--- How to build your portfolio as a developer ---

Tips to keep working on your side projects (and not go crazy in the process)

As Developers we are strongly encouraged to have side projects when applying for jobs or to build a “personal brand”. What’s the healthiest strategy to build side projects without getting insane?

Side-projects are almost becoming a mandatory field on every developer’s resume. Your profile could almost look weird if you don’t have any. And building a portfolio of side projects is not an easy task. It should not be an obsession, nor something you should try to “game”.

--- What you’ll learn ---

We will see how you can get started, keep it fun and entertaining, and also apply it for your own sanity. With a nice portfolio of side projects you can get some “street-cred” from other developers and, at the same time, enjoy the rewarding feeling when others start using the solutions you’ve built. It’s a great way to keep yourself motivated and sane :slightly_smiling_face:

In this workshop, Nicolas will share his experience on building side projects for fun, and also his approach to make the most out of it.

--- Who should attend? ---

This talk is indicated for both experienced developers who’d like to add some variety to their work, and also to new grads interested in building their first portfolio.

--- About Nicolas Grenié ---

Nico is a senior developer whose interest ranges from API Integrations, Serverless infrastructures and chatbots, among others. He’s currently working as Developer Advocate at Typeform, where he’s fostering the community to build solutions on top of Typeform’s platform.

As a passionate hacker, he could not detach his personality from the different side projects and experiments he’s running on the side. For Nico, it’s a way to keep enjoying his day to day job as a developer, and it’s the best way to learn new technologies and concepts.

None of his side projects has generated revenues yet, but thanks to them he was able to build a nice portfolio. Latest successful side projects:

- Solar eclipse event, mentioned on LifeHacker: http://xn--6g8hia.ws/
- Glitch notifier: https://glitch-notifier.glitch.me/
- SF Cheese Party: http://sfcheeseparty.com