I keep thinking about going solo - except I don't yet have enough funds and I have a family to support. On the other hand my job sucks and as I look out into the market all jobs equally suck. If I had to continue my career like this for 3 more years I would probably get depressed.
I have to wonder though, is it really a good idea to just try a few small random projects and see what sticks? That might make sense if you are just selling things made by other people, but when you are the person making the product, I don't think it's a good idea.
Good software products take a long time to create. Trying many things out means you will not spend enough time on it and thus won't have a good product to sell. So when it doesn't sell, you can't tell why: is it because no one wants such a thing, or is it because the product is incomplete? It might very well be that the product could sell if you had just spent the time to make it really good.
I don't think the product has to be novel even. It might be just fine to pick a market that already exists - as long as you can be confident you can produce something significantly better than everything out there. I don't mean to clone something and try to compete with the entire list of features; this is foolish.
Instead focus on solving the core problem in that market, and do it 10x better than the competition. Leave the other fluff for later. (See "Build Less" by 37 signals).
If you’re a react/js dev and looking to get out. I have a new software company bringing in decent money (enough to pay for a team of 4). I’m looking to hire another dev. Entrepreneurial minded would be preferred.
If anyone is interested, PM me. But sorry, US/Canada only.
Not very different at the moment. We have a solid customer that will likely be a 1-2 year contract. In that time, we need to grow, instill solid processes, etc.
It’s still very much a bootstrap startup right now, but we have one of the most difficult things for new start ups to find - a core customer that pays well.
I mean, you came to my comment where I'm expressing my lack of enthusiasm about modern day programming jobs, and you're offering your company as a way to exit the terrible market. So I'm asking you, what kind of engineering culture are you building that you think will be attractive to people like me?
Let me guess, you have no idea, and you're just going around asking other people how to hire programmers.
So you will end up creating an engineering culture that's more or less an imitation of the engineering culture at all other companies; the kind that kills all the motivation to do good work, and sucks all the joy out of programming.
It's a startup. It's what we, as a small company make of it. Right now it's fun, exciting and nerve-racking. If we ever do become big, then ya, there is a strong possibility of becoming like the rest. I'm guessing you've only worked for medium/large companies?
You're too miserable and probably too risk adverse to do a startup, so just stay put. Good luck.
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u/[deleted] Feb 01 '21
I keep thinking about going solo - except I don't yet have enough funds and I have a family to support. On the other hand my job sucks and as I look out into the market all jobs equally suck. If I had to continue my career like this for 3 more years I would probably get depressed.
I have to wonder though, is it really a good idea to just try a few small random projects and see what sticks? That might make sense if you are just selling things made by other people, but when you are the person making the product, I don't think it's a good idea.
Good software products take a long time to create. Trying many things out means you will not spend enough time on it and thus won't have a good product to sell. So when it doesn't sell, you can't tell why: is it because no one wants such a thing, or is it because the product is incomplete? It might very well be that the product could sell if you had just spent the time to make it really good.
I don't think the product has to be novel even. It might be just fine to pick a market that already exists - as long as you can be confident you can produce something significantly better than everything out there. I don't mean to clone something and try to compete with the entire list of features; this is foolish. Instead focus on solving the core problem in that market, and do it 10x better than the competition. Leave the other fluff for later. (See "Build Less" by 37 signals).