Can 30 minutes a day be enough to create something interesting? I don’t know, but it’s definitely worth a try!
Today, I’d like to share my thoughts after participating in another JUG (Java User Group) meeting in Białystok. During the meetup, I had the opportunity to watch a presentation on several projects created after hours by Piotr Iwaniuk. The presentation may have been somewhat non-technical but was highly entertaining. I also learned interesting anecdotes discovered during the creation of each of the showcased projects. As the presenter stated: One of the projects even made some money!
Piotr dedicates half an hour every day to the development of his projects. It might seem like just half an hour, but over the course of a year, it adds up to a significant amount of time. One project that made a huge impression on me was Ubongo 3D – a program for solving three-dimensional Ubongo puzzles.
You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plp_ff-2Ye0.
Another excellent project was Fotoszek – an application for automatic photo editing (cropping, background removal), which is then automatically optimized for use as a passport photo. Piotr implemented online payments and the option to order photo prints.
You can watch a short video of its creation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecYbe8dxQ0.
For Piotr, side projects are not just a way to develop his skills but also a means of pursuing his passions. Piotr may be a bit of an unconventional “Podlaski Komputerowiec” (Podlachian IT specialist), but he is certainly a great stand-up comedian. Here’s to more such performances!