Tackling Food Waste as a Side Project is Harder Than It Looks
A developer shared their experience building a side project to solve food waste. They quickly realized the problem is too complex and time-consuming for a casual, part-time effort.
The creator started a small app to help track and reduce food waste. However, they found that handling food expiration, inventory, and user habits requires constant attention. What began as a simple weekend project quickly demanded the hours of a full-time job. This highlights a common trap for solo founders: picking a massive real-world problem that cannot be solved with a lightweight app. It shows the importance of understanding the scope of a problem before starting to build.
Key points
Quick term guide
- share
- A server folder made available to apps or other devices.
- build
- A chosen set of in-game abilities or items a player equips for their character.
- side project
- A small project someone builds outside their main job or main business.
- Plex
- An app that streams your own video and music files to your devices.
- port
- A specific virtual door on your computer used by apps to send and receive information.
- scope
- The size, scale, and limits of a project or problem.
- logistics
- The detailed organization and planning needed to make a complex operation work.
- commit
- A saved set of code changes in a project’s history.