Protect Your Shed (dylanbutler.dev)

Dylan Butler argues that while enterprise work teaches engineers how to design software at scale through planning, testing, and defensive thinking, personal “shed” projects are what keep them motivated and curious. He describes how his side projects—from a homelab to hardware emulation—adopt structural discipline learned at work while also providing a safe space to experiment quickly. The article concludes that protecting personal projects helps prevent burnout and preserves an engineer’s creative drive.