How To REALLY Level Up Your Coding Ability With Side Projects

There is no secret to getting better at coding: As a software engineer, you will become faster at coding when you write more code. This is where side projects can really come in.

Here are the core points from the video:

• Side projects are a productivity "hack" - They allow you to write more code without overworking yourself. The self-guided, free nature of side projects essentially make them a hobby that also helps your performance at work.
• When to consider side projects - There are 2 factors that make this lever far more powerful:
  • You work at a startup: Startup code will be much more "vanilla" and closer to the code you find online. This means that it won't be too different from side project code.
  • You work on the front-end: If you're a web/iOS/Android developer and are working with pixels on screen, this puts you in a great position to do side projects as your work is inherently more sharable.
• Side projects develop other important skills - On top of raw coding, side projects also help you dabble in the skills of product managers, designers, data scientists, user researchers, and a whole lot more since you own the product entirely. These skills are also important for software engineers, especially those pursuing senior levels.

This highlight is from our masterclass about becoming a better coder. You can watch the full video here: [Masterclass] How To Write Better Code Faster As A Software Engineer

Related resources:

• [Masterclass] How To Come Up With 100k+ Users App Ideas You Can Build For Free
• [Masterclass] How To Build And Grow Tech Products To 500k+ Users For Free
• "What technologies or stacks should I create a project to add in my resume for entry level software jobs?"