From Side Project To Sustainable Business

Not every side project needs to become a business.

In fact, often the best way to kill your love for something, is to monetise it.

Some things need to remain uncorrupted, untainted, pure.

But if you want your side project, passion project or experiment to become a business, here's what nobody tells you about the transition.

You will first likely experience beginners luck. Things will go well, you may get some sales, your friends will think you're cool, you are instagram famous.

And then reality sets in.

That it never ends. You will face lots of really crappy problems. You will have to deal with the outside world and people who expect things.

This is where most side projects die. Not from lack of potential—from lack of commitment through the boring parts.

A key question no-one asks themselves is this: do i love this enough to do it 12-17 hours a day every day. And the 'this' is not just the thing you loved initially - you will probably end up doing less and less of that part. The 'this' is the business part - and everything that entails.

One essential thing that differentiates the side project from the business is you go from 'I' to 'we' to 'they' - meaning a side project is about **your **enjoyment, a community and team is about **our **enjoyment and a business is not about either of those - its about **their **enjoyment - your customers.

The leap from project to business isn't about the product—it's about your willingness to do the unsexy work that makes products succeed - and to think about 'they' - not I.