Have you ever gotten a feeling when nagging idea out of your head or constantly had ideas but never started any? Maybe because of fear of failure or fear of being judged.

In school, we were taught that failing and making mistakes was bad. This habit has to lead to have no innovation.

The reasons why in Silicon Valley is happening a lot of innovation, it is because:

  • Failure is tolerated.
  • They have created an environment where experimentation and ambition are the norms.

So if we want to bring this thinking to Latam, we need to enable people trying more things. Starting a side project might be the beginning.

A side project is an experiment. It allow us to leverage our creativity for exploration and fun.

The most impactful companies have begun as a side project, driven by curiosity and experimentation.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Uber, Product Hunt, Unsplash, Pinterest, GrowthHackers, Groupon, Trello, AppSumo, Etsy, Hubspot, Gmail, Buffer… The list goes on and on.

These companies were just hobbies. They didn't take big risks. They took small bets and had payoff asymmetrically.

“What the smartest people do on the weekend is what everyone else will do during the week in ten years”— Chris Dixon

They started often inspired with a strong desire to solve a personal problem or explore a space they’re deeply passionate about.

These intrinsic qualities make the journey more fun, motivating to pursue long-term and it allows serendipity to take over.

Side projects bring three best concepts all in the same place:

  • Low-risk/High reward: Side projects don’t have to provide you with a living, so can take a "risk" and try new things, experiment and fail.
  • Low-pressure: They don’t have a strict deadline. It don't need to be perfect. There's no boss you need to answer, there is no time pressure. You can ship it in own timeline.
  • Labor of Love: You work on it because you are passionate and spend time on it because you really want to.

Many work projects lack two—if not all three–of these elements. That's when we feel unfulfilled.

So how to start?

Small chunks

Pick one project and do whatever you have to do to ship it. Break it down into the smallest tasks possible.

If you can put out an MVP on a weekend, that’s great. Let it be imperfect.

Build momentum

Set small goals. Small wins will compound.

We underestimate the power of progress. By keeping track of your progress you are less likely to lose motivation. It’s about moving forward every day on something.

Have Fun

In contrast if you are running a business inevitably generates pressure and anxiety. People need to be paid. You need to perform. There is pressure to succeed.

Not so with your side project. It isn’t keeping you afloat; if it fails, no one will drown.

And nothing is as important, as crucial, to creativity as play.

Side projects don't have any expectations or compromises. You don't need to know anything. It’s a pressure-free playing field.

By not taking things so seriously, you let the chip fall in place. Success becomes a byproduct of you having fun and working on something you care.

Be the owner

When you are the owner, you don't need to ask for permission. You only do it because you truly want to work on it.

"When you feel real ownership for a project, you become more confident in your decisions"  - Tobias van Schneider

If you don't have the right idea, That's okay. You just need to get started. Start with whatever crazy idea, but you don't know it until you launch it.

10 friends

Share it with 10 friends. You don't need a millions of users. You just need ten people, that's it. They can be in the real world, over Zoom, whatever. Distant cousins or friends.

These 10 friends are your base. Your core. You'll be using them as motivational fuel over the next few weeks. By maximizing the amount of interaction you have with them, you'll make sure they really care about what you're building.

Be adaptable

If you want a different result, you have to change your experiment a little. Each experiment will teach you something. The faster you adapt, the greater the chances of creating something that people would love.

"The number one predictor of success for a very young startup: rate of iteration." - Sam Altman


If you experiment with an idea and it doesn't work, you should change things or move on to a new idea.

All You Need to Know

Whether you want build a company, live from your passion, focus on:

  • Small chunks
  • Build momentum
  • Have Fun
  • Be the owner
  • 10 friends
  • Be adaptable

Side projects might be one of the best investments you could do.  If you are going to dedicate your time and your life to something, better be on something that you care and be really passionate about.