[dheera]

And many times, my side projects are my way of relaxing. Some people relax by partying, some relax by walking their dog, some relax by spending time with their kids. And my choice of relaxation time is often just building something interesting that has zero self-employment or market value, but is just funny or cool. It is refreshing to do something for pure happiness and fun, after dealing with the unhappy real world, is all about traction and money and not happiness.

I also have another set of side projects with specific intent to learn something new, which I consider an educational time investment in myself.

Neither is "click bait" for employers, and I consider neither to be a "waste of time".

[bloudermilk]

Like you, I find it extremely relaxing to build pointless things. Do you have the same trouble I do in explaining that this isn't "work" to people close to you?

[dheera]

I didn't have that problem much in Boston, but I do have that problem after moving to the Bay Area. People just don't seem to get it.

No, I'm not planning on raising money for this side project.

No, I don't have a million users.

No, I don't know why people would want this.

No, it's not for a startup.

No, it's not related to my actual startup at all.

It's called having fun, damn it.

[jmcgough]

This is why I participate in the Stupid Shit That No One Needs And Terrible Ideas Hackathon every year. It's super fun to build goofy things that you can laugh about with friends.

[expertentipp]

Landlord, utility companies, car mechanic, partner, and kids roll on the ground from the laughter as well.

[ben_w]

I can’t tell if you’re saying everyone outside software has goofy hobbies and this is nothing worth writing about, or if you’re trying to say that software-based hobbies stop software developers from doing their day jobs and paying the bills related to your list of other humans.

[adanto6840]

My "side project" actually pays the bills yet I'm not sure if my wife will ever fully understand that, despite it technically being "work" (and despite some rare complaints/bad days, like anything else), I actually thrive off of the challenges and sincerely enjoy it. And so working >8 hours on it isn't just because I "have" to, it's often because the challenge is so fun & thrilling that I _want_ to.

Of course, balance is important and I won't try to fool anyone -- it's something I'll likely always be working to improve.