Why Every Developer Should Build a Side Project — Even If You're Busy
In today’s tech industry, developers often find themselves working in narrowly defined roles—frontend engineers who never touch APIs, backend developers shielded from the UI, or cloud specialists unaware of the product’s end users. While these roles are important for scaling large teams, they can unintentionally limit exposure to the broader development lifecycle. This is where side projects come in—not just as creative outlets, but as powerful learning platforms that fill those knowledge gaps, build confidence, and keep you engaged in the craft of software engineering.
One of the most significant advantages of a side project is autonomy. In a typical job, your architecture decisions are often inherited, your technology stack predefined, and your freedom to innovate bounded by team policies or legacy code. A side project changes that dynamic. You decide everything: the tech stack, the design patterns, the deployment strategy, and even how you track tasks. This freedom encourages deep technical growth and allows you to experiment with new tools and frameworks that might not be on your company’s radar. Curious about Blazor, Vue 3 with Composition API, or experimenting with GraphQL over REST? Your side project becomes your playground.
Moreover, side projects help reinforce full-stack thinking. You get to experience what it means to go from a rough idea to a usable product, which means planning a database schema, managing authentication, designing a UI, handling state, deploying to the cloud, and writing the documentation. You begin to see how small architectural decisions have a ripple effect across your application. You start thinking in terms of user flows, developer ergonomics, and maintainability—not just whether the code works. This perspective is something employers value deeply, especially when hiring for senior or leadership roles.
Time is the most common excuse. “I’m too busy,” “I have kids,” “I’m already working overtime”—and those are valid concerns. But building a side project doesn’t mean coding every night for six hours. It can start with one hour a week. You don’t need a cofounder, a marketing plan, or a polished UI. Just start with a problem that annoys you, a manual task you wish was automated, or a simple app idea you’ve had in the back of your mind for months. As developers, we often underestimate the value of progress over perfection. It’s okay if the project evolves slowly—what matters is the consistency.
Beyond technical skills, side projects offer something rare in the software world: ownership. That sense of pride when you deploy something and it just works, when a few strangers sign up for your tool, or when you solve a problem you didn’t know you could—these experiences reignite the joy of building. They keep burnout at bay and remind you why you started coding in the first place.
Lastly, side projects are powerful assets on your resume, portfolio, or Upwork profile. They show initiative, passion, and versatility. If you're applying for a freelance gig or a remote job on Turing, showcasing a well-built side project can often speak louder than your years of experience. It tells a potential client or employer: “I don’t just write code—I solve problems.”
So yes, you’re busy. But consider carving out a little time for something that’s yours. Something that challenges you, excites you, and grows with you. It might just change the course of your career.