PLEASE SHARE YOUR OPINION: Why are most Side Projects always unfinished?

They were a bad idea and eventually the author realizes it.

Lost of interest along the way

I hit something that looks like it will take hours to research/think through/debug (insert your preferred hold-up), and I'm too lazy to take the time since I'm not getting paid for it.

Because there is no payment or need that could preserve the motivation.

Because they are side projects.

Because it's easy to just hack some half-assed crap together, slap an OSS licence on it, dump it in the digital landfill Github, and feel like an OSS hero.

@Fast-Nop For glory and honor!

Because you learned enough from them.

You don't write side projects to make money, or even to release -- that would make them main projects. You write them because you were curious about a new language, or some programming concept. Once you saw the goal on the horizon, you thought "I get where this is going, let's head back, there's more to explore elsewhere".

Don't feel guilty.

Be proud of what you've learned.

@bittersweet Stimmt!!

Because the new project is really better.

Because side projects are not your main project. They get neglected and there isn't a lot of love there. Sometimes a side project is started because of some underlying difficulty with a main project. You look outside the main project because it is not fulfilling is some way. Consequently neither the main project nor the side project get your full attention. Too many side projects can lead to neglecting the main project. Then if the side projects leave you can be left with nothing. You need to treat your projects like they are your only project. Otherwise you end up alone in your 40s with no projects.

Wait, what are we talking about?

@Benutzername I was going to write this but thought of checking if someone did already and here you are.
IDK why I am writing this LOL.
Writing LOL at the end can decrease the awkwardness sometimes LOL.
This whole lockdown thing is making me crazy.

@Demolishun

And when you see a really huge thing to improuve on main, but realize it's gonna take weeks !

Daytime work affecting your focus.