Go check out JetBrains here: https://jb.gg/IDEs-for-hobby 

Most of the technology that shapes your life didn’t start inside a company.

It started as a side project.

In this video, I break down why hobby projects, things built late at night without roadmaps or pressure, have quietly built the modern internet. From Linux and Python to GitHub and the web itself, many of the most important technologies weren’t designed as products at all. They were experiments.

We’ll explore:

How side projects built the foundations of today’s internet
Why open source is the real infrastructure behind modern software
Why hobby developers matter more now than ever
How experimentation, play, and curiosity drive real innovation

As technology becomes more complex, from AI to distributed systems, no single company can explore every direction. Side projects absorb risk, unlock creativity, and allow entirely new paradigms to emerge.

This video is also why I’m a big believer in building things just for fun. Many of the skills I understand most deeply came from projects that didn’t need to exist, and that freedom matters.

Because historically, that’s how the most important tools we rely on today actually started.

The future of tech doesn’t arrive fully formed.
It emerges from projects that weren’t supposed to matter.

Tiff In Tech

Side projects have historically driven major technological innovations, from Linux and Python to Facebook and GitHub. Most modern software depends on open-source components maintained largely by hobby developers contributing in their spare time. With over 70% of developers coding outside work, side projects serve as the tech industry's research lab, allowing experimentation without commercial pressure. These projects aren't career distractions but essential pathways for skill development, innovation, and maintaining the health of both individual developers and the broader tech ecosystem.

The Rise of Hobby Developers: Why Side Projects Build the Future of Tech

<p>“With over 70% of developers coding outside work” - this is straight up not true :D</p>
