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Comment by snogglethorpe | Hacker News Reader

Er, ... just ... choose something you've found interesting, and just start working on it, playing around...? Write up some interfaces on your lunch hour? Dabble with it on the train in the morning? Think about algorithms in the shower (showers are my best source of algorithms!)?

I mean, this is the thing you're doing for you, and that means it's something that you're personally interested in (er, right?), and personal interest is a huge advantage...

Seriously, the idea that someone would need advice on how to "start working on a side project" seems almost bizarre.... Lots of personal projects don't pan out, or founder due to lack of time or whatever (which is fine, push over the humps when you can, but let things flow)—but starting them is easy.

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"Seriously, the idea that someone would need advice on how to 'start working on a side project' seems almost bizarre"

Well it isn't bizarre in context right? There are lots of people who have spent the first 18 - 20 years of their life what to spend their time on. A significant fraction of them have never even begun to work on things that weren't "part of the plan" as it were. So coming up with a side project is a daunting task.

The best advice is simply do something you haven't done before, code a compiler, code an interpreter, code up a javascript library, design a web site, take pictures of every bird in your back yard, dig up some dirt and sequence the DNA of things you find there, plant a garden, take an art class at the local community center, volunteer to sort food donations at a food bank, pretty much anything you haven't done before try it.

That way you can discover things you are really interested in, and things you really aren't interested in. Since theses experiments are things you never have to do again if you don't like them, go in with the attitude of "Hey I can tough it through anything once, because it's only once."

Its pretty simple advice and I am always amazed when someone hasn't thought of it already, but I have met a number of people who have graduated from college and then paniced with no idea what to do because their 'plan' ran out.

Sometimes it can take years after moving out and being on your own before the realization clicks that you can make yourself an entire package of bacon for dinner and nobody can stop you. You have to learn that autonomy isn't just "not" being told what to do, it's beginning to tell yourself what to do.

I cannot agree more. I was going to respond to the post that the best thing that can happen is being told that you can do all of that.

Once you realize that you can investigate whatever you want, the world opens up for exploration.

I suppose you're right, but it's still kind of amazing to me... I can't think of any time, since I was a young kid, when I haven't had a zillion things percolating outside of what I was "supposed" to do (and I'm not the entrepreneur-type in my family [that's my brother], I'm a lazy sod ><). Even when the amount of work ramped up in college, there was always stuff on the side too. Most of those things were super dopey, of course, but they were mine... :]

You aren't alone, some folks just can't help thinking about random things. But surprisingly a not insignificant number of people just sort of 'freeze up' when they don't have someone telling them what to do. You will run across these people, be nice to them, teach them curiosity and the courage to try new things.

I kinda think that if you can't come up with at least one side project easily, then maybe you shouldn't really have side projects. They should be something that inspires you, so I don't really understand people who pick side projects based on other people's suggestions or on what they think may sell. That's like not picking your trade based on what you enjoy.

There's little easier than starting projects. That doesn't really require advice (and the article also suggests doing things which are interesting).

However, the article is mostly about finishing projects, which is harder to do: e.g., staying motivated, finding time, not getting too distracted with other projects that nothing ever lands.

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