5 Reasons Why Software Developers Should Have Side Projects

Software Developers spend quite a lot of time coding and developing. Most of the times, for work assigned to them by their companies. While your standard day work apart from paying salary provides opportunities to learn and grow, you are still constrained by the work and scope of that project alone. If you want to learn something new, build something of your own, have time in hand for your passion or dream, that is where a side project comes into picture.

What defines a Side Project?

Let’s first define what I think of when we say side project. You see, when we think of software developers, the natural tendency is to write code and develop some tool or product and release in opensource community and hope people will start using it. But, in my opinion, that’s not the boundary. If you want, writing a blog, joining public communities to answer to questions, solving code challenges, mentoring community college students, speaking in forums, supporting non-profit organizations, anything can be your side project.

The most important aspect of a side project is not what you do, but why you do it, and that you do it.

While the why may vary from person to person, and rightfully so, let me show at least 5 reasons why a side project is almost always a good idea for any software developers, in fact for any professional I would argue if possible and legally allowed.

Live your Passion

Yes, easier said than done. Who doesn’t want to follow their passion? We all want to live our dream, or that’s how we started out at least. But too many times, we get caught in the daily grind of features, user stories, bugs, and releases. There is nothing wrong in that, one gets paid to their job. So, that’s needed.

But slowly the heart and brain stops being in synch.

The math of how your day work is important always adds up according to your brain. But, somewhere in your heart something remains unquenched. Are you able to do everything that you want in your job? If the answer even 1% is no, consider doing that outside of your office hours.

Apply your Creativity

The time we spend in our salaried job, is the time spent to implement someone else’s ideas and goals. Yes, if you are a leader yourself, you get to do some decision making and implement your own idea. But those decisions are also guided by company goals, values, survival tactics and profit-making needs.

Creativity doesn’t need guidance.

Occasionally, a project comes, a challenge appears where you might have some inventive ideas, but finally due to company policies and practices something else gets done. You might be thinking, I thought you said think out of the box, but well yeah, we have project budget, timelines etc. which is more important, probably. There is nothing wrong in that. But what is wrong, if in that daily process, your creative stream of thoughts dies because there is no outlet. Creativity is why we are what we are. It’s okay if the day job doesn’t always let you do it, make a side project and become a creator to your heart’s content.

Learn new Technology, Tools and Tricks

This is more important than we realize because a success in a company role, doesn’t guarantee a success outside that company or role. When we work in a project, in a team, in a company, we gradually adapt to the suite of tools, technologies and frameworks that they use. It may be as simple as an IDE or a coding framework. Remember so many times it has happened to us, when someone ask about a tool, and you will be like yeah I know I have used it in my previous company, but here this is what we are approved to use.

If all you know is a hammer, then you are the one who is getting nailed.

When you follow your passion, want to create something and you start your side project, slowly but surely you will find out different ways of doing things. Many times, you will discover excellent open source options. When there’s an issue in your side project, you are no longer constrained to what the company IT department allows, rather you are free to explore, use and learn from a vast selection of tools and technologies from around the world.

Improve Problem Solving and Troubleshooting skills

This is a gift. Problem solving skills are not taught in any school. There is no college degree on troubleshooting. Being analytical is essential, but you can’t do it without practice. And practice takes time. And you will need to get into troubles and errors to fire test and hone up these skills.

If there is no problem, there is no problem solving.

Precisely, so. Your job doesn’t pay you to make mistakes and then practice troubleshooting on those. It doesn’t want problems where your problem-solving skills can be applied. However, when things go south, they do want them to get magically resolved. But they are not willing to pay you for acquiring those skills, they are paying you to apply those skills. And that is where your side project helps you out here again, because whatever you do in this open world, you are going to fix it on your own. You can search over the internet, talk to your friend, but in the end, you alone must fix it. And the more you work, the more problem you solve one by one, your brain gets trained to do something which is a gift that many people wish they have. Being a problem solver is a good thing, and your side project may make you one.

Good addition to your work while balancing your life

Not sure if you noticed, the first two points are about passion and creativity, and the next two are about tools and skills. You see my point.

Balance is everywhere.

While you want to live your passion, you also need to work and be successful in your company. While you find a creative outlet, you also need to get that hike, that bonus, that promotion. You have bills to pay but you don’t want to turn into a machine because that doesn’t help you or your family either.

So, doing a side project helps you both. It helps you to do what you really want to do versus what you need to do. And sometimes, you might just get lucky where the two comes together. And in those times, what you gained from your side projects can be applied easily to your main projects. You can also include your side projects in your online profile and resume. And if you don’t get lucky, that’s okay too.

Consider this

Being able to do a side project is a blessing. Many out there, may not have enough time or energy left to venture out to meet their calling for passion and creativity. Many must take care of their family and parents after returning from home. Some must do multiple jobs to make ends meet. So, if you can do a side project, without sacrificing anything else, you are blessed. And if there is someone who don’t have any side project to mention or talk about, that’s okay as well. Situations differ, and people matters more than projects.