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I can't agree with any of this article. >> It’s a problem because side projects create a talent bubble of people who aren’t fully engaged and are just doing en
by jtbigwoo 14y ago
I can't agree with any of this article.
>> It’s a problem because side projects create a talent bubble of people who aren’t fully engaged and are just doing enough at their "real" or full-time job to get by until their startup is up and running. This means their productivity suffers at their full-time job, an expense the employer ends up paying. The side project owners justify it by assuming it will only be for a short period of time.
Here's a surprising fact: almost no one is "fully engaged" at work. They're thinking about camping or football or shopping. We don't owe our employers anything but our time and productivity. At least if my coworker is working on a side project I know she's learning things that will make her better at her job.
>> And actually, we need to be honest. Not everyone is an entrepreneur. Part of being one is accepting the risk of starting your own company and taking the leap to be committed full time. It’s not good for startups or for companies to have employees that are partially engaged in both and committed to neither.
Because side projects never succeed and full time startups never fail. (Dell, Craigslist, Bingo Card Creator, Twitter, and Facebook.)
>> Here’s a quick tip: there are plenty of those already. If you do want to start a company, work on building a real business, not a side idea that’s hoping to be the next Twitter/Facebook/Instagram combination or a better version of Basecamp.
Says the guy whose companies include another Survey Monkey and yet another credit card payment app. (Note: Chargify is a good product, but it's in a crowded market.) Plus, Basecamp is nice, but it's not ideal for all kinds of projects. I'd be very happy if somebody made a new Basecamp that did a better job with software projects.
- dh 14y agoTake a look at when Chargify was started and if the market was crowded then
- jtbigwoo 14y agoPaypal was already a mature product back then. Literally every major bank already offered custom-branded payment pages and an API to process credit card payments. Why would you bother to build Chargify to offer custom-branded payment pages and an API to process credit card payments? Well, because Chargify is miles better than Paypal and banks. Maybe that guy next to me has a face-tweet-o-base idea that's miles better, too.
- tenpoundhammer 14y agoSide projects produce a ton of value for the individual working on them, even they don't "succeed". There are opportunities to explore technologies and solutions you may not get a chance to work on otherwise. There are opportunities to learn about what people like, and where there is room in the market and so much more. Even when side projects are not a monetary success they provide a rich and fulfilling experience.