What I learned shipping a side project

July 12, 2026

1 min read

Shipping teaches you things planning never will. The map is not the territory, and the territory has opinions.

Scope is a liar. Everything takes longer, so cut the idea in half, then cut it again, then ship the small thing that actually works.

If you are not slightly embarrassed by v1, you shipped too late.

The first version is embarrassing on purpose. Embarrassment means it is real, and real is the only thing users can react to.

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Pam writes about design, writing and building useful things. Ten years spent making the web quieter and faster. Say hello anytime.