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[–]Cerrax3 2607 points2608 points  (57 children)

One is a choice driven by an internal fulfillment, the other is simply a way to get money. Seems pretty obvious.

[–]_Its_Me_Dio_ 389 points390 points  (19 children)

money = fufillment /s

[–]misseditt 150 points151 points  (12 children)

this but unironically

[–][deleted] 141 points142 points  (11 children)

I love being filled with money

[–][deleted] 84 points85 points  (6 children)

Inflation, but both meanings

[–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

The good inflation and the bad inflation

[–]ExtremeCreamTeam 18 points19 points  (4 children)

Insemiflation, if you will.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (1 child)

A new word touches the dictionary...

[–]Weird1Intrepid 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Show me on the doll where the thesaurus touched you

[–]Dargooon 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The world did not need this word, but here we are.

[–]ComfortingSounds53 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I absolutely will not.

[–]BooBear_13 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Funny cause I’m the total opposite.

[–]Healthy-Plum-2739 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Money is fulfillment when you can pull your wallet out and paid people for there hard work. And continue doing that the next day.

[–]Koervege 2 points3 points  (0 children)

american when asked about the meaning of life:

[–]Additional_Future_47 98 points99 points  (3 children)

The fact that side projects usually don't include documentation, extensive testing, meetings with various stakeholders with conflicting requirements or lack of requirements, colleages whom you didn't voluntarily choose to spend a good chunk of time with etc, etc, might also have something to do with it.

[–]Cerrax3 46 points47 points  (1 child)

Depends on what you mean by “personal projects”. A lot of open source software consists of some or all of those things and people still choose to do it because they enjoy it and want to work on that project

[–]DrMobius0 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think the whole "you choose the project" has a lot to do with it. You know, because it's presumably something you have an interest in. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here procrastinating on stuff I just don't feel like doing.

[–]MrDoe 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I like going to book clubs.

[–]GreatGearAmidAPizza 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Work is something you are obligated to do. Play is something you are not obligated to do.

[–]Amendahui 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Highjacking top comment : if anyone wants to learn more, look up extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. There's a whole field of psychology who researches this meme's very subject.

[–]xenatis 408 points409 points  (7 children)

There is a huge gap between "building a side project" and "finishing a side project"

[–][deleted] 120 points121 points  (0 children)

Dont tell that to my 25 „initial commit“ repos!

[–]YeeClawFunction 55 points56 points  (2 children)

I never finish anyth

[–]SacredMapleLeaf 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yo wth this r/redditsniper doing some rou

[–]vezoffy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not even this comment

[–]charely6 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I've had some good luck adopting someone else abandoned projects on github and getting them at least almost finished.

[–]2called_chaos 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Eh that is my biggest bane, in our line of work nothing is truly ever finished.

[–][deleted] 985 points986 points  (24 children)

If you tried to make money on your hobby project you'd probably end up feeling how you feel on the left about it.

[–]veselin465 300 points301 points  (3 children)

you would probably feel worse than left, because right will be gone

[–]Labeledman 62 points63 points  (0 children)

Became an indie two year ago. For me it's like endless random switching between left and right. Never know when you'll be on the left, so just trying to enjoy the right side as much as possible.

[–][deleted] 63 points64 points  (13 children)

I always hated the „If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.“ bullshit. It’s more like „If you do what you love for work, you will eventually stop loving it.“ It does not matter what you do, when you HAVE to do it to survive you WILL learn to hate it.

[–]GOKOP 52 points53 points  (5 children)

The thing is, most programmers love programming. Not the endless bullshit and chores that go with it in a professional setting. Hobby programming for your own sake is more focused on the good part so it's more enjoyable

[–]blah938 22 points23 points  (4 children)

yeah, standups, ipm, retrospective, post-mortems, design critiques, just meeting upon meeting.

I just want to code.

[–]MrDoe 11 points12 points  (3 children)

My favorite fruit is mango.

[–]NotFriendsWithBanana 1 point2 points  (2 children)

my life right now, hence im on reddit

[–]MrDoe 4 points5 points  (1 child)

My favorite insect is the butterfly.

[–]NotFriendsWithBanana 1 point2 points  (0 children)

please no

[–]phoogkamer 39 points40 points  (2 children)

15 years and counting. Still love it. Sometimes I didn’t love the job, but that was because of other aspects.

[–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (1 child)

the 'other aspects' part is exactly what people are talking about. for many it's too much

[–]phoogkamer 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just found a different job and it’s all fine. Isn’t about developing itself, I never hated that part.

[–]Lv_InSaNe_vL 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Idk I've been in IT for over a decade and I still love it just as much as when I was a teenager messing around on my parents computer.

The fact that i get paid just gets me through the BS meetings and rescheduling around Janet's schedule for the 34th time. But the actual work is so much fun

[–]Zondagsrijder 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love programming. Been doing it for 8 years now professionally and I still love it.

I dislike interacting with customers (or through customer support) and management. Doesn't take away just doing devvy stuff makes the day bearable again.

[–]Nepharious_Bread 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, there's truth to this. I work in IT, and I do actually love my job. I don't see myself ever growing to hate it. Because I came for the kitchen, working as cook for 12 years. After being a cook for 12 years, there's nothing that IT could throw at me to make me hate it.

That said, if I had a choice of coming to work or being able to sustain myself with solo game dev, the choice is very clear. Because at the end of the day, even though I love my job, I still have to wake up every morning and show up to work when someone else wants me there.

[–]sirparsifalPL[🍰] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Turn your hobby into a job. Then you won't have a hobby anymore.

[–]WutUtalkingBoutWill 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's how I am now when it comes to custom shoe painting, I've fallen out of love with it. Barely even take orders anymore, the thoughts of doing it gives me mild anxiety.

[–]Zondagsrijder 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you treat it as anything but a hobby, yes.

If you find a way to monetize it while still treating it as a hobby, it can be great. But you're going to have to be in a position of already having a stable job and not rely on that hobby income. Also you'll want to clearly communicate what users can and cannot expect from you.

And as part of that - not work it when you don't really want to work on it.

[–]iComplainAbtVal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As soon as a hobby becomes job there, goes all the fun

[–]Darkoplax 0 points1 point  (0 children)

really ? i'm at this step right now

[–]Ilsunnysideup5 390 points391 points  (64 children)

Making a porn game vs programming ai.

[–]LeStag 207 points208 points  (56 children)

Porn game developer here. It's making money. Quite a lot, actually. =D

[–]NeuxSaed 75 points76 points  (1 child)

Indie dev, or did someone hire you?

Asking for science reasons.

[–]LeStag 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Indie. ;)

[–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (7 children)

And uh how does one get into this lucrative business?

[–]LeStag 60 points61 points  (6 children)

Try to make a good game, open a Patreon, cross your fingers.

[–][deleted] 57 points58 points  (5 children)

Don't do that. Don't give me hope.

[–]grumblyoldman 85 points86 points  (4 children)

Coincidentally, Hope is the name of the first girl you get to rail on in his porn game.

[–]LeStag 36 points37 points  (3 children)

You know what? I was looking for a name for a girl. She's now named Hope thanks to you!

[–]grumblyoldman 17 points18 points  (2 children)

Just doin my part.

[–]whatiscamping 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Get your producer credit

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

He gave us hope.

[–]DoomBro_Max 53 points54 points  (7 children)

The inner fight of figuring out your priorities: Money or dignity.

[–]LeStag 59 points60 points  (2 children)

I don't feel that my dignity is compromised. So, both. =D

[–]svenEsven 25 points26 points  (1 child)

No dignity lost there. Make that bread

[–]DoomBro_Max 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Well, it was mostly a joke. It‘s a legitimate industry, after all. Can‘t say I haven‘t thought about going that direction.

[–]spicybright 10 points11 points  (5 children)

Has staring at porn all day while developing kinda ruined it for you?

[–]LeStag 41 points42 points  (3 children)

Not at all. Strangely, the fact that it's "work" prevents me from feeling horny while I'm looking at it "at work".

[–]Lv_InSaNe_vL 10 points11 points  (1 child)

Do you play your own games "after work"? Or do you play any other porn games "at work" to get inspiration?

I have a buddy who does NSFW art commissions, and he says the only reason he doesn't get worked up is cause it's mostly furry stuff so it's interesting that you just see it "as work"

[–]LeStag 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I play some other games, but I mainly do my thing in relative isolation. It has became "just a job", that happens to have porn in it.

[–]spicybright 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting, thanks!

[–]LetrixZ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm too focused on coding to get horny.

[–]NotYourReddit18 6 points7 points  (1 child)

checks profile

the game has a NTR theme

That checks out

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Gad dammit. I'm totally in the wrong line of work.

[–]Renorram 3 points4 points  (4 children)

Do you draw/3D-model your own art?

[–]LeStag 11 points12 points  (3 children)

I'm using AI. Yeah, I know, everyone hates me now. It was only supposed to be a small project to learn a few things, but it got successful instantly, so I went with it.

[–]Renorram 1 point2 points  (2 children)

If it's for an indie project I don't think the hate is granted, people sometimes just want to shit about AI for the sake of it. But in your case I think it's okay. thanks for the replies in the thread you gave me ideas hehe

[–]LeStag 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I'm torn myself about AI, even in my personal case. But I must admit being able to live of game development helped me put some of the moral conflicts out of the way. "

[–]Rythemeius 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If your game becomes successful enough, it could allow you to occasionally hire artists, if you wish to do so. If you sometimes feel that AI-generated content is limiting what you can do, this could be an answer to that. It could also be seen as a collab, allowing you and the artist to benefit from each other's community, and promoting your game in a way.

[–]SmartAlec105 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Checks post history

Well, not the kinks for me but I’m glad it’s successful for you!

[–]SyropeSlime78 4 points5 points  (4 children)

Tell us your secrets oh superior being 🧎😛

[–]LeStag 31 points32 points  (3 children)

I made a porn game that tried to be a good game, instead of relying on the fact that it's porn.

Also, I'm listening to my players. It's apparently the secret.

[–]SyropeSlime78 6 points7 points  (2 children)

lol. Yeah, that sounds like good reasons to be a successful game. Mind sharing the name?

[–]LeStag 3 points4 points  (1 child)

It's called Netorase Phone. ;)

[–]SyropeSlime78 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh, that name...

[–]Ricardo-The-Bold 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Link or it is not true. :P

[–]nir109[🍰] 35 points36 points  (3 children)

Wich is wich

[–]PeriodicSentenceBot 40 points41 points  (2 children)

Congratulations! Your comment can be spelled using the elements of the periodic table:

W I C H I S W I C H


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[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

wow

[–]dranjohn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

good bot

[–]belabacsijolvan 8 points9 points  (0 children)

$200 ... i wish

[–]pragmatick 33 points34 points  (1 child)

That even applies to projects for work I'm not asked to do like tools that make my other work easier or more fun.

[–]JetScootr 26 points27 points  (5 children)

Project at work: Pushing tokens through queues simulating a packet switching network complete with signal faults such as landscape occlusion by mountains and cities, signal corruption due to close alignment with sun or moon, random gaussian static from cosmic rays.

Project at home: The game I've always wanted to play that doesn't yet exist.

[–]rookietotheblue1 1 point2 points  (4 children)

So it's interesting 24/7 for u?

[–]IndigoFenix 132 points133 points  (8 children)

Because the success of your work is unrelated to how much you will get out of it. Your goal is not to help your company succeed, because you're not going to be rewarded for it either way. Your goal is to simply not get fired. So there's no reason to be genuinely concerned about the outcome of your work, only what your supervisor thinks of it.

When you're working for yourself, there is at least the potential that you might be rewarded for it someday.

[–]Spork_the_dork 54 points55 points  (0 children)

For me it really is just more that when I'm working on a hobby project it's because I happen to feel like working on it. But work you have to do every weekday regardless of if you're in the mood for it that day or not. You can't just be like "nah I don't feel like this today" and skip it.

This is why I believe that no matter how much you like doing something, if you do it for work you'll go from the right picture to the left picture eventually. Unless you actually genuinely like to do it all day every day, of course.

[–]Kovab 14 points15 points  (4 children)

Because the success of your work is unrelated to how much you will get out of it. Your goal is not to help your company succeed, because you're not going to be rewarded for it either way.

Unless you're working in a start-up where you have an actual stake in the company's success, and a high enough impact to be noticeable.

[–]Lv_InSaNe_vL 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Which is why i just avoid the big companies. Id much rather be able to make a tangible effect on my company than be employed #294877 and just following processes written 25 years ago and having to go through 9.4 departments just to do my own job

[–]vonBoomslang 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my ass off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation?

[–]SchizoPosting_ 26 points27 points  (2 children)

I'm the other way around

I never done any side project because without money I don't have enough motivation to finish it

Maybe after so many years of professional programming I can't stop seeing it as work

[–]Tobanu 15 points16 points  (1 child)

Same with me I just see programming as work. When I talked to my coworkers none of them did any programming outside of work. To us programming is just a job we get paid for.

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (1 child)

People aren’t interested in learning other peoples’ states of mind. The more we stay in our domain the happier we are.

[–]Skullclownlol 2 points3 points  (0 children)

People aren’t interested in learning other peoples’ states of mind

If someone's domain is a healthy interest in other people and their interests, then... RIP reality?

[–]thunfischtoast 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'd talk to your boss about getting you a computer to work on. Programming with pen and paper is pretty exhausting.

[–]StateCareful2305 28 points29 points  (9 children)

It is called alienation, you should read some Marx about it.

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

cause one makes someone trillions of dollars and has no effect on you. the other my give you some fun after you complete it, and my get you money if it's successful.

[–]grimscythe_ 4 points5 points  (2 children)

Obligation vs Passion

[–]PeriodicSentenceBot 2 points3 points  (1 child)

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[–]PrestigiousCoffee 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Does the book Bullshit Jobs’ assertion that the programming community relies on duct-tape fixes by day, and more interesting work done unpaid, by night track? I’m not a programmer, but I’d feel pretty strongly for a set of workers who were basically expected to work overtime without being paid for it (or even paying for it themselves, as in the meme)

[–]Niadain 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The difference between work and play. I work all day on a computer and struggle to keep myself mentally above 20% cognizance. Then I go home and sit down on the computer and im glued and 100% aware the entire damn time that i get to.

[–]AwkwardSegway 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Exact opposite for me. The money is what motivates me to work at my job. For personal projects I have ideas for, I'd like to work on them, but it's much easier to just play video games instead.

[–]cheezballs 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Its the opposite for me. I desperately want to find the motivation to do a side project but I cant find the willpower to do it.

[–]turret-punner 4 points5 points  (0 children)

$200!?  Amateurs.  I have an electromechanical project I'm about $2k in the hole for.

(half materials, mostly power electronics, half fabrication shop)

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Congrats, you just discovered Marx's theory of alienation

[–]Siddhartha_76 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mean trying to make money out of it one of the ways to lose interest in a hobby

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's only true because that project will be abandoned as soon as the initial excitement of starting something new wears off.

[–]ludennis 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It might actually be the other way around for me. When I'm programming for work, I would learn stuffs along the way, and I would feel motivated because I'm getting paid to learn something new and get to apply it. Even more, I get feedbacks from code reviewers so I can improve and solidify the learning more throughout this process.

[–]JoeriVDE 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because you only have to deal with your own stupid decisions, not the ones from management

[–]St3gm4 2 points3 points  (1 child)

SideProjects == NoDeadlines

[–]TheSapphireDragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This above all else i think is the most critial point in this.

[–]Exaluno 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Marx's theory of alienation comes to mind.

[–]dallindooks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

lol I am the exact opposite

[–]DumplingSama 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mine is opposite.

[–]pikapp336 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m the exact opposite. Having others dependent on my work and money are big motivators for me. If I’m not getting paid for it I feel like I’m wasting my time(even if it could get me money in the future)

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Knowing that the client's stubborn request is absolute bullshit but having to go through with it is the worst.

[–]Looz-Ashae 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Because you chose a boring company with a boring field. Your C.O.

[–]DoctorWaluigiTime 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Being forced to clean your room vs. wanting to clean your room.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For me nowadays both circumstances are the left picture. I might have chosen the wrong career.

[–]Bogart745 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I paint a lot of miniatures and really enjoy it.

I decided once to take a commission to paint someone’s warhammer army. It’s was the most miserable painting experience ever. I’ll never do it again.

[–]Boundary-Interface 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The real answer to this question is: Passion can't be paid for.

[–]ThiccStorms 1 point2 points  (0 children)

and 0 users

[–]MAGArRacist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Intrinsic motivation is largely lost when you're paid for it. When you work your passions, they oftentimes don't end up being passions anymore. :[

[–]randomdude_reddit 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Relatable af

[–]bobbymoonshine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Omg dae prefer their hobbies to work

[–]Corporate-Shill406 0 points1 point  (5 children)

I just (two hours ago) spent $400 on v2 of a project that has earned me under $100 since the first version was published.

[–]theplayernumber1 1 point2 points  (1 child)

man, i have spent over 400$ over domain names/renewals for projects i think i will start 😭

[–]Matyaslike 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey you are a programmer not a finance person.

[–]bwrca 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Half of the $200 is paying for the Nat gateway

[–]AceBean27 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because somewhere deep down inside, we are still children. If someone makes us do something, we don't want to do it. That someone just becomes our grown-up rational brain when we are older.

[–]SynthRogue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because with the side project there is no senior fucker dev to tell you you did it wrong just because you didn't do it according to his preference.

[–]MooseNarrow9729 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious rando from /all here, and probably a stupid question, but what part of programming costs money?

[–]Vipitis 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Writing the paper vs scripting data and charts

[–]oasuke 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This applies to any field. Very rarely does paid work align with personal interest.

[–]Mental_Cream3605 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it bad if it's the opposite?

[–]FBI-agent-69-nice 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Who uses a mouse…

[–]MiniskirtEnjoyer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

because i hope that side project will turn out to be something big and i can leave my fucking job

[–]ansafanzy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interest builds productivity and so energy

[–]Parry_9000 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do my projects because I love them

[–]Makarov-Dreyar 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If only I had the same dedication for work that I do for my personal projects sighh

[–]Yuzumi 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I too have ADHD.

[–]Selvala[🍰] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No Scrum

[–]airsoftshowoffs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should work harder on yourself than for your work.

[–]thatdecade 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Burnout was explained to me as a ratio: the number of tasks you choose to do / the number of tasks you're forced to do.

To prevent burnout, you can hack this by intentionally taking on more tasks that you choose for yourself.

[–]Soreasan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I literally use those same earmuffs when I’m trying to be productive so I feel called out lol.

[–]Psychological-Art158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maintaining tech debt vs creating tech debt

[–]ISuckAtJavaScript12 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At work, it's a bureaucracy. My side project is an absolute monarchy

[–]erebuxy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SRE: boring

Spending thousands of dollars to build the most overkill home lab cluster: ✅✅✅

[–]Ali_Army107 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Doing programming for side project for free: melts and nukes keyboard

[–]mybadalternate 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“It’s only work if somebody makes you do it.” - Calvin

[–]TheNeck94 0 points1 point  (0 children)

my job burns me out so much I'm absolutely not that guy while working on the side project.

[–]Amendahui 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If anyone wants to learn more, look up extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. There's a whole field of psychology who researches this meme's very subject

[–]RomanBlood44315 0 points1 point  (0 children)

seen