Before I started working on real projects, I used to think coding was all about writing fancy functions, solving algorithm puzzles, and somehow magically shipping a product. Reality? Way messier — and way more rewarding.
Project ≠ Just Code
When you're actually building something like a portfolio website, a multiplayer game, or a personality app, you realise pretty fast: it's not just about writing code that "works." It's about thinking how a real person would use it. It's about details — layouts, responsiveness, accessibility, little bugs that only show up when you least expect it.
Turns out, real-world development is 10% new code and 90% fixing stuff you didn’t even know could break. And honestly? I kind of love that part.
Planning > Blind Hustle
Another thing nobody really tells you: you can't just "code your way" through a project. If you don’t plan out features, design, and a bit of structure beforehand, you’ll find yourself tangled in your own code within a week.
When I first started my portfolio, I used to open a blank VS Code window and just start hacking. Now? I grab a notebook (or Notion) and sketch out rough pages, features, and even some basic animations before writing a single line of code. Saves a crazy amount of headaches later.
Done Is Better Than Perfect
Personal projects taught me a huge lesson: if you wait to make it perfect, you'll never finish anything. Seriously. Every project I've completed had at least three moments where I wanted to throw it away and start over.
But pushing through — tweaking, polishing, *but moving forward* — is the real win. "Done" beats "almost perfect" every single time.
Soft Skills Matter. A Lot.
Working on my own projects made me realize how important patience, communication (even with yourself!), and a bit of organisation are. It's not just technical skills that grow — your resilience does too.
Learning to Google better, learning to ask better questions on Stack Overflow, learning to troubleshoot calmly — those are all silent skills that matter just as much as knowing JavaScript or React.
In Short?
Personal projects are where you stop being just a "learner" and start becoming a "developer." It's where your theory meets chaos — and you build real skills that textbooks, courses, and YouTube tutorials can never fully teach you.
If you’re reading this and stuck halfway through your project: keep going. Half the battle is just staying in the fight.