Side Projects That Actually Shipped: The Developer's Anti-Tutorial Hell Playbook

Greetings, citizen of the web!

Your GitHub is a graveyard of half-finished projects.

"todo-app-nextjs" "crypto-tracker-v2" "saas-starter-abandoned"

You start with excitement. Two weeks in, motivation dies. The project sits forever.

Sound familiar?

89% of developer side projects never ship. Here's how to be in the 11%.

Why Most Side Projects Fail

Reason #1: Scope Creep (The Silent Killer)

What happens:

Week 1: "I'll build a simple todo app"
Week 2: "Actually, let's add user auth"
Week 3: "And real-time sync would be cool"
Week 4: "Maybe AI task suggestions?"
Week 6: Abandoned

The fix: Ruthlessly scope-cut. Build the SMALLEST useful version. Ship it. Add features later (you won't, but that's fine).

Reason #2: Tech Stack Rabbit Hole

What happens:

"Should I use Next.js or Remix?"
"Postgres or MongoDB?"
"Tailwind or styled-components?"
Two weeks of research. Zero lines of code.

The fix: Pick the stack you know. This isn't the project where you learn 4 new technologies. Use boring tech. Ship fast.

Reason #3: Perfectionism (Disguised as "Best Practices")

What happens:

"Let me set up CI/CD first"
"I need full test coverage"
"Let me refactor this architecture"
Never ships because "it's not ready yet"

The fix: Ship broken. Fix later. Nobody's using it yet anyway.

Reason #4: No Clear "Done" Definition

What happens:

Vague goal: "Build a productivity app"
Never reaches "done" because done is undefined
Keeps adding features forever

The fix: Define done BEFORE starting. "V1 is done when users can create/edit/delete tasks and mark them complete. Period."

The Shipping Framework: SCRIPT

S - Solve YOUR Problem

Bad: "I'll build a Twitter clone" Good: "I'm tired of losing track of interesting tweets. I'll build a personal tweet bookmarking tool."

Why: Personal investment = sustained motivation.

C - Cut Scope Ruthlessly

Exercise: Write down all features. Cut 80%. That's V1.

Example:

~~User auth~~ (V2)
~~Social features~~ (V2)
~~Mobile app~~ (V2)
✅ Core functionality ONLY (V1)

R - Repeatable Schedule

Bad: "I'll work on it whenever I have time" Good: "I'll code on it 7am-8am, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday"

Why: Consistency > intensity. 3 hours/week consistently beats 12-hour weekend binges.

I - Integrate Into Existing Skills

Bad: Learn Rust + WebGPU + Kubernetes for your first side project Good: Use TypeScript + Next.js + Vercel (skills you already have)

Why: Maximize code written, minimize learning curve.

P - Public Accountability

Strategy:

Tweet your daily progress
Post on Indie Hackers
Stream on Twitch
"Build in public"

Why: Social pressure is motivating. Embarrassment of giving up publicly > quitting privately.

T - Time-Box It

The rule: "I'll ship V1 in 4 weeks or kill the project."

Why: Deadlines force decisions. No deadline = infinite bikeshedding.

The 4-Week Shipping Sprint

Week 1: MVP Definition + Setup

Day 1-2: Define the MVP

What's the ONE problem you're solving?
What's the SMALLEST version that solves it?
Write it down. This is your contract with yourself.

Day 3-4: Tech stack setup

Pick boring tech (what you know)
Initialize project
Deploy "Hello World" to production (yes, really)

Day 5-7: Build core feature #1

Not the whole app. ONE feature.
Make it work. Don't make it pretty.

Week 2: Core Functionality

Goal: Build 2-3 core features. Ugly is fine. Broken is not.

Daily routine:

Code for your scheduled time
Commit progress (even if small)
Tweet progress (accountability)

Anti-pattern: Refactoring. Don't. Just build.

Week 3: Integration + Polish (Minimal)

Goal: Make features work together. Add MINIMAL polish.

Minimal polish:

Functional UI (doesn't have to be pretty)
Basic error handling
Works on mobile (responsive, not native app)

Not included:

Animations
Perfect design
Edge case handling
Performance optimization

Week 4: Ship It

Day 1-3: Final bug fixes + deployment Day 4: Write landing page (one page, explain what it does) Day 5: Launch (ProductHunt, Twitter, Hacker News, Reddit)

The rule: Ship on Day 28 no matter what. Done is better than perfect.

The Realistic Tech Stack for Shipping Fast

For Web Apps:

Framework: Next.js or Remix

Server + client in one
Built-in routing
Deploy to Vercel/Netlify (one command)

Database: Neon Postgres or Turso

Serverless (no ops)
Free tier (start free, scale later)

Styling: Tailwind

Fast to write
Looks decent by default

Auth: Clerk or Supabase Auth

Drop-in auth (don't build it yourself)

Total setup time: 1-2 hours. Then you're building features.

For CLI Tools:

Language: Python or Go

Python: Quick to write, huge ecosystem
Go: Fast, single binary

Distribution: Homebrew (Mac) or pip (Python)

Total setup time: 30 minutes.

The "Done" Checklist

V1 is done when:

Core functionality works (the problem is solved)
Deployed to public URL (not localhost)
Landing page exists (one page explaining what it is)
Basic error handling (app doesn't crash on bad input)
Works on mobile (responsive design)
You've dogfooded it for 3 days (you actually use it)

That's it. Not perfect. Just done.

The Launch Strategy

Where to Launch (Pick 2-3):

Product Hunt:

Best for getting initial visibility
Post early (12:01am PST for full day exposure)
Engage with comments

Hacker News (Show HN):

Tech-savvy audience
Great feedback
Can drive significant traffic

Twitter:

Build in public community
Use hashtags: #buildinpublic #indiehackers
Thread format works well

Reddit:

r/SideProject
r/webdev
r/programming (careful, strict rules)

Dev.to / Hashnode:

Write the "How I Built X" post
Include tech stack, challenges, learnings

The Launch Post Template:

# I built [Project Name] - [One-line description]

## The Problem
[Personal problem you faced]

## The Solution
[How your project solves it]

## The Stack
[Tech you used - keeps it brief]

## Try it
[Link]

## What's Next
[V2 features IF there's interest]

Feedback welcome!

Keep it short. Nobody reads long launch posts.

After Launch: The 3 Paths

Path 1: Nobody Cares (Most Common)

What happens: 10 upvotes, 3 users, no traction.

What to do:

Don't be discouraged (this is normal)
You still shipped (that's the win)
Extract learnings
Move on to next project

Learning: You practiced shipping. That's valuable.

Path 2: Modest Interest

What happens: 100-500 users, some positive feedback.

What to do:

Maintain it (fix critical bugs)
Add V2 features IF users request them
Don't over-invest yet

Learning: You have product-market fit signals. Watch closely.

Path 3: Viral Growth (Rare)

What happens: 10K+ users, revenue potential.

What to do:

Now you can invest more time
Consider monetization
Build V2 based on user feedback

Learning: You found something. Double down.

The Projects That Actually Work

Category 1: Developer Tools

Examples:

Code snippet manager
Git commit message generator
API testing tool

Why they work: Developers are your audience. You ARE the user.

Category 2: "Scratch Your Own Itch"

Examples:

Habit tracker (you want to track habits)
Expense tracker (you want to track expenses)
Reading list manager (you want to organize articles)

Why they work: You're solving YOUR problem. Sustained motivation.

Category 3: Micro-SaaS

Examples:

Screenshot API
Email verification service
QR code generator

Why they work: Small scope, clear value prop, monetizable.

The Realistic Expectations

Your First 5 Projects Will Probably Fail

That's fine. You're learning to ship, not building a unicorn.

Shipping is the Skill, Not the Idea

The idea doesn't matter. Execution does.

Bad idea + shipped > great idea + abandoned.

Most Side Projects Won't Make Money

If money is the goal, side projects are the wrong path.

Side projects are for:

Learning new tech
Building portfolio
Scratching an itch
Having fun

Money is a bonus, not the goal.

The Starter Protocol

This Week:

Pick ONE problem you personally face
Write down the SMALLEST version that solves it
Set a 4-week deadline

Next Week: 4. Pick your tech stack (boring > new) 5. Deploy "Hello World" to production 6. Tweet about it (accountability)

Weeks 3-4: 7. Build. Tweet progress. Ship.

You don't need a groundbreaking idea.

You don't need perfect code.

You don't need 6 months.

You need 4 weeks and the discipline to ship.

Start now.

Emmanuel Ketcha | Ketchalegend Blog Side project graveyard survivor. Finally learned to ship.

Side Projects That Actually Shipped: The Developer's Anti-Tutorial Hell Playbook

Greetings, citizen of the web!

Your GitHub is a graveyard of half-finished projects.

"todo-app-nextjs" "crypto-tracker-v2" "saas-starter-abandoned"

You start with excitement. Two weeks in, motivation dies. The project sits forever.

Sound familiar?

89% of developer side projects never ship. Here's how to be in the 11%.

Why Most Side Projects Fail

Reason #1: Scope Creep (The Silent Killer)

What happens:

Week 1: "I'll build a simple todo app"
Week 2: "Actually, let's add user auth"
Week 3: "And real-time sync would be cool"
Week 4: "Maybe AI task suggestions?"
Week 6: Abandoned

The fix: Ruthlessly scope-cut. Build the SMALLEST useful version. Ship it. Add features later (you won't, but that's fine).

Reason #2: Tech Stack Rabbit Hole

What happens:

"Should I use Next.js or Remix?"
"Postgres or MongoDB?"
"Tailwind or styled-components?"
Two weeks of research. Zero lines of code.

The fix: Pick the stack you know. This isn't the project where you learn 4 new technologies. Use boring tech. Ship fast.

Reason #3: Perfectionism (Disguised as "Best Practices")

What happens:

"Let me set up CI/CD first"
"I need full test coverage"
"Let me refactor this architecture"
Never ships because "it's not ready yet"

The fix: Ship broken. Fix later. Nobody's using it yet anyway.

Reason #4: No Clear "Done" Definition

What happens:

Vague goal: "Build a productivity app"
Never reaches "done" because done is undefined
Keeps adding features forever

The fix: Define done BEFORE starting. "V1 is done when users can create/edit/delete tasks and mark them complete. Period."

The Shipping Framework: SCRIPT

S - Solve YOUR Problem

Bad: "I'll build a Twitter clone" Good: "I'm tired of losing track of interesting tweets. I'll build a personal tweet bookmarking tool."

Why: Personal investment = sustained motivation.

C - Cut Scope Ruthlessly

Exercise: Write down all features. Cut 80%. That's V1.

Example:

~~User auth~~ (V2)
~~Social features~~ (V2)
~~Mobile app~~ (V2)
✅ Core functionality ONLY (V1)

R - Repeatable Schedule

Bad: "I'll work on it whenever I have time" Good: "I'll code on it 7am-8am, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday"

Why: Consistency > intensity. 3 hours/week consistently beats 12-hour weekend binges.

I - Integrate Into Existing Skills

Bad: Learn Rust + WebGPU + Kubernetes for your first side project Good: Use TypeScript + Next.js + Vercel (skills you already have)

Why: Maximize code written, minimize learning curve.

P - Public Accountability

Strategy:

Tweet your daily progress
Post on Indie Hackers
Stream on Twitch
"Build in public"

Why: Social pressure is motivating. Embarrassment of giving up publicly > quitting privately.

T - Time-Box It

The rule: "I'll ship V1 in 4 weeks or kill the project."

Why: Deadlines force decisions. No deadline = infinite bikeshedding.

The 4-Week Shipping Sprint

Week 1: MVP Definition + Setup

Day 1-2: Define the MVP

What's the ONE problem you're solving?
What's the SMALLEST version that solves it?
Write it down. This is your contract with yourself.

Day 3-4: Tech stack setup

Pick boring tech (what you know)
Initialize project
Deploy "Hello World" to production (yes, really)

Day 5-7: Build core feature #1

Not the whole app. ONE feature.
Make it work. Don't make it pretty.

Week 2: Core Functionality

Goal: Build 2-3 core features. Ugly is fine. Broken is not.

Daily routine:

Code for your scheduled time
Commit progress (even if small)
Tweet progress (accountability)

Anti-pattern: Refactoring. Don't. Just build.

Week 3: Integration + Polish (Minimal)

Goal: Make features work together. Add MINIMAL polish.

Minimal polish:

Functional UI (doesn't have to be pretty)
Basic error handling
Works on mobile (responsive, not native app)

Not included:

Animations
Perfect design
Edge case handling
Performance optimization

Week 4: Ship It

Day 1-3: Final bug fixes + deployment Day 4: Write landing page (one page, explain what it does) Day 5: Launch (ProductHunt, Twitter, Hacker News, Reddit)

The rule: Ship on Day 28 no matter what. Done is better than perfect.

The Realistic Tech Stack for Shipping Fast

For Web Apps:

Framework: Next.js or Remix

Server + client in one
Built-in routing
Deploy to Vercel/Netlify (one command)

Database: Neon Postgres or Turso

Serverless (no ops)
Free tier (start free, scale later)

Styling: Tailwind

Fast to write
Looks decent by default

Auth: Clerk or Supabase Auth

Drop-in auth (don't build it yourself)

Total setup time: 1-2 hours. Then you're building features.

For CLI Tools:

Language: Python or Go

Python: Quick to write, huge ecosystem
Go: Fast, single binary

Distribution: Homebrew (Mac) or pip (Python)

Total setup time: 30 minutes.

The "Done" Checklist

V1 is done when:

Core functionality works (the problem is solved)
Deployed to public URL (not localhost)
Landing page exists (one page explaining what it is)
Basic error handling (app doesn't crash on bad input)
Works on mobile (responsive design)
You've dogfooded it for 3 days (you actually use it)

That's it. Not perfect. Just done.

The Launch Strategy

Where to Launch (Pick 2-3):

Product Hunt:

Best for getting initial visibility
Post early (12:01am PST for full day exposure)
Engage with comments

Hacker News (Show HN):

Tech-savvy audience
Great feedback
Can drive significant traffic

Twitter:

Build in public community
Use hashtags: #buildinpublic #indiehackers
Thread format works well

Reddit:

r/SideProject
r/webdev
r/programming (careful, strict rules)

Dev.to / Hashnode:

Write the "How I Built X" post
Include tech stack, challenges, learnings

The Launch Post Template:

# I built [Project Name] - [One-line description]

## The Problem
[Personal problem you faced]

## The Solution
[How your project solves it]

## The Stack
[Tech you used - keeps it brief]

## Try it
[Link]

## What's Next
[V2 features IF there's interest]

Feedback welcome!

Keep it short. Nobody reads long launch posts.

After Launch: The 3 Paths

Path 1: Nobody Cares (Most Common)

What happens: 10 upvotes, 3 users, no traction.

What to do:

Don't be discouraged (this is normal)
You still shipped (that's the win)
Extract learnings
Move on to next project

Learning: You practiced shipping. That's valuable.

Path 2: Modest Interest

What happens: 100-500 users, some positive feedback.

What to do:

Maintain it (fix critical bugs)
Add V2 features IF users request them
Don't over-invest yet

Learning: You have product-market fit signals. Watch closely.

Path 3: Viral Growth (Rare)

What happens: 10K+ users, revenue potential.

What to do:

Now you can invest more time
Consider monetization
Build V2 based on user feedback

Learning: You found something. Double down.

The Projects That Actually Work

Category 1: Developer Tools

Examples:

Code snippet manager
Git commit message generator
API testing tool

Why they work: Developers are your audience. You ARE the user.

Category 2: "Scratch Your Own Itch"

Examples:

Habit tracker (you want to track habits)
Expense tracker (you want to track expenses)
Reading list manager (you want to organize articles)

Why they work: You're solving YOUR problem. Sustained motivation.

Category 3: Micro-SaaS

Examples:

Screenshot API
Email verification service
QR code generator

Why they work: Small scope, clear value prop, monetizable.

The Realistic Expectations

Your First 5 Projects Will Probably Fail

That's fine. You're learning to ship, not building a unicorn.

Shipping is the Skill, Not the Idea

The idea doesn't matter. Execution does.

Bad idea + shipped > great idea + abandoned.

Most Side Projects Won't Make Money

If money is the goal, side projects are the wrong path.

Side projects are for:

Learning new tech
Building portfolio
Scratching an itch
Having fun

Money is a bonus, not the goal.

The Starter Protocol

This Week:

Pick ONE problem you personally face
Write down the SMALLEST version that solves it
Set a 4-week deadline

Next Week: 4. Pick your tech stack (boring > new) 5. Deploy "Hello World" to production 6. Tweet about it (accountability)

Weeks 3-4: 7. Build. Tweet progress. Ship.

You don't need a groundbreaking idea.

You don't need perfect code.

You don't need 6 months.

You need 4 weeks and the discipline to ship.

Start now.

Emmanuel Ketcha | Ketchalegend Blog Side project graveyard survivor. Finally learned to ship.