Using side projects to expand your skills, learn new things, and find new customers.

1. KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE -
WITH WORDPRESS!
@DAVIDLAIETTA

2. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
THE POWER OF SIDE PROJECTS
▸ Sometimes a project is for you - Own it
▸ Use this time to your advantage -
Learn things!
▸ Real world marketing of your skills
▸ Side projects can evolve into more
2

7. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
PROBLEM IDENTIFIED - LIFETRACKING
▸ My problem: How do I keep track of
everything that I do to form new habits?
▸ Existing tools aren’t all-encompassing
▸ Things that I care about are not
represented
7

8. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
SOLUTION - OPEN INFO TRACKER
▸ https://david.vg - a (semi) live view of
some of my online activities
▸ Twitter, Pocket, GoodReads, Health,
Blogs, Weather, Coffee Consumption
▸ Forthcoming: Google Fit, Call Tracking,
GitHub, smarter sorting and display
8

9. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
MANAGING TECHNICAL DEBT
▸ Biting off slightly more than you can
chew can be good for learning
▸ It can also be a nightmare
▸ Limit the number of new things to learn
▸ Don’t let the project become a hassle
9

10. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
TREAT YOUR SIDE PROJECT RIGHT
▸ Track it like any other project
▸ Commit only in small milestones/phases
▸ Consider who will be using or potentially
learning from your project
▸ Follow any employment requirements
10

11. @davidlaietta | dinosauriceberg.com
KEEPING MYSELF IN LINE - WITH WORDPRESS!
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD SIDE PROJECT
▸ Give yourself permission to make
mistakes
▸ Choose one task at a time
▸ Accept that your project might fail
▸ Just Start Doing It
11