Instead of explaining why this likely won't be the Next Big Thing (tm) I'll tell you why I still think you should give it a shot: 1. The Experience. Building a

Instead of explaining why this likely won't be the Next Big Thing (tm) I'll tell you why I still think you should give it a shot: 1. The Experience. Building and maintaining a service you care about--even if only you and your friends are the ones using it--will help you work on skills that will continue to come in handy. 2. Learning to set realistic expectations. This is more than just saying, if you think it will take 1 month, it will actually take 2-3, etc. This is about learning how much you personally can handle without biting off more than you can chew. I know that, early on, I had hugely ambitious personal projects, and in many ways I still do, but I no longer get frustrated at myself for taking longer than I'd like to complete certain features. And, most importantly, I no longer feel like I'm letting down clients and friends, because I am less likely to give them unrealistic estimates. 3. The opportunity to spark more ideas. You may set-off with one goal in mind, only to find a much more interesting problem to solve. And that's okay. But sometimes the only way to find these nuggets is to get your hands dirty and start exploring a problem domain. Even if it never leads to a project of your own, you can blog about your ideas and maybe it will inspire someone else. Anyway -- those are just my two cents. Don't feel like you have to change the world with your ideas, but also (and I guess this is the point I was trying to get at) don't be afraid to just try things out and see where they lead.