Side projects lately feel the same as creating a blog: why bother, no one is ever gonna read it? And it’s not going to make much money or gain you karma.
I sometimes feel like that. All of the side projects I've done in the last 25 years have been mostly for my own enjoyment. I haven't done a single side project for money. I also used to run a blog for enjoyment. I stopped enjoying it, so stopped doing it.
I do sometimes feel like, if I'd spent 25% of the time I spent on these side projects on something that would have made me $$$$$$$$ then maybe I could now spend all my time on anything I want, or live in a nicer place and that sometimes dissuades me from some new side projects.
I think probably the biggest thing that gets me to start something is if I believe (even wrongly) that I can make tons of progress quickly. Usually that means I think I can get to something working in a few hours.
The great part about side projects is that unlike a business, it doesn't matter how much money it makes or how much traction it gets on social media. You can build something that you think is cool or useful and release it to the world and be proud of it. Then when someone stumbles upon it and also finds it cool and useful, it's a nice feeling.
A focus on revenue or external validation is what turns a "side project" into a "side hustle" or just a plain old "business" and those tend to be a lot less fun to work on.
I do sometimes feel like, if I'd spent 25% of the time I spent on these side projects on something that would have made me $$$$$$$$ then maybe I could now spend all my time on anything I want, or live in a nicer place and that sometimes dissuades me from some new side projects.
I think probably the biggest thing that gets me to start something is if I believe (even wrongly) that I can make tons of progress quickly. Usually that means I think I can get to something working in a few hours.