I created a side project this summer based on an open source tool which I use in my day job. My idea was to offer this open source tool as a service. So I set

I created a side project this summer based on an open source tool which I use in my day job. My idea was to offer this open source tool as a service. So I set aside a week to travel down the East Coast. Every day I went to offices and MeetUps and demo'ed the original open source project and my service built on it. Each day was 15 hours, door to door. One time I had to patch a shoe with duct tape. A week after my return, I'll admit that the service is a failure. The idea is a good one, and everyone wanted to try it, but no one committed themselves to using it, much less paying for it. The trip was still a success! When you show people crazy projects, they show you theirs. The projects I heard about, I had no idea that they existed. Networking was good. Being new places was good.