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Beware the fatigue that sets in with these "boring" money makers. It can be very difficult to keep your motivation high when working on something like this, esp

Beware the fatigue that sets in with these "boring" money makers. It can be very difficult to keep your motivation high when working on something like this, especially in the beginning where you're not making money and no one takes you seriously. With a funky web app, at least your friends and family might understand it and think it's cool. Doing a startup already takes a lot of motivation. It's significantly harder if you're working on something that you're not passionate about. (Note: I don't disagree at all with the author. I just want to point out that there are downsides to this approach as well.)

jnovek 16y ago
"With a funky web app, at least your friends and family might understand it and think it's cool." Perhaps if you're in college, or keeping up your day job. But none of my friends or family thought it was "cool" when I quit my day job after we got a little bit of traction. They thought it was something more along the lines of "completely batshit insane". As I recall, it actually made my parents cry. The point is: it's pretty hard no matter what you're working on. Everything becomes boring after a while, and outside of the valley it's hard to find a culture where people will actually support a decision to quit your day job and work on a startup.
- revorad 16y ago
  Agreed. I look at it this way: you can afford to do something which is just a lot of fun but not making any or lots of money, as long as you are not in debt from other people. The debt can be in the form of money (borrowing from friends or family, investors) or time (ignoring friends and family).
- revorad 16y ago
  Agreed. I look at it this way: you can afford to do something which is just a lot of fun but not making any or lots of money, as long as you are not in debt from other people. The debt can be in the form of money (borrowing from friends or family, investors) or time (ignoring friends and family).
jdietrich 16y ago
The single most important anecdote I've ever heard about software is this: In the early days of VisiCalc, Dan Bricklin travelled with his Apple II, demonstrating his software to potential customers. The response from 'computer people' was generally fairly muted - they didn't see what spreadsheets did that they couldn't already do in BASIC. People with no experience of computers assumed that computers could do damned near anything, so they weren't impressed. The response from accountants was quite different. There was one particular instance at a trade fair, when Dan noticed a smartly dressed older gentleman paying very close attention to his demonstration. At the end of the demo, he approached Dan with a cheque already in his hand. Dan noticed that the man's hands were shaking; Although at the time an Apple II was an expensive purchase, the gentleman looked like he could comfortably afford it. Dan asked him if he was nervous. The gentleman responded with great excitement, explaining that what he had just seen would completely transform his job. He talked about his career as an accountant, how his work had been changed by the introduction of tabulation machines and electronic calculators; He explained how this new invention would free him from countless hours of tedious calculation, allowing him to effortlessly play with numbers. To Bricklin, VisiCalc was a clever little piece of software that paid him a good wage. To the gentleman, it was a complete transformation of what he did all day, a liberating technology, even a new lease of life. VisiCalc restored his interest in his work and made him genuinely excited to get up in the morning. If we see functional business apps as boring, it is only through our own lack of imagination. Few of us are likely to significantly change the computing industry, but each of us has the very real opportunity to transform another industry. As software developers, we are uniquely privileged in being able to turn some small part of someone's work into play. As Steve Blank so often points out, when we look beyond our own walls and see how we could help people do things, the possibilities are limitless.
- jasongullickson 16y ago
  This is one of the most inspiring comments I've read on HN in a long time. When I first read the article I had the same sort of "yeah, yeah, make money at the expense of being bored, etc." response as some of the other commenters here but afte reading this a light went on. We spend so much time banging our heads on the wall looking for ways to out-do each other in the software realm when there are people in other industries starving for the most basic of the innovation we take for granted, if we can only find a way to make it relevant. Water water everywhere...yes I am revved up about hacking again!
Simon1979 16y ago
This rings true with me. I started my own startup in 2009 in what could be considered a relatively boring but proven industry. I focused on price and SEO and it is currently making decent money and growing 30% month on month. I am still very excited and motivated by it all, but I can't help feeling just a little jealous when I see some of the 'cool' webapps that spring up on here.
- jmatt 16y ago
  Off topic but ... Welcome to HN!
- jacquesm 16y ago
  Don't be too jealous, 'cool' does not pay the bills.

jnovek 16y ago

"With a funky web app, at least your friends and family might understand it and think it's cool." Perhaps if you're in college, or keeping up your day job. But none of my friends or family thought it was "cool" when I quit my day job after we got a little bit of traction. They thought it was something more along the lines of "completely batshit insane". As I recall, it actually made my parents cry. The point is: it's pretty hard no matter what you're working on. Everything becomes boring after a while, and outside of the valley it's hard to find a culture where people will actually support a decision to quit your day job and work on a startup.

revorad 16y ago
Agreed. I look at it this way: you can afford to do something which is just a lot of fun but not making any or lots of money, as long as you are not in debt from other people. The debt can be in the form of money (borrowing from friends or family, investors) or time (ignoring friends and family).
revorad 16y ago
Agreed. I look at it this way: you can afford to do something which is just a lot of fun but not making any or lots of money, as long as you are not in debt from other people. The debt can be in the form of money (borrowing from friends or family, investors) or time (ignoring friends and family).

jdietrich 16y ago

The single most important anecdote I've ever heard about software is this: In the early days of VisiCalc, Dan Bricklin travelled with his Apple II, demonstrating his software to potential customers. The response from 'computer people' was generally fairly muted - they didn't see what spreadsheets did that they couldn't already do in BASIC. People with no experience of computers assumed that computers could do damned near anything, so they weren't impressed. The response from accountants was quite different. There was one particular instance at a trade fair, when Dan noticed a smartly dressed older gentleman paying very close attention to his demonstration. At the end of the demo, he approached Dan with a cheque already in his hand. Dan noticed that the man's hands were shaking; Although at the time an Apple II was an expensive purchase, the gentleman looked like he could comfortably afford it. Dan asked him if he was nervous. The gentleman responded with great excitement, explaining that what he had just seen would completely transform his job. He talked about his career as an accountant, how his work had been changed by the introduction of tabulation machines and electronic calculators; He explained how this new invention would free him from countless hours of tedious calculation, allowing him to effortlessly play with numbers. To Bricklin, VisiCalc was a clever little piece of software that paid him a good wage. To the gentleman, it was a complete transformation of what he did all day, a liberating technology, even a new lease of life. VisiCalc restored his interest in his work and made him genuinely excited to get up in the morning. If we see functional business apps as boring, it is only through our own lack of imagination. Few of us are likely to significantly change the computing industry, but each of us has the very real opportunity to transform another industry. As software developers, we are uniquely privileged in being able to turn some small part of someone's work into play. As Steve Blank so often points out, when we look beyond our own walls and see how we could help people do things, the possibilities are limitless.

jasongullickson 16y ago
This is one of the most inspiring comments I've read on HN in a long time. When I first read the article I had the same sort of "yeah, yeah, make money at the expense of being bored, etc." response as some of the other commenters here but afte reading this a light went on. We spend so much time banging our heads on the wall looking for ways to out-do each other in the software realm when there are people in other industries starving for the most basic of the innovation we take for granted, if we can only find a way to make it relevant. Water water everywhere...yes I am revved up about hacking again!

Simon1979 16y ago

This rings true with me. I started my own startup in 2009 in what could be considered a relatively boring but proven industry. I focused on price and SEO and it is currently making decent money and growing 30% month on month. I am still very excited and motivated by it all, but I can't help feeling just a little jealous when I see some of the 'cool' webapps that spring up on here.

jmatt 16y ago
Off topic but ... Welcome to HN!
jacquesm 16y ago
Don't be too jealous, 'cool' does not pay the bills.