Often, junior software engineers tell me how much they'd love to have side projects to work on and improve their skills.
My recommendation is always the same: just start a personal side project.
The perks of managing side projects are clear: you are the product owner.
However, the response remains uniform: I don’t have an idea.
When I suggest classic app projects like time tracking, to-do lists, or note apps, the response is mixed: Yeah, I thought about that, but all those apps already exist.
The Real Reason for a Side Project
So, as a junior developer, you need to ask yourself: Do you want a side project primarily to gain experience and sharpen your coding skills, or are you looking to launch the next big startup idea?
I'd recommend opting for the first option.
However, I understand why building yet another time tracking app might not be so appealing.
Finding Inspiration for a Side Project
Let me share how I come up with some creative project ideas to gain more experience, especially in building web applications or using languages like JavaScript.
A while ago, I stumbled upon this website displaying a beautiful orbit animation:
I didn’t have much time then, so I stored it in my reminder app.
The following weekend while cleaning up my bookmark list, I revisited the site, curious about how it worked.
Initially, I thought it involved a canvas element, but no—this was mainly CSS-driven.
More specifically, it was a React component underpinned by pure CSS animations.
This sparked a desire in me to delve deeper into CSS animations, and although I archived the bookmark, the idea stayed in my mind.
Fast forward a few days: During a planning poker session, my team expressed frustration with the tool we were using.
While it was generally effective, its limitations (in terms of the number of people and stories that could be handled per session) were apparent.
Moreover, all alternatives we looked into were either paid, required a login, or were brimming with ads.
Then, during a pivotal moment, our Scrum Master opened a free tool that inadvertently showcased he was vacationing in Portugal through obtrusive banner ads.
This was it—the wake-up call!
And then the idea was clear—why not build a planning poker app?
Yes, there are thousands available online, in the form of web applications or mobile apps; some are open source on GitHub, others not.
It didn’t matter; I wanted to create something tailored for my team that incorporated the captivating orbit animation mentioned earlier.
Here is how it came together: planning-poker.games
A Practical Guide to Finding Project Ideas
Collect and Curate
Whenever you browse the Internet, there's always something new that catches your eye or something complex you wish to unravel — maybe it's a new cutting-edge database, or a design that stands out.
Save it—use bookmarks or maintain a list.
Regular Reviews
Periodically check this list.
You might find yo've already used some technologies in your job, or maybe certain designs no longer interest you.
Don’t be messy—delete anything that no longer resonates with the same excitement.
Missing Features Are Opportunities
If there's a feature missing in your to-do app — like a daily task accomplishment graph to boost motivation—consider using that awesome Chart Library you saw recently.
Or maybe your note app always ends up cluttered?
What if it could auto-categorize notes using AI?
Additionally, keep an ear out for grievances others have with their apps — these complaints are golden opportunities.
Sure, building something as complex as Jira from scratch takes ages, but maybe you could just address a specific problem by integrating with the Jira API or developing a simple browser extension?
Conclusion
I hope this post inspires you to launch into your own projects.
Explore what’s out there, tailor solutions to specific needs, and above all, keep coding!
Take a look at planning-poker.games and let me know your thoughts!
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