Everyone with an interest in technology has an itch to develop a killer app or website. These free guides and tools will teach you how to build a side project and make it successful.
It’s a long journey to go from a simple idea to a top-class side project. You know it takes dedication and discipline, but you probably don’t know the steps to make it achievable. Like any big goal, you need to break it down into smaller targets, rely on expert advice on how to meet those targets, and be unafraid of failure. From great advice to great feedback, let’s learn how to create a side project that you’re proud of.
1. Launch 2021 (Web): Community, Plan, and Resources to Launch a No-Code Side Project
The No-Code movement says you can build apps and websites without programming knowledge. It’s an enticing way to launch your side project, and Launch 2021 will take you through all the steps to do just that, and provide other resources and a community.
Launch 2021 is made by Seth Kramer, founder of No Code MBA. As part of the offerings, signing up for Launch 2021 gets you a free Intro Course at No Code MBA where you learn the basics of how to use No-Code platforms to build your own app. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Registering for Launch 2021 also gives you a list of actionable ideas for side projects. Along with that, you get a reading list of important links to understand how to choose ideas, validate them, launch the project, etc. Kramer has also thrown in a daily planner that includes tips on how to prioritize tasks, and stay on track in the little time you dedicate to your side project daily.
You can also join Launch 2021’s Slack community to discuss with other side-hustlers about the highs and lows of following your passion project.
2. My Side Project Rocks (Web): Validate Your Side Project’s Idea Through Upvotes
Product Hunt has become the go-to website to showcase your project when it’s finished. But before you get to that stage, you need to validate your big idea and see if it’s actually cool. My Side Project Rocks (MSPR) is like a Product Hunt to pitch the early-stage version and see if people find it interesting.
The site looks like a simple upvote-based website. You can scroll through idea titles, one-line descriptions, and see how many upvotes they got. Click any entry to see more details by the developer, such as additional screenshots or videos, longer descriptions about the thoughts behind it, and a comment section.
While MSPR doesn’t have as big a community of users as Product Hunt, you will still find a lot of people checking out your page, and even adding comments. These discussions will help you refine your idea, and may be the motivation you need to keep going. So make your own post, see what people think—you don’t need any screenshots or videos either, just your big idea.
3. Side Project Checklist (Web): Marketing and Sales Checklist to Launch Projects
There are a million and one things to do when you finally get around to launching your side project. Side Project Checklist is a set of two checklists to keep you on track, stop you from forgetting any step, and ensure you have a long-term plan.
Developer Karl Hughes says he built several side projects but they never took off, making him realize that marketing was as important as creating. You need to come up with a clear plan for marketing and sales, both pre-launch and post-launch, to make your side project successful. He distilled his knowledge and experience into these two checklists with clear instructions for anyone new to it.
The side project marketing checklist helps you create a long-term plan that will get the word out about your project, and ensure it keeps growing. This includes helpful tips like email, social media, and blog setups, and how to use promotional channels as a soapbox.
The sales checklist teaches you how to create a sales funnel, and focus on lead capture or lead generation to keep getting recurring customers. Both lists are open-source and free, and you can download them as printable files too.
4. Failory (Web) and Creating a Side Project (Ebook): Practical Guide to Build a Side Project
Failory is a place for startup founders to learn from mistakes, both their own as well as those by other entrepreneurs. It’s a combination of interviews with successful and failed founders to find out what they could have done differently, including a regular podcast about side hustles.
But the best resource is a free ebook titled Creating a Side Project, which includes 43 strategies and 59 tools. It breaks down the process of building a successful side project into eight stages: idea, business plan, design, development, feedback, launch, growth, and monetize. The book has simple words and practical advice, the likes of which you’ll often hear repeated by interviewees at Failory.
Failory also includes a section called the Startup Cemetery. Here, the team analyzes why big companies eventually failed, so that you can avoid the same issues. They do case studies on firms like Vine, Yik Yak, Turntable.fm, Google Glass, and several other products, pinpointing where it all went wrong.
5. Build In Public and Backlogs (Web): Learn to Build a Side Project Openly
There’s a new wave in product development that can be a great boost for anyone making a side project. The “Build In Public” philosophy is to publicly document every step of your product, baring yourself to the world’s eyes from the get-go. Not only does this help you build an audience from the beginning, but it’s also a great motivator to keep you going.
At BuildInPublic.xyz, you’ll find everything you need to know about how to do this. You’ll read interviews of people who have successfully built their projects in public, and the pros and cons of it. You can find other great guides on the internet for this, like Gaby Goldberg’s article and a piece by Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover.
If you decide this approach is right for you, adopt it with an excellent app called Backlogs. It’s a kanban board that is open to anyone, so your users can see your product roadmap. It lets them give you feedback about features, have a chat to understand or explain things, and even invite votes and feedback.
Several “Build In Public” enthusiasts also like to tack on a second challenge. For example, you can make it part of a 100 Day Project, or add bets about your goals.
Make Time, Don’t Find Time
The side project most often fails because you convince yourself that you don’t have the time to do it. But if the always-filled calendar makes you believe that, then the fault is in how you are filling the calendar. You need to have time carved out for the side project, always.
Serial entrepreneur Shawn Blanc has one essential advice: You don’t find time, you make it. It’s a necessary shift in mindset if you’re ever going to be successful about following through on your side project.