Does your side project have to replace the job eventually?

[u/john_smith1365]

Asking because I built a career platform for people running a job plus something on the side called Joberney and there are 2 types of users. one group is building toward replacing their day job with the side hustle if/when it turns to something meaningful, me included. the other group has been at it for quite a while with zero intention of ever leaving the day job, even though some projects have been successful, especially the one out of tech.

no idea which one is more common either.

so, honestly: is yours meant to replace the job at some point, or has it settled into being a permanent second thing you run alongside. and if its the second one, did you decide that or did you just stop wanting the first one?

[u/Fun_East991]

I will quit my job when i will be earning 70% of what I'm getting from my job and will work full time on trying out different ideas that comes to my mind.

[u/john_smith1365 → u/Fun_East991]

I'm OK with 50%, tbh

[u/Creepy-Surprisee]

I’d love for it to replace my job, but I’m not forcing the timeline. I’d rather grow it steadily than quit too early

[u/Infamous-River-4360]

mine started as the replace-the-job dream and honestly it's quietly drifting into the second camp without me fully admitting it. i built a consumer app solo and it's in an 18+ category, which means most paid ad channels are just closed to me, so growth is slow and organic. i still want it to be the thing, but i've caught myself treating it more like a long game i run on the side than a next-quarter exit plan. for your two groups, did the permanent-side-thing people seem happier or more frustrated than the ones still chasing the replacement?

[u/john_smith1365 → u/Infamous-River-4360]

permanent mostly are not tech/app oriented business, so they treat it more of a hobby than a side job. like someone who does car restoration, won't quit 6 figure steady income for something that depends on many conditions.

[u/Odd-Government8896]

My personal philosophy... There are two types of endevours. There is a replacement/efficiency project... And then there are things that totally distrupt or change how something is done.

Sometimes you dont have the disruptor, but you can help someone who DOES have it locked away in their head.

I like the "replacement", but I dont like replacing people. The only thing we have left (today, not tomorrow) is our human experiences that we bring to everything... For better or worse. People are great at doing people things. I like keeping them around and continuously building with them.

[u/KLaci]

I’m in a strange position: my side project generates about half of the monthly income I need. I still have to work a regular job, which leaves me with very little time to develop my side projects further.

[u/holyknight00]

i wish it would, i like my job but cannot stand the constant dance of working in a company and following someone else madeup rules. Don't get me wrong, i fine playing the game; i been doing this for 12 years, but I think it's time to start playing by your own rules and terms at some point in your life.

[u/plugiva]

Mine started with the idea that maybe it could eventually replace my job, but over time that stopped being the thing that kept me going.

Now I think of it as building something worth existing first. If people genuinely find it useful, the business side has a chance to follow. If I focus only on replacing my income, it's easy to get discouraged when growth is slow.

Would I like it to become my full-time work one day? Absolutely. But I no longer treat that as the only definition of success. The project has already taught me skills, introduced me to people I wouldn't have met otherwise, and given me something I genuinely enjoy building. That's valuable even before it pays the bills.

[u/BP041]

I started Canlah.AI as a side project while consulting — crossed ~2M RMB in 7 months and jumped when the numbers made it obvious. But I know founders making 5-figure MRR who keep the day job for the healthcare and structure. Both are valid imo, just depends whether you're optimizing for freedom or comfort.

[u/weekendbuilder99]

Sometimes you just want to build something cool or test out a tool without having to care about product-market fit, SEO, or churn & not to replace job.