Pet-project is usually an individual project that you work on in your free time, care for, nurture, and grow like your own pet 🐶

I have only 800 words to convince you that pet projects are useful and fun.

Let’s get started 🚀

At the moment, I have two pet projects. One of them I submitted to a competition organized by Highload. And you know what? I took first place 😳

The emotions that filled me after the announcement of the competition results quickly prompted me to write this article and share with you the reasons why you need your pet project too.

Reason №1: Pet projects offer freedom

At work, you have a boss, a client, a team leader, and other stakeholders to answer to. But with a pet project, you’re in charge. You set the goals, define the tasks, and decide which technologies to use. This freedom can be liberating and allows you to explore your creative side.

With a pet project, you have complete control. You get to work on something that you’re passionate about, and you get to do it on your own terms.

Freedom in everything - this is how I would describe my pet projects.

Reason №2: Pet projects can help you learn and grow

The first advantage is freedom which allows you to use the latest technologies for your pet project. Yes, many things may still be in beta, but that won’t stop you 😉

Take and use the newest frameworks, and languages, experiment with architecture, and try what others are still afraid to try. This will give you unique knowledge, the ability to be on trend, and use new knowledge and skills for your main job. You can become an expert in technologies that will become mainstream in the future.

There are no limitations - use it for self-development and gaining unique experience that others cannot afford.

Reason №3: Pet projects can help you build your personal brand

If you’re interested in building your personal brand, a pet project can be a great way to do it. By working on something you’re passionate about, you can demonstrate your skills and expertise to the world.

For example, you could create a GitHub repository for your pet project and share it with others. This can help you gain recognition in your field, and it can also help you build a network of like-minded individuals.

My pet project allowed me to take first place in the competition and give my first interview.

Reason №4. Additional income.

You can design a product that will be interesting not only to you from a technical point of view, but will also find its consumer. Naturally, users of your wonderful creation will happily support you financially if you offer something interesting in return.

I created an application that was in the top 10 in the Education section of the App Store. My product is completely free and without ads, but even that didn’t stop users from asking me where they could donate money 🤯

If you suddenly decide to create a project to make money, you will need knowledge about digital marketing, which I have already written about on my blog 😉

Reason №5. Your portfolio will never be empty again.

At work, you often need to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This agreement prohibits you from sharing details of implementation or even the fact that you worked on a particular project. You can work on something cool for a long time, but your portfolio will still be empty.

Guess what the solution is… 😏

That’s right - create your pet project, work on it in your free time, and add it to your portfolio. Sometimes, you can even share the source code and use it instead of completing a test task when getting hired.

Conclusion 🔑

It doesn’t matter whether your pet project is successful or not, you will gain unique experience, try something new, and raise the level of your professional skills, which will help advance your career.

Where to go next? 🛣

Think about what you would like to learn. Perhaps you have long wanted to try something new. Maybe you have a unique idea? I think it’s time to bring your desires to life by creating your pet project 🙌