Category

Side Projects

Weekend-sized opportunities you can ship fast. Browser extensions, micro-tools, and small bets that real people are already paying for.

2 briefs across 2 editions

side projects

Forget VC, Win Awards: The Indie Daily Game Renaissance is HERE

While some founders are pushing hard on ambitious AI-native operating systems (like one founder rebuilding Word, Excel, and Calendar with AI), there's a clearer, more immediate path to success in building simple, daily digital products. A recent award-winning game, 'Tiled Words,' shows that reimagining classic concepts and leveraging community feedback can lead to significant recognition and a dedicated user base, proving you don't need a huge team or complex tech to make waves.

My daily game 'Tiled Words' won the Players' Choice Award at the 2025 Playlin Daily Game Awards! It was also runner up for Best Word Game and a finalist for Best Classic Game Reimagined and Best Visual Design.

Opportunity

Forget the complex AI operating systems for a sec. People are still obsessed with simple, well-crafted daily games, especially if they're a fresh take on a classic. The creator of 'Tiled Words' just won a Players' Choice Award by reimagining a word game and iterating with community feedback, showing there's a clear path to recognition and users for a polished, daily experience you could ship in weeks.

3 evidence · 1 sources
side projects

Browser Extensions Are Printing Money Right Now

A pattern is showing up across Product Hunt and Show HN: solo builders are shipping browser extensions with $5-15/month subscriptions and hitting profitability within weeks. The Chrome Web Store has built-in discovery (people find you without you doing any marketing), and installing an extension is way easier than signing up for a new SaaS product.

My browser extension hit $3K MRR in 6 weeks. No landing page, no SEO, no ads. Just Chrome Web Store + a good product.

Opportunity

The Chrome Web Store gives you free distribution (people search and find you — no marketing needed), but single-purpose extensions tend to max out around $3K/month. The real play: launch one narrow utility that people love (a tab manager, an email cleaner, a page summarizer), prove that people keep using it, then expand into a bundle of extensions with shared billing — like a subscription that gives you access to a whole suite of browser tools.

3 evidence · 2 sources