Shipping Side Projects: How I Go From Idea to Production

Most side projects die in a folder. Here’s the playbook I use to get them out the door.

1. Define the Smallest Version That Matters

Before a single line of code: what’s the one thing this project must do? Write it in one sentence.

• “A place where I publish short dev notes and share the link.”
• “A tiny app that converts X to Y and gives a shareable result.”

Cut everything else for v1. You can add features after it’s live.

2. Choose Boring Tech

Use what you know or one stack you’re committed to learning. Don’t switch mid-project.

1. Framework, Next.js, Remix, whatever. Stick with it.
2. Database, Firestore, Supabase, PlanetScale. Start simple.
3. Hosting, Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare. Deploy from main and forget.

3. Build in Vertical Slices

Don’t build “all backend, then all frontend.” Build one flow end-to-end.

Example: “User can sign up and see a dashboard.” Implement sign-up, one DB write, and one screen. Then add the next slice: “User can create a post.” Each slice is shippable. If you stop after two, you still have something real.

4. Deploy Early and Often

Get the app live as soon as the first slice works. Use env vars for config and secrets. Add a trivial health or “hello” route so you can confirm it’s up. Fix deployment issues early; they only get harder later.

5. Protect Time and Energy

Side projects are marathons. Block time (e.g. two 1-hour slots per week) and put them on the calendar. Keep the repo and dev environment one-command to run and one-command to deploy. Accept “good enough” for v1; polish after launch.

Summary

One sentence scope → boring tech → vertical slices → deploy early → protect time. That’s the loop. Ship the smallest version, then iterate.