Starting your own side hustle is something we’ve touched on in the past, but thanks to the events of 2020, the importance of building something for yourself cannot be overstated. This is for a few reasons…

1. There’s never been a better time to build digital products. Yes, it’s one of our taglines, but it’s true! As the tech world presses forwards, building tech products has never been easier, or more in-demand. 
2. It’s important to stand out from the crowd. While the tech sector has been pretty robust against the disruption caused by the pandemic, jobs have been lost. In other sectors, people are looking to make the transition into the more accessible jobs in the tech industry (like product management!) so it’s important to set yourself apart.
3. Remote collaboration just got easier. Finding support for your online project has never been impossible, but thanks to the new atmosphere of online collaboration, it’s easier than ever! Finding designers to help you with your homepage and finding copywriters to help you with your Product Hunt launch is only a few clicks away.

So now that you know you definitely want to build your own digital product, there’s a few things you need to know. You need to get ready to plan your project like a product manager, how to find the right people, and what tools are out there to get you started.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Popular side-project ideas:

1. Publish your own blog

A blog is one of the easiest (even though it’s definitely not easy!) ways to show off your skills.

The topics you write about can be a great window into your interests for prospective employers. You don’t have to exclusively write about Product Management, so get creative with your subjects. It’s smart to target the industry you want to work in. So if you want to work in the gaming industry for example, you could write video game reviews or deep dive into what you think the implications of VR are on the future of gaming.

You can either run your blog on something easy and user-friendly like Medium, or you can go the extra mile and build your own WordPress site. This will show off your tech skills and your eye for design.

You might also be interested in:

What you’ll need:

Hosting platform: If you’ve got tech skills you’ve been wanting to flex, then you could build your own website and have your blog exactly the way you want it. Or, you could use a more user-friendly website builder like Squarespace or Wix.

Content ideas: Use keyword research tools like SEMRush or UberSuggest for maximum visibility.

Visuals: Remember not to use any images that you don’t have permission to use. Use stock images from free stock websites, or check out illustration sources like Open Doodles (another cool side project!).

2. Start a podcast

If you’ve ever been having a really cool, indepth, insightful conversation with someone and though ‘wow, I should have a podcast!’ you’re not the only one!

If you’re specialized in a certain area, or you’ve got a passion for interviewing industry professionals, the podcasters life could be the one for you. It’s a great tool for boosting your profile, as it lets people hear how you conduct yourself around others, and allows you to go in-depth on your opinions and knowledge.

The best part about podcasting, is that there are a whole host of tools and platforms out there to help you do it.

What you’ll need:

A plan: Podcasting only works if you know what you want to talk about. Come up with a brief or mission statement, and a breakdown of your first ten episodes.

PRO-TIP! Only launch your podcast when you have a chunk of episodes recorded and ready to be released. If you launch one episode and then lose momentum, you’ll have a half-finished project online forever, which is not a good look.

A microphone: Podcasts are so high quality these days that you need at least a little production value. Even a $50 microphone can make all the difference.

Audio editing software: No one is lucky enough to have a podcast done in one take! You need an editor. Audacity is popular among amateur podcasters.

3. Start a YouTube channel

No, you don’t need to be a 21-year-old makeup guru to have a YouTube channel!

The most natural path to take here is a blog about Product Management. It could include ‘Day in the Life of a Product Manager’ style videos, or quick lessons about different aspects of Product Management.

But the sky really is the limit! If you’re passionate about books, or cooking, or show jumping, or want to share Go-Pro footage from your last epic skiing adventures, there’s someone out there who wants to see it.

What you’ll need:

A camera: No, your webcam won’t do. But you don’t need to rush out and buy the most expensive camera set up out there! Start small, maybe with a secondhand DSLR. You can always upgrade later.

A video editing suite: iMovie is the best for beginners, and can also be downloaded for Windows PCs as well. If you’re ready to upgrade, most creators swear by Adobe Premiere Pro.

4. Launch your own product

Create a product. Come up with a problem you want to solve, decide on the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), then interview potential users, write user stories and build mock-ups. All this will go into a product roadmap. Give a developer some experience with you and work with them to build the product – then you’re already being a product manager.

Why You Should Start a Side Project | Dave Jarman | TEDxCorsham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_K6nLJraSE

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Thank you

Lola A

CEO,FOUNDER

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