This is exactly how I approach side projects as well. I use them as iterative learning experiences, with each new project building on the last to more complex i

This is exactly how I approach side projects as well. I use them as iterative learning experiences, with each new project building on the last to more complex ideas. Learn a TON that way, and potentially build something that people want to use. You can always go back, and add things you've learned down the line. One thing I do not do, is just rebuild something someone else has already done in a new "stack", just to see if I can. Any project I undertake is a new idea I've not seen done, or with features I want.