Why Most Side Projects Fail (And How to Avoid It)
Every developer I know has at least one side project that never shipped.
Some have ten.
The problem is not lack of skill.
It’s not lack of ideas.
And it’s definitely not lack of motivation at the start.
After building (and abandoning) multiple side projects myself, I’ve noticed clear, repeatable failure patterns. The good news: most of them are avoidable.
This post breaks down why side projects fail and what actually works instead.
- You Start With Features, Not a Problem
What usually happens
You open a new repo
Pick a shiny tech stack
Start building features you think are cool
Weeks later, you realize:
Nobody asked for this
You don’t know who it’s for
You’re not sure why it exists
How to avoid it
Start with one sentence:
“This project exists to solve this specific problem for this specific person.”
If you cannot explain the problem in plain English, stop coding.
- You Build Alone in a Vacuum
What usually happens
You don’t talk about the idea
You don’t share progress
You wait for a “perfect” version to show anyone
Result: zero feedback, zero urgency, zero accountability.
How to avoid it
Share progress publicly (DEV, Twitter, GitHub)
Ask early, dumb questions
Let people poke holes in the idea
Feedback early saves months of wasted work.
- You Overengineer the First Version
What usually happens
Perfect architecture
Future-proof abstractions
Scalable systems for users you don’t have
Then burnout hits before launch.
How to avoid it
Your first version should:
Solve one problem
Work for one user
Be ugly but usable
If it feels slightly embarrassing to ship, you’re probably doing it right.
- You Never Define “Done”
What usually happens
Endless “just one more feature”
No clear MVP boundary
Project slowly dies from scope creep
How to avoid it
Define “done” upfront:
What must work?
What can wait?
What will you not build?
Shipping is a decision, not an event.
- You Chase Motivation Instead of Systems
What usually happens
You work only when inspired
Progress is inconsistent
Guilt builds up → project abandoned
How to avoid it
Replace motivation with systems:
Fixed weekly time block
Small, shippable tasks
Visible progress (checklists help)
Consistency beats intensity every time.
- You Treat It Like a Hobby (But Expect Results)
This one hurts.
If you want results:
Users
Feedback
Revenue
You must treat it like a product, not a weekend experiment.
That means:
Writing docs
Improving UX
Listening to users
Iterating based on reality, not assumptions
What Actually Works (Summary)
If I had to reduce this to a checklist:
Start with a real problem
Talk about it early
Ship something small
Define “done”
Build consistently
Learn from users, not assumptions
Side projects don’t fail because developers are bad.
They fail because the process is wrong.
Question for You
What caused your last side project to fail?
Lack of time?
Loss of interest?
No users?
Drop it in the comments—your answer might save someone else months of effort.
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