One of the best things that I like about working with developers is that in most situations, I am not asked a question – where do I get a good idea.
In most of the situations, developers have figured out more than one idea to work on and in all probabilities, they want to work on more than one idea on their multiple side projects.
This sounds like real fun.
It’s only once in a while, I hear this question – what makes a good side-project idea?
Side-project situations do not change the rules
Just because it is a side-project situation, it does not qualify to be an exception to the normal rules of a start-up game.
Just because you are working full time in some big firm and following your idea through your side project on weekends, doesn’t make a bad idea an acceptable one.
Sometimes, it is wrongly believed that a good side project is the ones where it
- Makes you excited
- Helps you ‘hone your craft’
- Helps you become more creative
- Helps you explore new spheres of your creative domain
This is nice. All these are the possibly nice thing to have, but they do not complete a profile of a good side project.
What makes a side-project idea awesome?
An awesome side-project idea is the one that fulfills one essential criterion – it will lead to a viable business and the one that has customers excited to buy the product. And, not only excited to buy the products; but also excited to contribute to new product building.
The only thing that matters is – customers
Do they like your idea? Are they willing to pay for it, and how much? How quickly do they need it, and by when? Elevating the customer to be more important than your ideas, time or money is what makes your business successful.
A brilliant idea isn’t enough. Nor will suffice to think just along the lines of how that idea would help you.
Summing up
“Customer” is the most important ingredient for a side project idea.
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