On: How to start working on side projects

[slurgfest]

What made the passionate programmers awful?

[priv_acy → slurgfest]

Lack of focus and addiction to mastery the new and shiny can really hamper a passionate programmer's ability to produce.

[kamaal → slurgfest]

Because for many people, they are confused between their least area of incompetence and passion. This happens with 99.99% of the people, truly passionate people are exceedingly rare.

[snogglethorpe → slurgfest]

No one particular thing... the only point is that passion isn't enough to make you a good programmer (or good anything I suppose).