wish.
mfalcon · 4h ago
And you probably won't finish that too :)
diggan · 2h ago
Meh, just change your personal definition of "finished" and everything gets easier :)
I too struggled with the feeling of not completing things, until I realized I didn't actually want to "finish" projects in the sense of "have paying users" but instead wanted to learn something new, try out some design/architecture or just solve a personal problem.
So for the last few years, my "finished" ratio is much higher, as I got the value I wanted out of almost every project I started.
nonethewiser · 2h ago
Good.
I don't see this as a bad thing. Most people make side projects for fun, trying knew things, solidifying knowledge, etc.
I mean, if you have a goal of starting a SaaS and you've spent years starting and stopping a bunch of projects that you never follow through on then yeah, you should improve on that. But that's not most people with a bunch of unfinished side projects.
fm2606 · 1h ago
Excellent point
90s_dev · 2h ago
Maybe someone can make a curated wiki page of people's unfinished and/or abandoned projects so everyone can put theirs there? (Oh wait, that's just github.)
skeeter2020 · 2h ago
except you said curated :)
I actually love this part of github; it reminds me of the old internet, full of under construction Geocities pages and other half-baked projects. It's the polar opposite of today's bland, instagram-perfect same-same internet.
90s_dev · 2h ago
Yep. I love finding someone's old project on github and going through it and especially comparing it to stuff they did release and seeing how it was merely a stepping stone and a way for them to learn something. That significantly influenced how I code and helped me to be okay with writing code that never sees the light of day, as long as it helps me get past something in a project that does.
giantg2 · 3h ago
That's a pretty high percentage of sold vs dead products. I think most people would be lucky to sell even one side project.
liamkf · 33m ago
Agreed that the number sold is high! Although of the sold ones I clicked on 3/4 were no longer online at all, so I would guess the amounts sold for vary widely.
Still… it’s a pretty fun list!
mattrighetti · 3h ago
That’s the first thing I thought about too. OP how do you sell your side projects? Does people just reach out or are you actively looking for people interested in buying?
loveparade · 2h ago
I think "sold" probably doesn't mean what you think it means here. Have you looked at the projects? Nearly all of them are just statics lists of things. Like "a list of all country flags" or "a list of modern inventions"
Maybe it was some SEO related sale with the domain and bit of ad revenue that someone bought for $100, which probably isn't the definition of selling a side project that most users on HN have. In fact, looking at the domains, the domains were probably worth more than the content on those sites.
That's why I originally flagged this post because I thought it was a bit misleading. I didn't think most people here would consider simple lists of things as side projects.
nonethewiser · 2h ago
I think this is a good clarification, although I think it's still a solid accomplishment.
wtf242 · 48m ago
that's awesome! I've had many many side projects launched in the past 2 decades, but the only one still going is my books site https://thegreatestbooks.org
I created it 17~ years ago mostly as just a tool for myself and now it gets roughly 8 million views a month.
The hardest part of any side project is actually launching it and making it somewhat production ready. I always spend the vast majority of my time dealing with devops/deployment issues/tasks
fm2606 · 3h ago
Virtual hat tip to ya!
I finally have four ideas that I think worthy to build that I would like to monetize. All would be well within my abilities to build. No vision of grandeur that I'd retire from any of them and if I made $100 from one site I'd be ecstatic.
Two are simple games, one a directory and one a utility type site. No AI, no sign-up, no affiliate marketing, no upselling, just simple sites with ads.
However, my "paralysis by analysis" affliction is strong.
90s_dev · 3h ago
> However, my "paralysis by analysis" affliction is strong.
The solution is to remember that nothing is perfect, and that all code is eventually thrown away and replaced. So just start writing code and have fun!
nonethewiser · 1h ago
Strongly agree. I struggled with the same. A key discovery for me was that this "paralysis by analysis" is a form of perfectionism.
I always thought perfectionism was someone who was productive but way too hard on themselves, overworking to achieve some end that's just not worth it. Not necessarily - it can also mean DOING NOTHING because you dont see a way to do it perfectly.
This has helped me a lot with writing. Sometimes you just have to write down incoherent slop. Let the ideas flow and be content with knowing they will have to be revised later. By all means if you write with more purpose and structure without getting too bogged down to continue then do so.
fm2606 · 58m ago
> "paralysis by analysis" is a form of perfectionism
> it can also mean DOING NOTHING because you dont see a way to do it perfectly.
I had a professor point this out to me while in undergrad.
skeeter2020 · 2h ago
I think you have the motivation wrong. The cost-benefit economics work if you want to have fun building something, learn a lot and share it with others. It doesn't work if the goal is to make up to $100/month selling ads; getting a part-time job would be a better path. In this scenario not finishing your side project is the correct decision, and not starting an optimization of that.
bemmu · 1h ago
I've noticed it depends on one's personality.
To me, trying to make money with random projects is the most motivating thing. A dollar earned from some little project is emotionally to me worth many times that of the same dollar I'd earn as salary (as long as I don't starve). Most of my friends do not seem to share this feeling.
Also the internet is very big. You can sometimes have success with something, even it's a very silly badly implemented little thing. What people like, how you happen to get traffic, it's all quite unpredictable.
fm2606 · 1h ago
Lots of truth to this.
However, I have difficulty in doing a personal site just for my own benefit and pleasure.
I enjoy learning, I enjoy the THOUGHT of building and doing but my execution sucks.
eastburnn · 2h ago
Very impressive “Sold” list! I’ve created a similar portfolio site for myself, but haven’t added a “Sold” section. Seems obvious, so I think that’ll be in my next update. Link below for reference:
I too have noticed that these Cooper Black variants with a kinda 60s/70s retro style have become incredibly popular.
msephton · 2h ago
Nice work, particularly the amount you've sold! I keep a similar timeline of projects on my website, going back to 2004 (older stuff going back to 1990 is there, but not as organised) https://www.gingerbeardman.com
EdA1 · 5h ago
Wow, you've sold a lot of sites. How does that work?
diggan · 5h ago
Create public project, have a contact-form/email somewhere on the website, if someone is interested in buying it, they'll reach out to you and you discuss the details. Isn't much more magic than that :)
MrGilbert · 5h ago
And also finding your niche idea, that also solves a real world problem and is interesting enough for someone to acquire. Generate enough visibility.
I'd argue there is some kind of magic here.
johnisgood · 4h ago
How do you get any visitors to begin with? By posting it on HN?
Otherwise, if you're solving a specific problem in a niche, start hanging out wherever those people hang out, participate in the community and share your solution if it's applicable to the discussion. Make sure not to spam/self-promote a lot though, as it comes off as really tacky in most places.
martin_a · 4h ago
Or share it with friends and coworkers, write an article about it, write good texts on the website itself so that search engines can pick it up, etc. pp.
Solve a problem and people will probably find your site.
wahnfrieden · 3h ago
IG reels, TT
johnisgood · 2h ago
You would have to have enough followers though, don't you? So that begs the question: where did you get so many followers from? :P
naeemnur · 4h ago
I've sold through Acquire.com, Flippa, and also had people reach out to me directly
FiberBundle · 3h ago
Would you be ok with giving a range of selling prices?
naeemnur · 3h ago
Sure, Highest was $8,000 and lowest $250. Total so far is a bit over $35k. Thinking of adding the prices to the page soon.
nonethewiser · 2h ago
Thank you for sharing and congrats.
monsieurbanana · 5h ago
Microacquistions maybe? I haven't looked much into it and I don't want to link to a random $$$ website, so instead here's the subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/microacquisitions
Bigpet · 3h ago
well looking at the list of projects and seeing the site `ZeroAcquire` there it looks like he asked himself the same question and sold the solution
naeemnur · 3h ago
Haha yeah, I guess I built the problem and then sold the fix. Didn’t plan it that way, but it worked out.
dakiol · 2h ago
How does one pay taxes when selling minor side projects? I have never been a contractor/freelancer and I have never setup a company. This is the main pain in the ass for me when it comes to generating some side income. I'm in Europe, so it makes it worse I think.
msephton · 2h ago
It depends on the country the funds originate. Some countries have tax treaties each other. So it can be complicated. The easiest way is to get an accountant to deal with it. Then you can spend your valuable time building more stuff.
patapong · 3h ago
Very cool! How do you know when a project is done?
naeemnur · 3h ago
I just put out the first version once it feels usable (very important) and try not to overthink it. I add features later if it still feels fun or useful.
thih9 · 42m ago
Thanks for sharing and congrats!
How do you deal with updates? I.e. how do you decide whether to maintain a product or move it to "dead"?
danvoell · 53m ago
Cats of the web made me laugh. Thanks!
90s_dev · 3h ago
I once had a list similar in time and length. It was a great portfolio, but I slowly realized I just made it to remind myself I'm not a perpetually incapable imbecile. Deleting it and giving away those projects was so freeing. I had nothing left to prove to myself or anyone else. Now I can just write code for fun, code that I believed in. Not saying this is OP's motivation or anyone else's, but it was definitely mine.
JoeDaDude · 3h ago
Symbol hunt is broken :(
(FWIW, I had the same error on my website, seems PHP needs to be updated)
is_true · 3h ago
It got hacked at some point by the look of it
naeemnur · 3h ago
Sold it two years ago, not sure if the new owner is maintaining it or not
mcteamster · 4h ago
Love it, especially your latest post on bringing back fun websites. Bought a block on ‘Stack your project’!
naeemnur · 4h ago
Thank you :D
aa-jv · 4h ago
Would be cool if the URL's were clickable, site-wide, though ..
anshumankmr · 3h ago
:'( I would need to make one for side projects I have abandoned since 2020 (besides my blog)
neonwatty · 1h ago
very nice! where did you sell your "sold" apps?
williamsss · 3h ago
How have you found buyers for your projects?
msephton · 1h ago
Check the other Q&A
bix6 · 3h ago
Which was your fav? Fun site!
naeemnur · 2h ago
The Google Cemetery was my favorite (it even went viral). Lately, I had the most fun building Stack Your Project.
I've got a list of side projects to get on with. I've made little progress in the last year, and suspect its burn out to blame - I'm just constantly exhausted.
I think if you have the energy, this is awesome fun. It might even get to the point where one of them makes some decent income.
But if you don't, like me, just realise that there is a reason for that, and it's OK. You need rest and relaxation, and it's OK to prioritise that.
I used to think my youthful energy was gone forever. Then about 3 months ago I had an idea for a project I truly believed in. I was able to write code for 16 hours straight, day after day, for most of the last 3 months. And it's not exhausting, it's rejuvenating. I feel like a young man again, despite my gray hairs! (I was planning on releasing it today actually, but this weekend I had an epiphany that requires a half rewrite for significant gains, which might add another few weeks.)
Here's what I'm working on, right now[0]. It's a major rewrite of an existing app, that's been submitted to the App Store, and will probably go "live" in a day or so (unless someone at Apple has an issue with it, which happens, from time to time. Annoying, but not the end of the world). I'm working on the README and code documentation, now (I'll put together a docc catalog, as well as a Jazzy Docs site, and the supporting pages[1]).
[0] https://github.com/RiftValleySoftware/ambiamara (Just a timer app, but a pretty good one).
[1] https://riftvalleysoftware.com/work/ios-apps/rival-t/
When working a normal job I could only work part time due to burnout that I later found out was in reality ME/CFS. After a Covid vaccine injury (long covid) I had to pause work for a few years while I found a way to treat it. Once treated I elected to work on my side project even though I make much less money as I considerer the regular workforce to be highly dysfunctional and liable to cause me to relapse into a fatigued state.
In my experience, burnout is really just a subconscious realization that what you're doing is just not worth doing, even for large amounts of money, and it manifests itself in fatigue or pain, because your mind is trying to stop you.
What do you think made it something you could believe in? Was it the opportunity, that it aligned with something you were personally interested in or something else?
I had a project a few years ago that was a bit like that. I'd be coding it up every hour I could find around the day job, and loved it. Perhaps I need to reflect on that some more.
When Pico 8 came out, I immediately had a feeling of recognition and familiarity: "Oh! So this is the app I was half dreaming of making all these years!*
The app I'm making now gives me the exact same feeling, which is already a reward in itself, but it also means it'll probably give others that feeling too. So it's doubly exciting.
If his joy comes from endlessly coding and refactoring and tinkering, just have fun doing that.
I could, in theory, spend six months writing Uber for dogs. But why would I? That hardly feels worth it. Or I could try to implement AF_ONION in the Linux kernel. Also doesn't really feel motivating. Or (let me check the list) port libsodium to WUFFS. Write a framework for interactive tablet applications (at least on the pinetab2). Try to compile something by telling an LLM to pretend it's gcc, just for laughs. Set up an IRC botnet (the legal kind). Write an SSH honeypot. All stuff that seems slightly interesting but not enough to actually do it. And what seems interesting enough to focus on it for a few months to the exclusion of all other possibilities? Nothing at all.
[Comedy take: I blame you for my projects not being done too! :) Bada-tish!]
Seriously though, guilt, blame, shame all that stuff: it's not helpful. It just compounds the feelings that make it hard to get started again because those feelings are emotionally draining.
What I'm trying to get myself into the habit of is a 5-minute dip into something. If I just say to myself when I'm feeling slightly exhausted "I just need to put 5 minutes into this next task, and then I'll stop", I frequently find myself spending 30+ minutes on it. I can then feel a sense of over-meeting my "goal". That builds a little momentum, it makes you feel good about getting something done.
I also have reminded myself of the advice I gave others when younger: don't underestimate rest - particularly sleep, but also generally doing nothing - as being part of getting stuff done.
I don't do this well at all at the moment, hence my comment you're replying to, but I absolutely 100% will not let blaming myself get into my head like that, and that does help a little with the 5-minute trick.
A focus on revenue or external validation is what turns a "side project" into a "side hustle" or just a plain old "business" and those tend to be a lot less fun to work on.
I do sometimes feel like, if I'd spent 25% of the time I spent on these side projects on something that would have made me $$$$$$$$ then maybe I could now spend all my time on anything I want, or live in a nicer place and that sometimes dissuades me from some new side projects.
I think probably the biggest thing that gets me to start something is if I believe (even wrongly) that I can make tons of progress quickly. Usually that means I think I can get to something working in a few hours.
But it would be so huge I can’t afford the hosting bill.
1. just start anything NOW. Don't worry about getting organized or the correct order; just go. The act of working creates momentum; early on moving is more important than progress.
2. today's good enough > tomorrow's perfect. I found an OSS project for something I was going to build to help me capture "personal content". It's rough and not exactly what I was after but good enough. I've built (less than) half a system to help me with my job on top of PocketBase. Maybe someday I'll finish it (or even add another feature - #1 above has lots of ideas captured!) but until then I get value today.
3. Find something that has ongoing personal value: I help an animal rescue and pay the ongoing costs to run the system I built more than 10 years ago. Dropping $20/month to $5/month is possible but not a big enough motivation for a significant new version. The looming tech debt and support load might be over the rest of this year though!
4. Recognize that the incomplete part of side projects is a feature not a bug. Curiosity and exploration almost always end in specific dead ends, but the illumination gained can be used throughout your life. It's largely the act not the explicit output.
Yes! Projects develop organically, with many stop gap solutions and temporary scaffolds built and torn down along the way. Rome wasn't built in a day.
SideProjectCemerary ?
You upload your side projects’ data/github/seni-working-prototype, it performs a very quick ritualistic ceremony/blessing and buries it in a little marked grave.
Visitors are free to go grave robbing if they wish.
I too struggled with the feeling of not completing things, until I realized I didn't actually want to "finish" projects in the sense of "have paying users" but instead wanted to learn something new, try out some design/architecture or just solve a personal problem.
So for the last few years, my "finished" ratio is much higher, as I got the value I wanted out of almost every project I started.
I don't see this as a bad thing. Most people make side projects for fun, trying knew things, solidifying knowledge, etc.
I mean, if you have a goal of starting a SaaS and you've spent years starting and stopping a bunch of projects that you never follow through on then yeah, you should improve on that. But that's not most people with a bunch of unfinished side projects.
I actually love this part of github; it reminds me of the old internet, full of under construction Geocities pages and other half-baked projects. It's the polar opposite of today's bland, instagram-perfect same-same internet.
Still… it’s a pretty fun list!
Maybe it was some SEO related sale with the domain and bit of ad revenue that someone bought for $100, which probably isn't the definition of selling a side project that most users on HN have. In fact, looking at the domains, the domains were probably worth more than the content on those sites.
That's why I originally flagged this post because I thought it was a bit misleading. I didn't think most people here would consider simple lists of things as side projects.
I created it 17~ years ago mostly as just a tool for myself and now it gets roughly 8 million views a month.
The hardest part of any side project is actually launching it and making it somewhat production ready. I always spend the vast majority of my time dealing with devops/deployment issues/tasks
I finally have four ideas that I think worthy to build that I would like to monetize. All would be well within my abilities to build. No vision of grandeur that I'd retire from any of them and if I made $100 from one site I'd be ecstatic.
Two are simple games, one a directory and one a utility type site. No AI, no sign-up, no affiliate marketing, no upselling, just simple sites with ads.
However, my "paralysis by analysis" affliction is strong.
The solution is to remember that nothing is perfect, and that all code is eventually thrown away and replaced. So just start writing code and have fun!
I always thought perfectionism was someone who was productive but way too hard on themselves, overworking to achieve some end that's just not worth it. Not necessarily - it can also mean DOING NOTHING because you dont see a way to do it perfectly.
This has helped me a lot with writing. Sometimes you just have to write down incoherent slop. Let the ideas flow and be content with knowing they will have to be revised later. By all means if you write with more purpose and structure without getting too bogged down to continue then do so.
I had a professor point this out to me while in undergrad.
To me, trying to make money with random projects is the most motivating thing. A dollar earned from some little project is emotionally to me worth many times that of the same dollar I'd earn as salary (as long as I don't starve). Most of my friends do not seem to share this feeling.
Also the internet is very big. You can sometimes have success with something, even it's a very silly badly implemented little thing. What people like, how you happen to get traffic, it's all quite unpredictable.
However, I have difficulty in doing a personal site just for my own benefit and pleasure.
I enjoy learning, I enjoy the THOUGHT of building and doing but my execution sucks.
[1] https://www.itschrisray.com/
Right now, I just have my blog + github as a messy portfolio of personal projects, but I like this much better.
I too have noticed that these Cooper Black variants with a kinda 60s/70s retro style have become incredibly popular.
I'd argue there is some kind of magic here.
Otherwise, if you're solving a specific problem in a niche, start hanging out wherever those people hang out, participate in the community and share your solution if it's applicable to the discussion. Make sure not to spam/self-promote a lot though, as it comes off as really tacky in most places.
Solve a problem and people will probably find your site.
How do you deal with updates? I.e. how do you decide whether to maintain a product or move it to "dead"?