The Power of Side Projects During a Crisis

A little momentum goes a long way when the world slows down.

A side project cannot fix a difficult year, but it can provide a small area where curiosity and progress still feel possible. The goal is not relentless productivity; sometimes making one enjoyable thing is quite enough.

A side project should be allowed to be smaller, stranger and more personal than paid work. Its value is often the freedom to follow an idea without first proving it belongs on a roadmap.

There is a practical tension underneath this topic: we want enough structure to move confidently, but not so much that the structure becomes the work.

Optimise for the next decision

Engineering choices are rarely permanent, but they can make the next choice dramatically easier or harder. The useful question is not whether an approach is perfect. It is whether it leaves the team in a good position when reality changes.

I look for feedback loops, visible trade-offs and a cheap route back. Small releases expose assumptions while they are still affordable. Clear defaults reduce accidental variation. A little discipline early is usually kinder than a rescue project later.

The best technical decision often buys clarity before it buys capability.

Good engineering creates options. It solves today's problem without quietly charging tomorrow's team an unreasonable fee.

The details will change from project to project. The underlying habit of paying attention travels well.