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 on "How To Write Better Code Faster As A Software Engineer". Click here to watch it.

Related resources:

• Masterclass on coming up with the best side project ideas
• Masterclass on growing your side projects to 500k+ users
• Discussion on building side projects to get into Big Tech