Design Life 322: Our approach to side projects in 2026
Nov 10, 2025
Charli and Femke dive into the evolution of their side projects and discuss preferred platforms like YouTube and newsletters. Charli shares her journey of writing a book while grappling with marketing challenges. The two explore the value of using Claude as a creative assistant and how it impacts their workflow. They also debate the importance of audience in publishing success and touch on hiring help to avoid burnout. Reflecting on past projects, they celebrate their growth and the changes in their creative paths.
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Side Income As 'Bonus' Frees Long-Term Work
- Charli treats income from her Kit job as primary and side-project earnings as bonuses that remove pressure.
- That freedom lets her invest time in longer-term creative projects like a book even if they're not immediately profitable.
Finding New Channels After Burnout
- Charli describes feeling lost after burnout and platform changes, unsure where her online 'home' is.
- She uses a newsletter and Claude-assisted voice dictation to keep creating without the heavy cost of video production.
Sponsorships Can Be Production Accountability
- Femke accepts sponsorships selectively because they fund production and force consistency.
- Sponsorships provide accountability and pay for a video production team, making content creation sustainable.