Staying Motivated When Your Side Project Isn’t Growing (Yet)
You launched. You tweeted. You got a few signups. And then… crickets. Growth slows. Traffic plateaus. Motivation dips.
Sound familiar?
Here’s how to stay in the game when your side project isn’t blowing up overnight and why that’s totally okay.
1. Normalize Slow Growth
Most indie projects don’t explode out of the gate. They grow like this:
0 → 1 → 3 → 5 → 6 → 10… → 100.
That early plateau? It’s part of the process. The key is to survive long enough to hit compounding returns.
2. Set Input-Based Goals
You can’t control growth. But you can control what you put in.
Instead of obsessing over:
- “Why didn’t I get more signups?”
Track:
- “Did I post something today?”
- “Did I ship a new feature this week?”
- “Did I talk to a user this month?”
Focus on what’s in your hands. Consistency matters.
3. Celebrate Small Wins
Seriously. Keep a brag doc or journal:
- First user who said “this is useful”
- First Stripe payment
- First time someone shared your link
It’s easy to forget how far you’ve come when you’re always chasing “more.”
4. Talk to Real Humans
Hop on a call or message with someone who uses (or might use) your product. Even one conversation can reignite your energy.
User: “I use it every week now, it saves me so much time.”
You: instantly wants to keep building.
5. Share the Journey
Posting honest updates—even about slow growth—keeps you accountable and visible. You never know who’s silently watching.
Not growing fast, but just pushed a new feature and had a great convo with a user. Staying in the game.
This builds trust and reminds you that it’s still progress.
6. Remember Your "Why"
Why did you start this in the first place?
- To solve a real problem?
- To learn?
- To eventually build your own income stream?
Write it down. Revisit it often. Let it anchor you when motivation wavers.
Final Thoughts
Slow growth isn’t failure, it’s the default. Stick with it long enough, keep talking to users, and keep showing up. That’s how compounding works.
Even 1% weekly growth can become something real.
And if you're building something awesome, even if it’s still small, submit to MicroLineup. Your day in the spotlight might be the nudge you need.