Really inspiring, sir! A couple years ago I spent my lunch breaks slaving over a pet project, transcribing hundreds of pages of data into a digital format and building a silly little application to scratch my own itch.

It was great, and I made a little money from it and made a handful of people happy.

I need to do this again, so thanks for reminding me!

Nice and inspiring article Elliot.

I love side projects – have created a few bits and bobs on the side for the love of it, then when I get to the ‘end’ of those private projects (bored of them, usually) I sell the site as a ‘congratulations’ to myself. I love the work but a little reward at the end always sits nicely!

Note to self: Must find time & start new side project.

Nice article Elliot. Must be very rewarding to see 8 Faces take-off. It’s a really great product that sings quality and craftsmanship.

Agree with your thoughts on the money side of things, this is always a tough line and your approach is admirable. Anyone who manages to get this balance right are clearly privileged and it’s a great trait to remain humble.

Btw. Top job for paying the Insites interviewees! Highly enjoyed the Bristol event and looking forward to the book ; )

Thanks for the great blog post.

Agree with your thoughts on the money side of things, this is always a tough line and your approach is admirable. Anyone who manages to get this balance right are clearly privileged and it’s a great trait to remain humble.

I think some people really do want just a side project. Some are more timid that others. No matter how you look at it, having side projects is a wholesome healthy hobby. If you want to get serious about it, however, mix in some money.

Earning money should be a by-product of doing what you love. And who doesn’t want to spend their life doing what they love?

For many this sentiment could sound like wild idealism; but we—as an industry—are in such a fortunate position to (mostly) love what we do and be able make money from it. It’s a beautiful thing but we should try not to forget how privileged we are.

Say what you want about Jason Fried, but I recently read this article (Section 3 “How, and why, to charge real money for real products”) in which he argues that you should charge for the things you do.

His argument boils down to the fact that both the buyer and, more importantly, the creator will have more respect for the product. The creator will have the time if not the necessity to make the product great.

I love side projects but sometimes they’re hard. The fact that they’re a “side-project” or “just for fun” is sort of a cop out. It’s like you’re saying, “I really would love to go all the way with this but I doubt if anyone would support it or if I’d even be able to do it.”

That said, I think some people really do want just a side project. Some are more timid that others. No matter how you look at it, having side projects is a wholesome healthy hobby. If you want to get serious about it, however, mix in some money.

Disclaimer: I have not put my money where my mouth is. My side project is nowhere near where I’d like it to be, but I see the value of charging something as a means to spur me into action. If you’re curious, visit PlaidMaker