The only value of having a knee-jerk 'startup' going is to not appear unemployed. If it's for the optics, then I'd just move the dates of my previous side-proj

The only value of having a knee-jerk 'startup' going is to not appear unemployed. If it's for the optics, then I'd just move the dates of my previous side-projects around and call it a faux-startup. It's not lying. It is work you have previously done as a side-project/school-project at some point. But saying you did it in the last few months helps give the appearance of being continuously employed and not being rusty. SWE interviewing IS a fulltime job. When unemployed, it is especially important to use that time to: [1] Reflect on what job you want for your future & [2] Work on achieving that job. Together, they will take up ALL your time. Tech recruitment wants to have their cake and eat it too. You are expected to have an excellent primary project and have time for the months it takes to Leetcode. It's unrealistic and leads to a period of overwork for candidates. Jugaad is never optimal. But sometimes, Jugaad is necessary.