> most companies when hiring are looking for people who do lots of side projects and open source work Incorrect. Most companies don't give a shit. > yet when

> most companies when hiring are looking for people who do lots of side projects and open source work Incorrect. Most companies don't give a shit. > yet when you are actually employed, you will usually have a contract forbidding you from having side activities Incorrect. I've had a dozen jobs in my life and exactly zero times have I had anything resembling a contract at all, let alone one that dictated my activities in my free time. > on paper companies can easily claim ownership of them if they become worth it No they can't. > people end up in a situation where they are actively discouraged from doing anything on the side No they're not. > having side projects and doing open source is valued in hiring Not really.