Get Paid For Your Sidelines

How do you turn your passion project into a significant part of your job? Ruth Hamilton asks four web pros that used their side hustle to boost their career

Many web designers and developers have a passion project or two that they run alongside their main day job. It’s so common that there’s even a regular feature dedicated to amazing side projects in this very magazine.

A sideline can give you a chance to explore passions outside of your work, flex different muscles and expand your professional horizons. But it’s also something you need to invest time and energy into. The real trick is being able to turn this side project into something that supports and enhances your career – and provides a second income stream that makes all those hours working ‘overtime’ a little bit more worthwhile.

For this article, we spoke to four successful web professionals who have done just that. Read on for their advice on how to turn a passion project into a valuable part of your day job.

New outlets for natural talents

One thing all our interviewees have in common is that their sidelines, diverse though they may be, all grew from a genuine passion. In many cases, they also refused to let a lack of experience in the field they were exploring hold them back from pursuing it further.

A designer by profession, Dan Cederholm launched Advencher as a way of satisfying another personal interest. “I wanted an outlet to design physical products and marry my adventure and design interests,” he says. “It’s a labour of love for sure.”