I make A LOT of things.
Some turn into bigger projects than I expected. Some are experiments. Some are tiny utilities I made because I wanted one ...
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I build one main app and a lot of small single-page tools around it, and the small ones taught me what done looks like for me. A tool that answers one question without a login is finished the day it works.
The moment I start thinking about adding accounts to one, it stops being a tool and turns into a second product I would have to support. So my rough test is that if the next feature needs a database, it probably belongs to a different project.
I really like that way of looking at it. The database test is actually a pretty great line to draw. Once accounts, persistence, user data, etc. start creeping in, it really does stop being “a little tool” and starts becoming something you have to maintain as a product.
I think I’m slowly getting better at recognizing that point instead of automatically thinking every useful little thing needs to grow.
The test I've started using is whether the next change would be for the tool or for an imagined user. Fixing a bug I actually hit is for the tool. Adding accounts in case someone else wants it is for a person who doesn't exist yet, and that's usually the moment a finished thing quietly turns into a maintenance job. Your not-abandoned-just-done distinction probably deserves a line in the README too, so nobody reads the silence as neglect.
I really like that distinction between changes for the tool and changes for an imagined user. That’s such an easy trap to fall into, especially once you start thinking “well, someone might want…” and suddenly you’re building for people who don’t even exist yet.
And the README idea is actually really smart. Calling something intentionally finished instead of just leaving it quiet would make that a lot clearer.
Thanks for such a refreshing perspective! This really hits home.
It's so easy to get lost in that subconscious urge to turn every small experiment into a massive product right away. Just like you said, a hobby project suddenly starts feeling like unpaid work.
What helps me stay on track is a strict "feature parking lot list": Everything that pops up during development that isn't essential for the core utility goes straight in there. It calms the brain down ("the idea isn't lost"), but keeps the current focus clean.
Sometimes "done" is just realizing: It does exactly what it's supposed to, I learned something—and now it's allowed to exist in peace.
I really like the “feature parking lot” idea. That’s such a good way to keep yourself from turning every little project into a never-ending list of things it could become. I’m definitely guilty of thinking of ten new features while I’m still building the first three lol. And I love that way of looking at “done” too. Sometimes it really is enough that it works, you learned something, and it can just exist.
I really liked the idea that a project doesn't have to keep growing to be considered successful. If it solves the problem you built it for or teaches you something valuable, that can be enough. Sometimes knowing when to stop adding features and move on to the next idea is just as important as building the project itself. Great perspective!
Yeah, I think knowing when to stop is a skill in itself. Sometimes the best thing you can do is recognize that the project already accomplished what you made it for and move on to the next thing.
Really enjoyed this, Jessica. I think we’ve gotten a little too used to measuring projects by how much they grow instead of whether they actually did what we wanted.
Exactly. I think “did it do what I wanted it to do?” is a much better measure than “how much can I keep adding to it?” Not every project needs to keep growing forever.