Products and side projects.
WHY PEOPLE DO IT
Income independent of employment Building something you control Learning Enjoyment
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
Whether your employment contract permits it.
WHAT TO CHECK
Intellectual property clauses Restrictions on outside work Conflict of interest provisions
WHY
Broad clauses can claim ownership of personal projects.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Ask for a carve-out, in writing, before starting.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Using employer time or equipment Building something competing Using knowledge that is confidential
WHAT TO BUILD
Something small, that solves a real problem.
WHY SMALL
Finishing matters more than ambition.
WHAT TO EXPECT
That most attempts produce little revenue.
WHY DO IT ANYWAY
The learning is real, and occasionally one works.
WHAT TO PROTECT
Your main income, and your health.
WHY
Side projects consume evenings, and burnout is a real risk.
WHAT PACE IS SUSTAINABLE
Modest and consistent.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Whether anyone uses it.
WHAT TO DO IF NOBODY DOES
Stop, or change it, deliberately.
WHAT TO KEEP REGARDLESS
The evidence of having built and shipped something.
