DEV Community: TJ June

How many side projects are rotting in your "localhost graveyard"? 🪦

TJ June — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 14:29:22 +0000

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Hey DEV community 👋

I'm validating a new idea and I need your brutal, honest feedback before my team writes the first line of backend code.

The Problem
Most of us have a directory full of half-finished side projects. You have the backend built, but the UI is a mess. Or you have a great idea, but lack the specific tech stack to pull it off alone.

Existing solutions are either too formal (like finding a full-time startup co-founder) or too noisy (like Discord servers where people say "let's build" and then ghost you after two days).

The Solution I'm Proposing
I want to build a micro-collaboration platform designed strictly to help you find the exact missing puzzle piece for your side project, lock in a timeline, and actually ship it.

Here is the core workflow:

The Project Board: Post your app idea, the strict time limit (e.g., a 14-day sprint), and the exact tech stack you need.
The Handshake: A double opt-in proposal system. No spammy "hi" messages. You both agree to the scope and timeline before the chat even unlocks.
The Countdown: Once you agree, a countdown timer starts. No bloated Kanban boards or task managers—just a ticking clock to keep you both accountable.
Proof of Work: When you ship, you both get a verified "Completed" badge that you can embed on your portfolio, proving you actually finish what you start.

My Question for You:
Would a strict timebox and a verified matching system actually push you to finish your apps? Or is the reason we abandon side projects something else entirely?

Tear this idea apart in the comments. What am I missing? 👇

Day 3/100 — Reaching out to 100 developers

TJ June — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:18:03 +0000

Day 3/100 — Reaching out to 100 developers
Today:
3 developers reached
0 joined
No rush. Just keeping the habit alive.

Day 1/100 — Reaching out to 100 developers

TJ June — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:26:34 +0000

Today:
2 emails
1 comment
Starting the challenge of inviting 100 developers to build in public on NowMine.
Slow and consistent.

Day 4/7 — Migrating Video Uploads to Pixeldrain and Fixing Composer Layout

TJ June — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:38:09 +0000

Today I shipped 3 things on NowMine.site:

PostComposerModal.tsx — Refined layout, fixed overflow on mobile, improved UX
Video uploader — Migrated from ImgBB to Pixeldrain API for better reliability and direct file links. Wired progress states.
Challenge research — Our 7-day challenge has 48 participants and 112 posts. Studying retention for next iteration.

Stack: React + TypeScript + Vite. Biggest pain was TypeScript any lint errors blocking build.

Streak 4/7. Shipping daily.

Live: https://nowmine.site

Streak 4 🟢 on NowMine.site

TJ June — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 05:02:22 +0000

Today:
→ wiring video uploads to Pixeldrain
→ fixing composer layout
→ adding loading pane

22 builders, 40+ posts, 4 active streaks. We ship daily.

Join us 👉 nowmine.site

buildinpublic #indiehackers #sideproject #buildinpublic #100daysofcode

A milestone worth talking about

TJ June — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:33:42 +0000

I shipped NowMine.site - a daily streak tracker for builders.

This week hit a small milestone that actually matters for retention:

22 total members
22 joined this week / 4 today
40 posts total
4 on active streak, best is 5 days
0 at risk / 0 never-posted = 100% activation

The hardest part of community products isn't signups, it's getting people to come back. Seeing 4 distinct authors post daily is the real win.

Building in public. Would love feedback from fellow builders.

I shipped Video uploads to Nowmine day 3/30

TJ June — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:34:36 +0000

Streak 3/30: Shipped video uploads on NowMine 🎥

No more typing "I shipped". Now you can SHOW it.

What I built:

Video upload to daily logs (up to 10min)
Player with waveform + progress
Why? 30 sec video proof > 300 words

I'm dogfooding NowMine.site for 30 days straight. The rule: lower the bar on bad days, 2 minutes still counts.

The log became a mirror. Can't hide from it.

Try it: https://nowmine.site

What are you shipping today?

buildinpublic #indiehackers #webdev #productivity

Milestone - NowMine is now on Google 🔍

TJ June — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 19:54:48 +0000

Small milestone: nowmine.site is now showing up in Google search 🎉

Started getting impressions Sept 30. Not viral, but it's real progress for my 30-day build in public challenge.

Logging all wins here: https://nowmine.site/

Building in Public with NowMine: The Complete Guide to Consistency That Actually Ships Products

TJ June — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 19:47:36 +0000

I failed my last build in public challenge on Day 17.

Not because the idea was bad. Not because I lost motivation. I failed because no one was watching, and when no one is watching, it's easy to skip a day. Then two. Then it's over.

That is the exact problem NowMine was built to solve.

This is not another productivity guru post. This is the practical playbook I am using right now for my 30-day restart, and how you can use NowMine to build in public without burning out, going silent, or faking progress.

WHAT IS BUILDING IN PUBLIC, REALLY?

Building in public is simple: you share what you are building, as you build it.

Not just launches. Not just wins. The bugs, the slow days, the decisions, the numbers.

Most people get this wrong. They think building in public means posting on X every day saying "Day 23, still grinding." That's not building in public, that's noise.

Real building in public has 3 parts:

Proof: Show what you did today. A commit, a screenshot, a Loom, a customer message.
Learning: Share what you learned. What broke, what worked, what you would do differently.
Plan: Say what is next. This creates accountability for tomorrow.

When you do this consistently, three things happen. You build trust before you launch. You get feedback while you can still change things. And you build an audience that actually cares because they watched you build it.

WHY MOST DEVELOPERS QUIT AFTER DAY 7

I talk to developers every week who struggle with consistency. It is almost never a talent problem. It is a system problem.

Here is the pattern I see:

Day 1-3: High energy. You post everywhere.
Day 4-6: Energy drops. No likes, no comments. You start wondering if anyone cares.
Day 7-10: You miss a day. You feel guilty. You don't post because you have "nothing to show."
Day 17: Like me last time. You quietly quit.

The root cause is not laziness. It is that Twitter / X / LinkedIn are terrible places to track consistency. Your Day 4 post is buried. There is no streak. There is no proof log. There is just a feed that rewards virality, not consistency.

You need a home base for your proof. Social platforms are for distribution. NowMine is for accountability.

HOW NOWMINE CHANGES THE GAME

NowMine.site is my answer to this. It is a public accountability log designed specifically for builders.

Instead of shouting into the algorithm, you log daily proof on NowMine:

Day 1/30: What you shipped + screenshot
Day 2/30: Who you talked to + what you learned
Day 3/30: Even if you shipped nothing, you log the work

Each log builds your streak. Your streak is public. Anyone can see you have shown up 12 days in a row. That social pressure is powerful.

Think of it like GitHub contributions, but for your entire build journey, not just code. Customer calls count. Design work counts. Messaging inactive users counts, like I did on my Day 2.

THE NOWMINE METHOD: HOW TO BUILD IN PUBLIC FOR 30 DAYS

Here is the exact system I am dogfooding right now:

Step 1: Create your challenge
Don't say "I'll try to be consistent." Say "Day 1 of 30, NowMine Dogfood Challenge." Name it. Set the days. Make it public on NowMine.

Step 2: Log before you promote
Every day, post to NowMine FIRST. 3 lines: Yesterday, Today, Blocker. Add proof. This takes 3 minutes.

Step 3: Distribute the screenshot
Take a screenshot of your NowMine log. Post that screenshot to Dev.to, Daily.dev, Facebook groups, Reddit, Hacker News. Now you are not creating 5 pieces of content. You are creating 1 proof and distributing it.

Step 4: Embrace boring days
My Day 2 was no code. I just messaged members and planned the challenge date. I logged it anyway. Boring logs keep streaks alive. Streaks keep you alive.

Step 5: Engage for 10 minutes
Building in public is not broadcast, it is community. Reply to one other builder. Comment on one post. That is how Jordan found me, founder of dayNumber_, who has logged 434 days straight. Those connections only happen when you are visible.

WHAT TO POST EACH DAY (COPY THIS TEMPLATE)

Use this on NowMine every day:

Day X/30 - [Challenge Name]

Shipped: [1 line, even if small]
Learning: [what broke or what you realized]
Tomorrow: [1 clear task]
Proof: [link / image]

That's it. Don't overthink. Done is better than perfect.

WHY THIS WORKS FOR DEVELOPERS WHO STRUGGLE WITH CONSISTENCY

Low friction: 3 minutes to log vs 30 minutes to write a thread.
Proof over promises: You can't fake a 20-day streak with screenshots.
Forgiving: Miss a code day? Log community work. Still counts.
Compounding: Day 23 is powerful because days 1-22 exist in one place.

I built NowMine because I needed it. I am on Day 2 of my restart after failing on Day 17. I am dogfooding it live.

If you struggle with consistency, don't start with a big launch. Start with a 7-day challenge on NowMine. Log proof daily. Watch what happens to your focus.

Building in public is not about going viral. It is about not quitting.

Start your Day 1 today on NowMine.site. I will be watching, and I will cheer you on.

See you on Day 30.

Day 2/30 building NowMine in public.

TJ June — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:23:45 +0000

No code shipped today. Spent the day DMing early members who haven't posted a streak yet and deciding when to officially start the 7-day consistency challenge.

Realization: The hardest part isn't building the streak app, it's getting people to start day 1.

Full log: https://nowmine.site/

How do you activate lurkers in your community?

Nowmine

TJ June — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 17:31:34 +0000

Hey everyone 👋
Been building NowMine — developers post a daily update on what they're building or learning, and it tracks your streak. Not a static GitHub profile, an actual proof-of-consistency log.
Want to try it for a week? 😉 No pressure, just see how it feels.
One tip: post what you're working on right now, right after you set up your profile — don't leave Day 1 empty. It's also genuinely good for your reputation as someone who ships, not just talks about shipping.
[nowmine.site] — takes 2 minutes.
Would love to see your first post.

Nowmine

TJ June — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:18:47 +0000