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IMHO tech is the easy part. The two hardest parts of side projects are: 1. Finding a solvable problem that hasn't already been done a million times. 2. Getting

IMHO tech is the easy part. The two hardest parts of side projects are: 1. Finding a solvable problem that hasn't already been done a million times. 2. Getting users and breaking even on user acquisition costs. If you're re-writing your project 4 times, it means you're having fun or learning(nothing wrong with that). But for those that are building a business, it is about delivering value to end customers.

ryanwaggoner 8y ago
IMHO, only half of number one is a problem, because something that’s been done a million times has proven repeatedly that there’s a market there. It might be too competitive, but it might be easier to find a profitable niche than you’d think.
- buboard 8y ago
  it may mean that there are users , but no money to make
buboard 8y ago
> breaking even on user acquisition cost this has become increasingly hard as we are short of options for monetization,as startups focus on being acquired since many years ago > it means you're having fun or learning I guess developers look at the huge salaries and decide that a job with the latest qualifications is a more profitable investment of their time in the medium term.
- HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
  this has become increasingly hard I take it you weren't around back when the only realistic method of finding customers was magazine advertising and a 1.5"x2" ad in a tech magazine was $500/month with no guarantee that anyone would even notice it? look at the huge salaries For a lot of us it's not about the money; it's about being to live by your own rules.
preommr 8y ago
> 1. Finding a solvable problem that hasn't already been done a million times. And yet it seems like everyone has a dozen different ideas for this killer app.
- Sylos 8y ago
  I especially enjoy it when I catch myself trying to reinvent that wheel the one millionth time. Just today I was thinking to myself "All these music player apps (of which I tried five) are really convoluted, I should do my own." So, I was brainstorming for a short while how I would do the layout and that I need this feature and that feature and yep, my idea would be essentially as convoluted as all the others. Maybe a tiny bit more refined for my specific use-case, but seriously not worth the effort.

ryanwaggoner 8y ago

IMHO, only half of number one is a problem, because something that’s been done a million times has proven repeatedly that there’s a market there. It might be too competitive, but it might be easier to find a profitable niche than you’d think.

buboard 8y ago
it may mean that there are users , but no money to make

buboard 8y ago

> breaking even on user acquisition cost this has become increasingly hard as we are short of options for monetization,as startups focus on being acquired since many years ago > it means you're having fun or learning I guess developers look at the huge salaries and decide that a job with the latest qualifications is a more profitable investment of their time in the medium term.

HeyLaughingBoy 8y ago
this has become increasingly hard I take it you weren't around back when the only realistic method of finding customers was magazine advertising and a 1.5"x2" ad in a tech magazine was $500/month with no guarantee that anyone would even notice it? look at the huge salaries For a lot of us it's not about the money; it's about being to live by your own rules.

preommr 8y ago

> 1. Finding a solvable problem that hasn't already been done a million times. And yet it seems like everyone has a dozen different ideas for this killer app.

Sylos 8y ago
I especially enjoy it when I catch myself trying to reinvent that wheel the one millionth time. Just today I was thinking to myself "All these music player apps (of which I tried five) are really convoluted, I should do my own." So, I was brainstorming for a short while how I would do the layout and that I need this feature and that feature and yep, my idea would be essentially as convoluted as all the others. Maybe a tiny bit more refined for my specific use-case, but seriously not worth the effort.