When you're looking for a new developer, all resumes start looking the same. Technologies they know. Projects they've worked on. Years of experience. It's the standard approach, and there's nothing wrong with it. A good professional who follows instructions is a great asset.
But what if you want someone special? A developer who craves knowledge, new skills, and challenging tasks? Someone for whom coding isn't just bread and butter—it's a calling?
Our advice: Look for developers with pet projects.
What Exactly is a Pet Project?
A pet project is something a developer works on outside their regular job scope.
At work, they spend the day moving the "Buy Now" button around a homepage. But when they get home, they put on their coding pajamas, order takeout, and continue tinkering with that self-educating AI they started building three years ago.
In other words, a pet project is something a developer willingly invests their time and effort in—even if it means more work, for free. That's dedication.
If you're looking to hire dedicated developers, pet projects are one of the best signals to look for. Here's why.
5 Reasons Why Pet Projects Matter
Pet Projects Keep Developers Current
New programming languages, frameworks, and technologies appear constantly. Today's cutting-edge language becomes tomorrow's legacy code. Developers working for companies rarely get to test-drive new technologies at work—if your job is writing PHP, chances are you don't need anything else to get paid.
The Pet Project Difference:
Many people put more passion into hobbies than work. That new app a developer builds at home may require communicating with other devs, learning new technologies, and obtaining new skills. That's active involvement in the craft.
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 text-lg">Pet Projects Develop Problem-Solving Skills</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-700 text-sm mb-3">Personal interest is the best motivator. When you hit a roadblock at work, you can ask a teammate for help. When you face a problem working alone, there's no one around—which forces you to find solutions on your own.</p>
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<p class="text-green-900 font-bold text-sm mb-2">Beyond Company Policies:</p>
<p class="text-green-800 text-sm">In-house developers often comply with their company's "proper way to do things." Policies guide through the quagmire, but only pet projects encourage developers to seek new and creative problem-solving approaches.</p>
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 text-lg">Pet Projects Reveal Strengths and Limits</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-700 text-sm mb-3">In-house developers rarely get to choose what to work on. Regardless of which tasks they tackle, their paycheck stays the same. "Why bother if I get paid the same anyway?" is a common attitude.</p>
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<p class="text-orange-900 font-bold text-sm mb-2">Self-Awareness Through Ownership:</p>
<p class="text-orange-800 text-sm">Developers with pet projects know exactly how much time and effort they spend on each task. They know what they can and cannot do, what they need to learn—and they apply that hobby experience to their work tasks.</p>
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 text-lg">Pet Projects Teach Business and Marketing</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-700 text-sm mb-3">If a developer is building a pet project, chances are they want to somehow monetize it—or they've already published an app, launched a website, and gathered feedback. Either way, they learned marketing basics in the process.</p>
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<p class="text-pink-900 font-bold text-sm mb-2">Developer + Business Thinking:</p>
<p class="text-pink-800 text-sm">They know it's important to track target audience needs, nurture usability and UX, and keep an eye on competitors' solutions. They don't exist in a vacuum. (But no, you still don't want to delegate marketing tasks to them.)</p>
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 text-lg">Pet Projects Show True Capability</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-700 text-sm mb-3">A pet project is a window into mindset, way of thinking, and level of commitment. No one writes "Hello, world!" programs as pet projects. Usually, it's a complex, durable endeavor that forces a dev to get out of their comfort zone.</p>
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<p class="text-indigo-900 font-bold text-sm mb-2">Time Management Masters:</p>
<p class="text-indigo-800 text-sm">Developers with pet projects are organized time managers—just because they constantly juggle work, hobby, and other interests. You want an employee like that.</p>
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What Pet Projects Tell You (That Resumes Can't)
What Resumes Show
- • Technologies they've used
- • Past employers and projects
- • Years of experience
- • Education and certifications
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What Pet Projects Show
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<li>• Genuine passion for coding</li>
<li>• Self-motivation without external pressure</li>
<li>• Independent problem-solving ability</li>
<li>• Time management skills</li>
<li>• Willingness to learn new technologies</li>
<li>• Commitment beyond the paycheck</li>
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How to Evaluate Pet Projects in Interviews
Questions to Ask
- "What are you working on outside of work?"
- "What was the biggest challenge in your pet project?"
- "What new technology did you learn for your side project?"
- "How do you balance time between work and personal projects?"
- "Did you get any feedback from users? How did you handle it?"
The Boundev Advantage
Out of the developers we accommodate at Boundev, roughly 50% have at least one pet project they spend their free time on. It's not our main selection criteria, but it definitely helps us paint a better portrait of who we're hiring.
What a Pet Project Signals
- Dedicated problem-solver — They don't give up when stuck
- Motivated to grow — They invest personal time in learning
- Not afraid of challenges — They tackle complex projects voluntarily
- Efficient time manager — They balance work, hobbies, and life
When you hire through Boundev, you're getting developers we've already screened for these qualities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should pet projects be a mandatory hiring requirement?
No. Having a pet project isn't a guarantee of exceptional work—it's a positive signal. Many excellent developers focus entirely on work or have obligations (family, other interests) that prevent side projects. Use it as one factor among many, not a hard requirement.
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2" itemprop="name">How do I verify a developer's pet project is real?</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-600 text-sm" itemprop="text">Ask detailed questions about technical decisions, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Request a GitHub link, demo, or walkthrough. Developers genuinely passionate about their projects can speak at length about the "why" behind their choices. If they struggle to explain details, that's a red flag.</p>
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<h3 class="font-bold text-gray-900 mb-2" itemprop="name">What percentage of developers have pet projects?</h3>
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<p class="text-gray-600 text-sm" itemprop="text">Based on our screening data at Boundev, roughly 50% of top freelance developers have at least one active pet project. This rate is higher among senior developers who have more experience and often seek challenges beyond their day jobs.</p>
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Find Developers Who Code for the Love of It
Having a pet project isn't a guarantee of miracles. But it's a strong signal that the developer is a dedicated problem-solver, motivated to grow, unafraid of challenges, and able to efficiently use their time.
At Boundev, we look for these signals in our vetting process. Come test our devs—they're fantastic.
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