The Brutal Truth: Most Side Projects Shouldn’t Survive Past 6 Weeks
Published 2025-09-17
Be honest: when was the last time your “baby” side project saw real traction? 👶🚀
Not your mom’s compliment. Not just one single customer (who happens to be your dad). Not the one random upvote. Actual pull.
I just dropped a post on When to Quit Your Side Project: (https://indie10k.com/blog/2025-09-17-when-to-quit-your-side-project) .
It’s about spotting green lights (tiny wins that mean keep pushing) vs. red lights (soul-sucking flatlines).
The trick? 6-week kill criteria.
Commit → run 2 experiments → mid-check → pull the plug (or double down).
Because at maximum SIX loops of TenK 6 (https://indie10k.com/tenk6) should should be enough to tell you if an idea is worth investing.
Because dragging a zombie project for months is way scarier than burying it early. 🧟♂️