A reader replied to me last week:
“Are side projects even real? Won’t recruiters dismiss them as toy projects? Feels like a Catch-22.”
Here’s what you’re missing:
There are unlimited companies out there.
Yes, Google wants team projects. Amazon wants 5 years of experience. Meta wants a PhD.
But Google, Amazon, and Meta are not the only companies hiring.
There are thousands of companies you’ve never heard of – startups, mid-size businesses, local enterprises – who need AI and data talent and don’t have impossible standards.
Real examples from our students:
Marcus got hired as an AI engineer by a startup that provides diesel discounts to truck drivers. One project. Not built in a team. Enough.
Priya got hired as a data engineer by a small enterprise company doing data processing for healthcare providers. A few portfolio projects. No team experience required.
David landed an AI engineer role at a 50-person legal services company in Texas. No sophisticated enterprise projects. Just proof he could build.
I’m not sharing company names to protect our students’ privacy.
But here’s the irony: even if I did, you wouldn’t recognize them.
These are companies most people have never heard of before.
And that’s the point.
The Catch-22 is a myth.
It only exists if you’re chasing FAANG.
Stop focusing on Facebook. Start looking at the thousands of companies that need what you can offer — and will give you a shot based on proof, not pedigree.
One project won’t get you hired at Amazon. But it can get you hired somewhere.
That’s all you need to start.
Build anyway,
Kirill
P.S. There are over 7 million businesses (with 1+ employees) in the US alone. Every project you add to your portfolio unlocks a new slice of that pie. More proof = more doors. It’s a game you can win just by building.