What has worked for me is trying to build a product and focusing on user needs (as opposed to being a technical demo), which need not be monetized in any way.

What has worked for me is trying to build a product and focusing on user needs (as opposed to being a technical demo), which need not be monetized in any way. The focus on users makes helps you in planning many aspects of the project which you may not have considered otherwise, as well as keeps you on track. (Why am I overcomplicating this, don't I just need X to work like this?)