Do Metaprojects

This article does not make it clear what a metaproject actually is. That said, I _believe_ the author is describing a concept similar to something I do. Choose a very small number of open-ended, broad projects. Each project should basically be an endless well of work. Moving the metaproject forward involves finishing several sub-projects, each of which is a respectable weekend or holiday project all on its own. A good choice for metaproject allows for a choice between a wide variety of new and interesting things to work on.

Get bored or stuck? Do something else. There’s so many things to do. You’re still working on the same metaproject.

Find something cool online that you want to experiment with? Find a way to frame it as an experiment or project under the umbrella of the metaproject.

For example, my overarching project is to develop my own computer system, from the custom CPU, up to the operating system and applications, as completely from scratch as possible. This has led me to learn more about Verilog, electronics, soldering, computer architecture, RISC-V, emulators, you name it.

At one point, I decided I needed to design my own high-level language for this thing. The compiler has itself become a metaproject where there’s always something to work on: parsing, lexing, optimization passes, experiments in syntax, garbage collectors, writing a debugger, etc.

Someday soon, I hope to be able to start a project to build video hardware with a sprite engine, like in those old 8-bit and 16-bit game systems. I’ll mentally bill this under the umbrella of “working on my computer project.”

I’ve been thinking of “that computer project” as a kind of life project that I’ll plug away on here and there until the day I die.

I wonder if this is how those old men who build boats feel about their boat. Hey, there’s my own catchy phrase right there: “Build your boat”

Do what makes you happy in the moment.

I have a huge backlog of projects on my list. Many of them "feel productive" -- they result in betterment of some career skill, or they could turn into startups. But I also like to surf, I've been doing it my whole life. That's a skill, I'm trying to get better, but it's also just a pure experiential thing, a lens through which time passes. Surfing has no point to it, you paddle out, and then ride a wave in, and then paddle out, in a big loop. There's nothing produced, no tangible result. You can surf for a lifetime and never feel like you're actually good at it, and every time you go it seems like the culmination of your whole surfing life is just another 10-15 seconds of riding that single wave. There is no "done".

Sometimes, in the past, when the surf has been really good, I've chosen to work on my projects, instead of go surfing, so that I can gain some abstract "productivity."

The lesson I'm learning as I get older is, that's dumb as hell. Go surf, there is no "done"!

Reading this felt like talking to myself…get out of my head!

With that being said, I have so many projects, so little time, but I’m prioritizing the ones that both fulfill me and have a decent chance at replacing my $DAYJOB.

Also, having a schedule so I don’t burn myself out. It’s been working well for about a month so far.

"Metaproject" doesn't capture the idea that I think the author is trying to convey.

An example: suppose you want to improve your French and also build your knowledge of Physics. So in order to target both projects, you attend Physics lectures in French, and also read French Physics books. Thus you progress in both your projects simultaneously.

I would call this kind of thing, "Poly-projects" or maybe "Project complexes". "Meta" would imply one extra level of indirection away from actually doing the project. E.g., thinking about what kind of projects you want to do would be a metaproject.

Read more carefully, critics. He's sharing a big ol' mixed metaphor for living. The world and your mind are vast. Your job is to narrow it down to exactly your life. You are your own author.

I read the title and thought: ha, somebody had the same idea. But no.

Instead of git training video, I did a platform that creates command line training videos from markdown, merging output from VHS, generated speech, seperation slides etc.

Instead of CRM, I started build a Lotus Agenda clone that can be used to build a CRM.

etc.

We used to call those mid-life crisis events, and have a somewhat robust way of letting people going through them that we know exactly what it is.

I feel that a lot of the above comments are missing the point. To me, the article reads like the experience of a curious person, living in an age where the world is literally at their fingertips and how that is both overwhelming and awesome. I thought it was beautiful and relatable.

This doesn’t even give an example of what a metaproject is! All this essay is, is vibes!

well written piece, enjoyed the authors style.. keep writing!

This shit is sickening. I'm nauseated by this generation of wannabe entrepreneurs who have decided to disable their amygdala and conscience.