When is it time to step down from a project?
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I started coding when I was 12, and over time I’ve built tens of apps, websites and programs. Most of them didn’t have a clear purpose so I ended up leaving them unattended.
However, I do remember one particular project I created during the pandemic: an augmented reality app. I worked on the project for around three years and last summer, while talking to some friends and my mum, I ended up deciding to terminate the project.
Have you ever been in this type of situation where you are afraid of stepping down from a project because you’re perhaps emotionally attached to it?
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I'd like to ask: what did they tell you that made you decide to terminate the project? And what was the actual reason behind you terminating the project?
And yes, I have about three times now in my life, and I've always dreaded it afterwards, just due to having put so much love and effort and it just sucks to "give up" on an idea. But you brought it to life, you saw it through and should be proud you didn't waste it or stay as a thought. I think this is a slippery slope, as you shouldn't just seek to give up on something, great things take more than 5 years to really materialize.
But then on the other hand, you have to know when to pivot in life, if something isn't aligning with you anymore or isn't what you thought it was (very niche, not-wanted market you targeted unknowingly, don't care about the problem you're solving much).
Absolutely relate to this.
Letting go of something you’ve poured time, effort, and emotion into — especially over multiple years — is incredibly difficult.
I’ve also started building early (around 12), and over the years I’ve shipped (and abandoned) a number of side projects and tools. One of them I held onto way too long, just because I was emotionally invested.
But stepping down doesn’t mean failure — it’s often the clearest sign of growth. That mental space can unlock so much clarity for what actually matters to you today.
Thanks for sharing your story — it really hits home.