3 ms·
Great question & post! I am definitely working on nothing (outside of my normal day job, of course). I used to work a normal day job and then in the evenings
by rubicon33 3y ago
Great question & post!
I am definitely working on nothing (outside of my normal day job, of course).
I used to work a normal day job and then in the evenings and weekends work furiously on side projects. One of those side projects became a business that while still around today, is probably getting shut down this year due to failure to generate revenue that exceeds its relatively minimal costs. In other words, the business failed.
That business failing despite 3+ years of nights and weekends, and a significant chunk of my own money, is ONE reason why I struggle to find enthusiasm for new projects.
Another reason is something similar to yours which is that I am focusing on myself more these days. Mind, body, and spirit. I am taking more time to focus on things I enjoy rather than embracing a constant feeling that I need to do MORE. I work my day job and I try to be an excellent contributor there, but I've accepted that it doesn't seem like my path in life is going to be a tech entrepreneur. I just don't have what it takes to build something truly novel and unique enough to drive revenue, nor do I have the marketing and personal skills required to take something mediocre and generate sales.
That might sound like I'm giving up, and to a degree it is, but its more like I'm accepting reality. I don't think I was meant for that life and I'm learning to be ok with it. That means dropping all the side projects and constant hustle and just embracing life. Spending more time with family, working out more, and generally just chilling for a while (it's been a couple years).
At times this manifests as a mid life crisis where I worry that my time is running out and that I haven't accomplished my goals. I'm learning how to recognize these emotions and let them pass without disturbing me too much. It's definitely a skill and one that I am by no means an expert at.
On that note it's also worth pointing out that many of these feelings are common to people in their mid 30s. It's a time where I'm learning to re-evaluate what is important to me. I've accomplished a lot of my goals, and accepted some were foolhardy. Now I find that I should just learn to live well and appreciate what I have and who I am, rather than focusing on what I don't have, and who I am not.
- pillefitz 3y agoI believe it's freeing to try, fail, and eventually exclude life paths and gain a new focus and understanding of what's next. I don't know anything about your project, please ignore if I'm off the mark. But is it possible you spend time building something without validating it's a solution people actually need and pay for? It's very difficult to do because you have to face feedback technology doesn't provide. On the other hand, few people focus on validation first. At least I don't, because it's quite tedious and I don't typically work on side projects with the intention to make money.
- rubicon33 3y ago> But is it possible you spend time building something without validating it's a solution people actually need and pay for? Absolutely. The service I provide is also available in a free form, but lacks some of the features I offer. It definitely is the case that those features I offer are - apparently - not as valuable as I had hoped for the target demographic. If I were to do this whole thing again, I would probably lead with finding product market fit, rather than blindly building something and hoping for the best.