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6.1.2. Coming Up With Ideas

Are you struggling to come up with ideas for personal projects? Don’t worry, it’s a common challenge. Here are some strategies to help you brainstorm:

Use New Technology​

Is there a new programming language, framework, or tool you’ve been curious about? Use a personal project as a playground to explore and experiment.

Not every project idea needs to be original. If you’re struggling to pick a unique idea, consider remaking an existing project or taking a common idea like a todo list, weather app, etc., but using new technologies you want to learn.

If you’re not sure what technology you’d like to try, I’d recommend roadmap.sh for suggestions.

Build For Yourself​

Is there something you could code that could make your life easier?

Think about your daily routine—what small tasks could be automated? Some examples:

  • A to-do list app tailored to your workflow
  • A budgeting tool to help you track your finances
  • A personal blog to share your thoughts If you can build something that genuinely helps you, it’ll likely be useful to others too.

Build For Someone Else​

Consider developing something for a friend, family member, or a community you’re part of.

Examples:

  • A custom website for a small business
  • A birthday reminder app for a forgetful friend
  • A community bulletin board for local events Working on projects for others not only adds an extra layer of responsibility but also pushes you to polish your work and actually deploy your app.

“Build Your Own X”​

Check out the Github repository called “Build Your Own X”.

It includes guides on how to build a whole bunch of interesting stuff from scratch, such as:

  • Your own operating system
  • Your own search engine
  • Your own programming language
  • And much more!

Exploring these projects can be an excellent way to dive deep into the fundamentals of technology and gain a comprehensive understanding of how things work under the hood.

Just Add A “Twist”​

Is there an app or tool that you use on a daily basis? Maybe you wish that app had a feature that it’s currently missing.

This can be a great starting point for a project.

No Ideas? Make a Personal Website​

If you’re really stuck, consider building a personal website. It’s a great way to showcase your skills, projects, and interests.

A personal website can serve as a portfolio, a blog, or even a resume.