I built a search engine for lectures (https://www.findlectures.com https://www.findlectures.com), partly so I have something I can show people (e.g. my family o

I built a search engine for lectures (https://www.findlectures.com https://www.findlectures.com), partly so I have something I can show people (e.g. my family otherwise has no idea what I do). Trying to build something in your free time forces you to think about dividing work up into very small pieces (what can I do with a free hour, etc). I've found this very beneficial in a work environment. If you get to the point where you can show people, showing people changes how you think about the project - some invisible social pressure to do better, similar to code reviews. You also have to think through the structure of the entire project on your own - often in a work environment, you're joining something in progress. This is also a great way to research new tools. Instead of thinking how cool they are, you evaluate how they fit into a "real" project, but without the pressure to actually make it work.