The real value comes from the knowledge you acquire during the effort.
I'll add that if you're doing a side project mostly for resumé building, you're gonna have a bad time, period. There are a lot of ways to build a resumé, and you're better off doing things you enjoy. If it happens to help your resumé, that's a major bonus.
Not all side projects are code
I agree and I'd add that side projects that have no technical aspect at all are great for a) mental health and b) innovation. Venturing further from the code will give you a lot of insights as to areas in the world that might be fun and useful to add code to once you have steeped yourself in the world.
I'll add that if you're doing a side project mostly for resumé building, you're gonna have a bad time, period. There are a lot of ways to build a resumé, and you're better off doing things you enjoy. If it happens to help your resumé, that's a major bonus.
I agree and I'd add that side projects that have no technical aspect at all are great for a) mental health and b) innovation. Venturing further from the code will give you a lot of insights as to areas in the world that might be fun and useful to add code to once you have steeped yourself in the world.
Great points, thanks for the reply!