HACKER Q&A
📣 BadgerGreens

Professional portfolio under a pen name?


I have several side projects that I work on with online communities I enjoy contributing to. However, I'm not comfortable bridging the gap between the online communities I make things for and my real identity. Especially because over the natural course of time, there are bad actors and I don't want them ever finding out who I am.

How do others with a similar situation of keeping their professional life separate handle this? I have nothing to show employers even though I'm constantly working on projects. I've even amused the idea of reskinning some of them to put onto a portfolio, but would rather not.

Is it socially acceptable to give a portfolio under a pen name? Are there any well known developers that have a professional brand that isn't their name and face? Do developers just keep their professional and "fun" projects on separate Githubs/portfolios? I want to begin looking for better opportunities and feel so stuck.


  👤 ev1 Accepted Answer ✓
Take a look at the furry (porn) art community. Quite a bunch of them have separate portfolios and brands for "personal day job as a 3D artist" and "commissions open, $10 per extra inch of dick".