A side project becomes heavy when it has to justify itself before it has taught me anything. I prefer projects that can reach a rough, useful version in a weekend or two.

Small enough to finish is large enough to teach me something.

A narrow scope creates momentum. It forces one clear decision: what is the smallest version that proves the idea? Everything else can wait until a real user—or my own repeated use—asks for it.

Finishing small projects also creates reusable pieces: a pattern, a script, a design decision, or simply better taste. Those pieces compound even when the project itself stays tiny.

The result does not need to become a company. Learning something concrete is already a return.