You have an idea for your side project but will never make any money. Will you do it anyway?
Sergey Kornilov
16 replies
What kind of thought process will you use to make this kind of decision?
Replies
Nico Spijker@nicolaas_spijker
Bash
Depends a bit what the goal of my sideproject is. Activities that don't make money often have other end purposes.
Will it provide any positive social or environmental impact? Do I learn a new skill from it? Does it provide new networking opportunities that will benefit me in the future?
Those are all things I'd consider before moving forward, and can move me to investing time in an activity that might not make any money.
Share
Launchboard
@sergey_kornilov1 Yes - if it builds an audience.
PHPRunner
@sanat_mohanty Yes, if it makes no money and has no audience, probably not worth building it.
Launchboard
@sergey_kornilov1 absolutely. Opportunity cost is too high :)
WorkHub
The short answer is yes; I will do it anyway. The best ideas are the ones you start with anyway. If you're not willing to put in the time and effort, then it's not worth pursuing.
PHPRunner
@qudsia_ali This is how I see it as well. If you like the idea - just do it.
I will because not everything we do is for money, we do some things for our passion.
PHPRunner
@sidraarifali Exactly, this is how I feel about it.
Commenter.ai
I'm a big believer in the power of side projects. I've seen it firsthand: I worked on my side projects when I was a student, and they were my first real experiences with working independently and creatively.
The thing is, if you're not getting paid for your project—if it's just going to be a hobby—it can be hard to justify spending time on it. But what if you could turn your hobby into a source of income? What if you could make money from something that means so much to you?
That's why I'm going to continue working on my project even if no one ever buys it! I want to learn how to build better products and run a business that supports me and my creative process. If someone wants to buy my product one day, then great! But until then, I'm going at it full speed ahead.
Flex-Worthy Templates
Yes, build it and get it acquired
PHPRunner
It depends how much my primary project was sustaining me financially. Some people are in a position to commit to their side project out of passion or enjoyment and don't really need it to support themselves economically. If I was financially stable for the long term, then I would definitely pursue a side project that speaks to me regardless of any potential financial gain.
Those who pursue side projects that can provide economic benefit (even if it's later on) have the entrepreneurial spirit, and there's nothing wrong with working toward a monetary reward.
@sergey_kornilov1 Yup, exactly. Totally agree!
PHPRunner
@nate_papas Financial stability is a really important factor. It would be hard to work on a non-profit side project if you still need to put the food on the table.