A side project is a venture of any kind, which is separate from your main line of work. Side projects are driven by passion and are borne out of a personal need to solve a problem. It is fuelled by a natural desire to have to something in our name that we can call ours, and with the potential to have a global significance and contribution. In other words, something the world appreciates and makes our personal accomplishment acknowledged by our societies and possibly made use of across the world.
An important question is how do you design the perfect side project that suits you? I think before you set out to create a side project, there are few things you need to know first. You don’t make a living doing it. Treat it as a fun and not as a work–a true ‘labour of love’. It should also motivate and inspire you. Doing it should give you a great sense of relaxation and control as there are no work pressures and constraints.
I think the easiest way to have a side project is to take your time and think about an idea that has been nagging you lately. Can you build marketable skills doing it and enjoy it at the same time? Do you really care about the problem the project intends to solve? Does your project involve taking a problem that has not been tackled before? Is it an invention or upgrading what is already available in the market? Does the product or service capture the public imagination when launched?
So, if your current day job isn’t giving you a headway in life, it may be the time to look for a side project that excites you, with the hope that it will turn your life around. All you need to do now is to test the waters by going for it.
