Building while studying: choosing the hard path instead of the safe one

I’m a student, and instead of focusing only on landing a 9–5, I’m trying to build something alongside my studies.

Not because I dislike stability — but because building teaches things I never learned in class:

breaking vague problems into solvable parts

staying consistent without deadlines or managers

handling failure quietly and continuing anyway

There’s no guarantee this leads anywhere.
No salary.
No external validation.

But the process itself feels valuable. I’m learning faster, thinking deeper, and understanding how real products come together — even when progress is slow.

I don’t think everyone should take this path. The traditional route works well for many people, and that’s valid.

For me, the harder part isn’t the workload — it’s choosing uncertainty and being okay with not knowing the outcome yet.

discuss

If you’re a student or early in your career:

Did you build something alongside studies or work?

Was it worth the trade-offs?

What did it teach you that a job or course didn’t?

I’m curious to hear different perspectives.