The vast majority of side projects die quietly in a GitHub repository because the builder focused 100% on the code and 0% on the distribution. When you are building a side project while working a full-time job, your time is your most scarce resource. You cannot afford to spend months building a product in isolation only to launch to crickets. This is why building in public is the ultimate leverage for side project developers. By documenting your weekend coding sprints, your late-night bug fixes, and your initial marketing experiments, you create a narrative that attracts an audience of early adopters. You aren't just selling a tool; you are sharing the relatable journey of a developer trying to build a sustainable independent income. The side project community on BuildInProcess is designed for this exact hustle. We celebrate the small wins—the first working API call, the launch of a messy MVP, and the exhilaration of that first $5 Stripe notification. Building your side project in public holds you accountable, validates your ideas before you over-engineer them, and builds the distribution channel you need to eventually transition from employee to indie founder.
When you publicly commit to shipping a new feature by Sunday evening, you are far less likely to abandon the project. The community acts as your accountability partner, keeping your momentum high when your motivation inevitably dips.
Don't spend six months building something nobody wants. By sharing your wireframes, database schemas, and early concepts publicly, you get immediate qualitative feedback. The community will tell you if the problem you are solving is a real pain point.
For many developers, marketing is intimidating. Building in public is the easiest way to learn marketing because it doesn't feel like selling. You are simply educating and storytelling, which naturally builds an audience over time.
Side projects are often lonely endeavors. By sharing your tech stack and your vision publicly, you naturally attract other builders. Many successful startups began as open-source side projects that attracted passionate co-founders through public documentation.
We built the exact tools you need to share your journey without wasting hours on marketing.
Specific, concrete updates that actually drive engagement in this niche.
Post a short video or screenshot on Sunday night showing exactly what you accomplished over the weekend. Did you finally integrate OAuth? Show the login screen working.
Share why you chose a specific database or framework for this project. Discussions about Supabase vs. Firebase or Next.js vs. Remix generate massive engagement among other developers.
The transition from $0 to $1 is the hardest part. Share the exact strategy you used to get your first paying customer. Was it a cold DM? A post in a specific subreddit? Detail the acquisition.
Vulnerability is powerful. Share your schedule. How do you find the energy to code after a 9-to-5? Discussing time management and burnout resonates deeply with the side project community.
If your side project is open-source, share your 'Good First Issues' and invite the community to contribute. Celebrate publicly when someone merges a PR into your repository.
After you launch on Product Hunt or Hacker News, write a detailed breakdown of the traffic, the conversion rates, and what you would do differently next time.
The central hub to document your side project journey, acting as a public devlog that seamlessly distributes your updates to Twitter and LinkedIn.
The massive communities dedicated to side projects. Cross-posting your BuildInProcess articles here is essential for gathering early feedback and initial traffic.
The modern stack that enables developers to launch scalable side projects in a weekend. Sharing your experience with these tools guarantees high engagement.
The ultimate launchpad for side projects. Documenting your preparation for a Product Hunt launch builds anticipation and ensures a strong Day 1 showing.
Bhanu built a website builder for Notion as a side project. By transparently sharing his development process and MRR milestones on Twitter, he grew the project to a sustainable income, eventually allowing him to quit his job.
Andrey documented his journey of building 10 projects in a year. His transparency about his failures and eventual success with Sheet2Site inspired thousands of developers to start their own side projects.
In 2024/2025, numerous developers built highly specific AI tools (e.g., AI headshot generators) as weekend side projects, sharing their viral growth and API costs publicly, often reaching $10k+ MRR within months.
Set up your BuildInProcess profile. Clearly define the problem your side project is solving and who it is for.
Don't wait for a polished UI. Share a rough sketch or a Figma mockup of your core idea and ask the community for immediate feedback.
On Friday, publicly state what specific feature you are going to build this weekend. This creates accountability.
Once the core functionality barely works, record a 60-second Loom video showing it in action. Explain the technical hurdles you overcame to get there.
Don't spend months polishing. Launch a functional MVP, share your launch metrics transparently, and let user feedback dictate your roadmap.
Generally, yes, as long as it doesn't conflict with your employer's IP or compete with their product. Many companies encourage side projects as they build your skills. However, always review your employment contract.
Ideas are a dime a dozen; execution is everything. The feedback and audience you gain by sharing early far outweigh the microscopic risk of someone cloning your idea and executing it better.
Building in public IS marketing. By simply documenting what you are already building and learning, you are creating marketing content without spending extra hours on traditional advertising.
Most do! But a failed side project built in public is a massive resume booster. It shows initiative, technical skill, and an understanding of product development, often leading to better job opportunities.
BuildInProcess gives you a dedicated space to maintain a professional developer log. It allows you to write detailed technical updates and automatically cross-posts them to your professional networks.