There are times when a side project never makes it to production.
This could be due to one of many reasons -- I'll list a few below, and defend their honor.
If you've ever abandoned a side project, this article is for you! Hopefully you'll look back on those side projects more fondly now.
The Side Project Wasn't Really a Side Project
Sometimes, as side project workers, we bite off more than we can chew. You might discover that your "side" project is more of a "main" project that would take an entire agency of developers to build in a reasonable timeframe. This is okay -- that just means you're ambitious! Realizing the scope of a project is bigger than intended and pivoting is a great way to stay flexible and, dare I say, agile.
If you really don't want to abandon your larger-than-side project, you can always see if a piece of its functionality would make a great standalone application! If that's not feasible, well, you can always take the core theme and try something else instead. (For a coffee shop locator app, for instance, you can take the core theme of "coffee" and try something else.)
If nothing else, you learned your hard limits on time and effort for a project -- and your guesstimation for the scope of your future side projects has only improved.
The Project Was No Longer Interesting
Sometimes, projects just become... dull. It's not that you don't love the idea, but the execution has no longer become a passion project.
This is okay! Side projects are supposed to be fulfilling, not drudgery. Yes, there's something to the idea of finishing what you started, but if finishing what you started is going to feel like another, more miserable full-time job, what's the point?
I say, if a project has no longer become interesting, gracefully deprecate it. That way, you can focus your attention on newer, more interesting side projects. These are, after all, side projects -- fun outlets for creativity and exploration. Don't waste your time suffering!
Burnout
This is a common one -- sometimes you just have to walk away from a side project because you're burned out. It's hard working a full-time job, then coming home to work for several more hours! If you don't have the perfect work-life-side-project balance, you will inevitably burn out.
It's important to rest and recover from burnout -- recognize the signs and symptoms early, and work to give yourself the space you need to relax so you don't crash and, well, burn.
You Got Really Busy
This is another common one -- sometimes, life sneaks up on you! You might have all the time in the world for side projects until one day, you have a house, a spouse, and a child (couldn't rhyme there) to take care of.
Suddenly getting very busy is not unusual; life ebbs and flows. It's important to know your limits of what you can do (see previous point), and prioritize your time accordingly. Maybe you're okay with waking up early in the morning to work on your side project, or maybe you're okay with staying up late. Or maybe neither! That's also a perfectly viable option.
Sometimes, life just takes priority over side projects, and that's okay!
Well, I hope you feel better about any abandoned side projects you might have. Remember: side projects are just that, projects on the side!
Thanks for reading, and take care!