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Some of the most popular products and companies we know, including Slack, Twitter, Craigslist, Gmail and Trello, started as a side project.<\/p>\n
Side projects come in many forms but are typically projects started outside of normal work hours.<\/p>\n
Often, the desire to start a side project is driven by the quest to become an entrepreneur, an interest in something outside of your core area of expertise, or boredom.<\/p>\n
Have you recently thought any of the following?<\/p>\n
Looking for a new challenge, wanting to expand or grow your skillset, or pursuing an idea doesn\u2019t mean you have to give up your full-time job to do it.<\/p>\n
Before we look at how you can get started on a side project (we give you actionable tips below), let’s first briefly discuss why you should invest your time in developing and pursuing a side project. It may be the most important thing you do this year.<\/p>\n
There are many benefits to starting a side project.<\/p>\n
A study<\/a> published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found similar benefits for creative hobbies, many which fit the criteria for side projects.<\/p>\n The results from both samples showed that those who had a creative hobby were more likely to feel a sense of relaxation outside work and to feel greater control and a sense of mastery.<\/p>\n At work, meanwhile, those with a creative hobby were more likely to help others and to be more creative in the performance of their job.<\/p>\n Statistical analysis suggested that the better job performance was partly a result of a greater sense of mastery and control during off-time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the key benefits of side projects involves the idea of recovery.<\/p>\n Putting time aside to work on passion projects, product ideas, or pursue a creative diversion that builds new skills isn\u2019t just good for your mind<\/a>; it can make you more productive and bring you more life satisfaction.<\/p>\n In fact,\u00a0studies<\/a> have shown that people feel more energized and productive at their day job when they have fulfilling side projects and creative hobbies.<\/p>\n Receive six actionable guides, including a how to start a business checklist, detailed comparisons of LLCs, corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships to determine the best fit for your business, plus insights on crafting a compelling pitch deck to attract investors.<\/p> Receive six actionable guides, including a how to start a business checklist, detailed comparisons of LLCs, corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships to determine the best fit for your business, plus insights on crafting a compelling pitch deck to attract investors.<\/p> Receive six actionable guides, including a how to start a business checklist, detailed comparisons of LLCs, corporations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships to determine the best fit for your business, plus insights on crafting a compelling pitch deck to attract investors.<\/p> Our day jobs are usually jam-packed with getting stuff done. Fulfilling our job\u2019s responsibilities and finding ways to be productive<\/a> are core components of being a good boss or employee.<\/p>\n As such, our focus is limited to the job at hand. Using the time during our work day to expand our skill set or learn more<\/a> about new technology can feel impossible.<\/p>\n Another thing to consider: a key part of the job hiring process is showing people what you\u2019ve done or what you\u2019ve built.<\/p>\n This can be difficult if you don\u2019t think the work from your day job best demonstrates your skills.<\/p>\n Starting a side project can give you an opportunity to show people what you\u2019re capable of doing.<\/p>\n The Busy Building Things<\/a> blog put it beautifully when they said:<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to be our own client sometimes, and have side projects that push new skills, flex our creative muscles, and give us testing grounds for new and innovative ideas.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Side projects are often very different beasts than the work you do at your day job. To be the most successful (that is, to give you the most benefit), there should be some critical differences between the work you do all day and the work you do on the side.<\/p>\n David Hieartt (of Hiut Denim Co<\/a>.) identifies\u00a0three key differences:<\/a><\/p>\n Side projects can be the perfect personal skills incubator: you invest your time and energy, and the returns can not only personally fulfill you, but they can also give you superpowers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s sad, but true: That giant lottery jackpot isn\u2019t going to crash through the door like the Kool-Aid guy<\/a> anytime soon.<\/p>\n Many of us don\u2019t have the time (or privilege) to be able to throw away our day jobs and rush out to do whatever we want. It\u2019s important to find the time for \u201cself-care\u201d to make sure we\u2019re keeping our creative fires blazing and our motivation engines moving.<\/p>\n A side project can provide that extra sense of achievement you might need to keep the monotony or routine of your day job from flattening your soul like a sad pancake.<\/p>\n Many businesses are well aware of the dangers of burnout.<\/p>\n As we wrote previously<\/a>:<\/p>\n Burnout isn\u2019t just a personal issue; it directly impacts your business. The American Institute of Stress<\/a> estimates that stress costs US Industry roughly $300 billion annually as a result of reduced productivity, missed work, and employee turnover and related training costs, among other factors.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Consequently, most business owners recognize that giving employees time to pursue personal projects can be hugely beneficial to their overall productivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n Google was famous for offering their employees \u201c20% time\u201d to work on their ideas. The company has profited greatly from this initiative: a number of their biggest products (including Gmail, Adsense, and Maps) apparently originated as side projects.<\/p>\n Google may have axed their 20% time policy<\/a>, but the benefit it brought the company is without question.<\/p>\n Other companies have similar programs that give their employees free time to roam. Linkedin has their [in]cubator<\/a>, Microsoft has the Garage<\/a>, and Apple used to have a Blue Sky<\/a> initiative that gave employees two weeks to work on their own projects.<\/p>\n Your employer might not have a policy like this in place, but that shouldn\u2019t prevent you from looking for your own time.<\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s more like 5%, or even less, but that\u2019s fine, too. The fact you put some time aside regularly to work on your side project is the most important thing.<\/p>\n Before you begin a side project, double-check to be sure it doesn\u2019t contradict any of your company\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to clarify who exactly will \u201cown\u201d the project. Some companies make employees agree to waivers that give up all rights to anything they create, but this is usually only if it\u2019s done during work hours using company tech or property.<\/p>\n The business world is full of famous product origin stories where an idea, worked on the side, grew into a runaway success. Here are just a few of them.<\/p>\n Now we know you should not start a side project for the money, but because you love it. What other things should you keep in mind when you start your side project?<\/p>\n This is supposed to be something you do on the side.<\/p>\n In the beginning, at least, it shouldn\u2019t be so big that it takes up more time than your day job.<\/p>\n Startups talk a lot about building a minimum viable product<\/a> (MVP): something with just enough functionality and polish to be acceptable by users. A good way to start is to flip this on its head a little and think about your minimum viable project<\/i>.<\/p>\n Even if your initial idea is big, start small. Try to break it down into its simplest form.<\/p>\n Don’t skimp on the basics when you get started. There’s a difference between a small side project which you hope to grow later and just fooling around with an idea.<\/p>\n You’ll want to create a strong name for the product or company<\/a> you’re trying to build on the side, and be sure that you invest some effort into strong branding<\/a> (the good news is that a logo doesn’t need to cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars – if you need help, the crowdspring<\/a> team would be happy to provide a free, no-obligation consultation).<\/p>\n Want to start your own jewelry store? Check out the jewelry stores in your area to discover what’s popular, and try making a few items and selling them on Etsy<\/a>. Have an idea for an app? Spend some time doing a survey of the market and figure out who your target audience is.<\/p>\n Think about what your personal goals are, and try to keep them in focus. Julie Zhou, VP of product design at Facebook (and lover of side projects), put it this way<\/a>:<\/p>\n Side projects work best when they live at the interaction of \u2018Things you enjoy\u2019 and \u2018Things that help you practice a marketable skill.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Image via Julie Zhou<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s totally fine if your personal goals are a moving target. Part of the joy of side projects is that they\u2019re beholden only to you. There are no clients, no stakeholders, and no one else pushing you forward except yourself.<\/p>\n Working on something new can be exhilarating and energizing, but the shine can quickly fade if you put too much pressure on yourself to produce. The whole idea is to take it slow and keep yourself engaged.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t take your project seriously.<\/p>\n Something small that you do on the side could eventually grow into your main gig. The most important thing is that you stay interested, and you continue to get some value from whatever it is you choose<\/p>\n If things don\u2019t work out, that\u2019s okay! You\u2019re in charge, so you can decide to start over, stop, or choose to go in a completely different direction. You never know where you might end up when you do something purely for the love and fun of it.<\/p>\n Hopefully, we\u2019ve given you some compelling reasons why side projects are good for the working soul. The critical component in all of this is fun. If you\u2019re not having fun, you might as well spend your time working on your day job, because it\u2019s hard to maintain motivation when you\u2019re not enjoying yourself.<\/p>\n Side projects thrive on passion and fun. Sure, it would be great if your side project resulted in a second source of income or an amazing piece for your portfolio, but that\u2019s a nice side effect and not the primary goal.<\/p>\nFree Business Startup Kit<\/h2>
Get your free startup kit<\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>Free Business Startup Kit<\/h2>
Get your free startup kit<\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>Free Business Startup Kit<\/h2>
Get your free startup kit<\/i><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\nSide projects can help you learn and build skills faster<\/h2>\n
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Side projects can insire and help you avoid burnout<\/h2>\n
Side project success stories<\/h2>\n
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How to begin a side project<\/h2>\n
1. Start small<\/h3>\n
2. Decide what you want to get out of it<\/h3>\n
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3. Keep side projects fun, and without pressure<\/h3>\n
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