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I agree, and while it properly is down to personality, I add “is to make it also fun to build now?” Adding this motivational aspect helps me become invested eno

I agree, and while it properly is down to personality, I add “is to make it also fun to build now?” Adding this motivational aspect helps me become invested enough to pull through the refactorings and non-so-essential parts that have been left for later. Even if the prototype never grow to fruition, I get value from the fun stuff, as it prioritize the functions I haven’t solved before - adding them to my experience catalogue.

eyelidlessness 5y ago
I agree with that as well! Particularly as someone with ADHD and a lifelong battle with motivation. Though I might expand “fun” to a more general sense of reward. Eg “if I build this thing in a week, will I want to try using it?” or “if the idea is valid, will I be glad to be able to use it?” I’m bringing this up because I’ve found that kind of reward very motivating to work on personal projects which are otherwise dull and full of drudgery. For instance, for my current spare time project I’m building yet another test runner. Before I started it, that sounded so unappealing that past me would laugh out loud if future me came back in time and told me about it. But there’s nothing that fits my vision for a test runner in the stack I usually work on (TS/JS/Node/browsers). And the benefits I hope to enjoy when I actually get to use it are much more motivating than the project itself. In fact the project itself is just a yak shave I couldn’t let go of—trying to start another personal project, then finding “blazing fast” solutions too slow, or too limited, and generally both. And I find testing in these environments painful in my every day work, so if it even has a chance at success it could make even that more rewarding and motivating. Yikes, what a long ramble. But I think it’s worth posting in case it gives OP or anyone else another perspective that gets them excited to start or stick with an idea.
- lokimedes 5y ago
  That’s an excellent point about aiming for early “delight” by imagining what the functionality will mean to you. I too, apparently like many others here, have adhd. What I have managed to do, is to take this approach with me into my professional life. I motivate my employees by assuming this will be valuable to them too, especially in early products. In a way, this generates “rock star / hero” results with less singular data individuals. Motivation always trumps “sense of dudy”, adhd or not.

eyelidlessness 5y ago

I agree with that as well! Particularly as someone with ADHD and a lifelong battle with motivation. Though I might expand “fun” to a more general sense of reward. Eg “if I build this thing in a week, will I want to try using it?” or “if the idea is valid, will I be glad to be able to use it?” I’m bringing this up because I’ve found that kind of reward very motivating to work on personal projects which are otherwise dull and full of drudgery. For instance, for my current spare time project I’m building yet another test runner. Before I started it, that sounded so unappealing that past me would laugh out loud if future me came back in time and told me about it. But there’s nothing that fits my vision for a test runner in the stack I usually work on (TS/JS/Node/browsers). And the benefits I hope to enjoy when I actually get to use it are much more motivating than the project itself. In fact the project itself is just a yak shave I couldn’t let go of—trying to start another personal project, then finding “blazing fast” solutions too slow, or too limited, and generally both. And I find testing in these environments painful in my every day work, so if it even has a chance at success it could make even that more rewarding and motivating. Yikes, what a long ramble. But I think it’s worth posting in case it gives OP or anyone else another perspective that gets them excited to start or stick with an idea.

lokimedes 5y ago
That’s an excellent point about aiming for early “delight” by imagining what the functionality will mean to you. I too, apparently like many others here, have adhd. What I have managed to do, is to take this approach with me into my professional life. I motivate my employees by assuming this will be valuable to them too, especially in early products. In a way, this generates “rock star / hero” results with less singular data individuals. Motivation always trumps “sense of dudy”, adhd or not.