Six Months on an After-Work Side Project: Why I Quit
Last year, I held on to a side project for six months and eventually gave it up. If you look only at the outcome, it was a failure, but I'm writing this because I think sorting out why it happened will help me next time.
1. I tried to cram in too many features
I started it calling it an MVP, but ended up building everything: login, payments, notifications, and an admin page. It was six months' worth of work for one person.
2. I didn't define the user
I thought, 'Any developer will use it,' but no such person existed. I was three months late just in asking people around me.
3. I kept putting off deployment
I kept telling myself I'd ship it once it was finished, and in the end I never made it public even once. Looking back, I should have shipped it in the first week, even if it was messy.
Next time, I'm going to set a rule: three features, ten users, and ship within two weeks. How are you all running your side projects?