Is there a reason the author uses the word dish instead of project? While I suspected as much before clicking, it would clear up the title if it would just say what was actually about.
What about a side-dish as a marketing tool, to get people interested in your main-dish.<p>This is the approach we are taking with my current start-up. We have a simple entry point, integrating with the apps, and wearables people currently use. But we don't like anything in the market currently for really solving the problem, so while we build out our own hardware, we're building the app, which is a side-dish, but has it's own revenue stream too.<p>I'm sure there are other businesses that have done this, can anyone give examples of side-dishes that turned into main-dishes?
This is a great read for information on how to classify the scale of a project. Being able to compartmentalize the scope is good for determining when to execute and when to walk away.<p>I am currently working on a "main dish"[1] since it is for a smaller/niche market of people that modify their cars. I consider it the "side dish" to my day job, but with the goal of going full time with it if it takes off. If it takes off then I can start creating my own side dishes, complimentary products, to the main dish.<p>[1] <a href="https://azxiana.io/2020/04/21/translator-gateway-module-making-foreign-data-buses-work-together/" rel="nofollow">https://azxiana.io/2020/04/21/translator-gateway-module-maki...</a>
Thanks for sharing. This is a thought provoking article. I too have wanted to build something and would be happy if it covered something like my monthly rent. There are lot's of great side dish opportunities out there. Just look at the many successful paid wordpress plugins, slack integrations, and so on.<p>To be honest I've always found myself focusing on what I can build as a main dish for a niche market. This article has given me some new perspective. Thanks for sharing.
This post resonated with me a lot.<p>It's similar to the distinction between VC compatible business ideas (main dishes) and more niche, Micro SaaS products that are focused on profitability instead of growth.<p>My main dish is Saasify.sh, a platform whose goal is to help other developers launch and experiment with side dishes. In the context of this excellent article, I'm focused on trying to make the process of creating your own side dishes as easy and repeatable as possible.
Microsoft DOS once was a "side dish" to the "main dish" of IBM. You should always strive to turn your side dish into main dish. Good luck!
I sadly work for a company that claims ownership of any kind of "technical" thing I come up with. I have dozens of side-projects that I work on, but sadly they're all kind of stuck running in my basement until I leave my current job.
I liked this idea at first blush. The only catch is that You give away control of your customer interactions to the platform that You are hitchhiking on. If that is not a deal breaker, side dishes are the way to go.