The Developer's Dilemma
Every developer knows the feeling. You're brimming with a new idea, a spark of inspiration that makes you rush to open your code editor. You set up the basic structure, maybe build out a few core features, and feel that initial burst of progress. But then... life happens. Or the idea seems bigger than you initially thought. Or that one simple feature requires a complex workaround. Suddenly, the project sits untouched, another entry in the ever-growing list of "started, not finished."
It's a common narrative in the development world, especially for those of us with a passion for learning and experimentation. We start projects for many reasons: to explore a new technology, to scratch a personal itch, to build a portfolio piece, or simply for the joy of creation. The starting line is always exciting, filled with potential.
The Problem: Complexity and Scope
The journey from a simple idea to a finished product is rarely a straight line. What begins as a straightforward concept often evolves as we work on it. We think, "Oh, this would be cool to add," or "Maybe I should use this new library." This is where the "complexity trap" and "scope creep" lie.
A simple feature request from our own minds can quickly spiral, adding layers of technical debt or requiring unforeseen amounts of time. Perfectionism can also play a role; we get stuck refining a single part instead of moving forward. Before you know it, the project has grown so large and complicated that the initial motivation wanes, replaced by a feeling of being overwhelmed.
For larger, more ambitious projects, the sheer time commitment can be a major hurdle. Without external deadlines or accountability, it's easy to let a personal project fall by the wayside when other priorities arise.
My Own Struggle: A Personal Experiment
This struggle is something I've experienced firsthand, perhaps more times than I'd like to admit. Like many developers, I have a constant stream of ideas, and for a while, I was just starting them without much thought for completion. I even shared this feeling on Twitter:
I've started more than 15 projects in the past year. I always have new ideas, but I never finished any of them. So, I decided to set a limit: 30 days to take a project from start to finish. If it gains attention, I’ll keep developing it; if not, I’ll drop it.
P.S. None of the projects gained attention, so I'm probably just wasting my time. But I still love creating new websites, sooo... 😅
This tweet captured a moment of reflection on my own cycle of starting and not finishing. It led me to try a specific experiment: setting a hard time limit – 30 days – to go from idea to a shippable, complete version. The criteria for continuing development was external validation: did the project gain attention (users, stars, feedback)?
The Outcome and the Enduring Passion
The candid post-script to that tweet reveals the outcome: according to my arbitrary metric of "gaining attention," none of those specific 30-day projects met the criteria to warrant further development. This could easily lead to the conclusion that the time spent was "wasted," as my tweet jokingly (but perhaps a little bit seriously) suggested.
However, despite that result, the truth is... I still love creating new websites and starting new projects. That passion for building, for seeing an idea come to life in code, hasn't diminished. Even if a project doesn't gain external traction, the process itself is valuable. Each started project, finished or not, is an opportunity to learn something new – a new framework, a different approach to a problem, a better understanding of design or user experience.
The "wasted time" perspective focuses only on the external outcome (attention, success). The alternative perspective focuses on the internal process: the learning, the practice, the satisfaction of building, however small the completed part might be. For me, the joy of creation and the lessons learned during the process are often reward enough, even if the project doesn't become the next big thing.
Finding Balance
The developer's dilemma of unfinished projects is real. It stems from a combination of creative drive, the inherent complexity of development, and the challenges of maintaining motivation. My little 30-day experiment, while perhaps not yielding the "attention" I whimsically hoped for, reinforced the idea that setting boundaries (like time limits or scope) is crucial for increasing the chances of completion.
More importantly, it highlighted that the value of side projects isn't solely in their external success. The act of creation, the learning journey, and the personal satisfaction derived from building something are powerful motivators in themselves. So, while the list of unfinished projects might continue to grow, so too does the list of skills learned and the passion for building that keeps us coming back for more.