[kemiller2002]

One thing that I've never disliked about hiring managers asking for side projects, is that when I work on one, I do what interests me. I like trying new things, experimenting on stuff that I don't know how it will turn out. When I get bored or I hit a dead end, I stop. A lot of it is unfinished and messy. It's for me, not anyone else. My time is valuable, especially outside of work.

[PopeDotNinja]

Yeah. I'm building an http server for fun. Last year I wrote a JSON parser one weekend. A few years ago I wrote a YAML parser. I make things like this fun & learning, not because I'm trying to impress anyone. When someone asks why I'm reinventing the wheel, or is generally unimpressed that I didn't do something they view as more useful, it can be awkward.

[mikekchar]

Not only that, but when you are programming for yourself, you can take on practically infinite risk. There is no downside. When you are programming for the company, you have to err on the side of conservatism. Sometimes the only way to break through to another level is to take on that risk and see how it turns out. It says a lot about a programmer that their portfolios consist of lots of efforts that don't end up with a "product". They have tried a lot of stuff that you can't reasonably try in a work setting.