Lately, I’ve done a lot of little experiments. Some, like my quest to fix restaurant reviews, I’ve published here. I haven’t really shipped any long-term projects since the fall though (I launched a chatbot somewhere around November).

Shipping takes concentration, motivation, and a thick skin. You need to be dedicated to getting your product out there, finding users, and listening to feedback. And often it’s worth it. It’s rewarding to see a product/project do well.

When a long-term projects flops though (the chatbot did), the energy you burned can leave you exhausted. “All that for nothing?” I was so certain the chatbot would do well. I worked on it for months. I tested it, and gathered feedback. And it flopped.

So I huddled with my laptop. I worked on lots of little things that interested, and avoided baring my soul in the form of a product. It was a refreshing period of experimentation, but I know that eventually I have to get back on my horse and launch something bigger than a little algorithm.

I’ve hinted on this blog as to what that project is, but I look forward to finally launching it (and launching a project again) in a few weeks.