Ask HN: How to do Project Management for personal projects?

Re:Ask HN: How to do Project Management for personal projects? by corford on Sunday March 18, 2012 @11:49PM (#3722186)

Trello, source code control, fogbugz and lots of notepaper. Basically, treat and run your personal projects as if they were professional ones and you can't go too wrong (also makes it easier and quicker to get extra pairs of hands involved if the side project takes off and becomes a major project).

Task wise, I start with brainstorming, then ui/program flow mockups (usually in balsamiq), then systems arch/planning (i.e. what server roles, how many and what sort of network layout) then I finally get coding. Coding tasks themselves are broken down in to semi logical chunks e.g. backend api, frontend (html/css), glue layer (stuff like form validation and handing off to backend api), auth layer etc.

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Re:Ask HN: How to do Project Management for personal projects? by ulisesrmzroche on Monday March 19, 2012 @02:43AM (#3722682)

Treating your projects like you would a professional one is "the secret", I think you really nailed it. Everything else is just meta. And I do love me some meta.

I use milestones, and I give myself a small award if I win, (I'm terrible, I energy-drink). Small awards help make a habit out of reaching your milestones, and you know, nothing more consistent than habit.

Hemingway's trick applies to TDD, of course: http://www.secondactive.com/2009/08/boost-your-productivity-.... I like to leave broken tests before I go to sleep, and fix them in the morning.

I don't really use anything more than git, though, and personal notes, if it's a personal project. Everything else just kinda gets in the way.

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