[Thread ↓] How to start your own product (if you’re a programmer). 
1/ 🛵 Do: Learn (more) about #design
Design is about looking deeper into the essence of things, defining their purpose and utility. Try looking up what Dieter Rams did, read some Donald Norman, plunge into the history of graphical interfaces, wander around in design museums.
Design is about looking deeper into the essence of things, defining their purpose and utility. Try looking up what Dieter Rams did, read some Donald Norman, plunge into the history of graphical interfaces, wander around in design museums.
1.2/ I believe that comprehending design is a straightforward way to create your own products. It makes finding flaws in existing processes and applications much easier—and these flaws often turn into excellent opportunities for new products.
2/ 🤨 Do: Solve *your* problem
What is that you miss in this world? Is there no perfect blogging platform? Do all graphic editors suck? Do plant recognition apps work shitty? Can’t choose nail polish? Planning vacations at work is a tiresome, muddled process?
What is that you miss in this world? Is there no perfect blogging platform? Do all graphic editors suck? Do plant recognition apps work shitty? Can’t choose nail polish? Planning vacations at work is a tiresome, muddled process?
2.2/ Make a product that solves your own problem [nira.com/slack-history/]. Just for fun. Use the technologies you want to learn. Work on this product after work and on weekends. First and foremost, have fun with the creation process.
3/ 🥷 Do: Learn some marketing
You need a basic understanding of markets, advertising, placement, and launching products to the market. It sounds much more complicated than it is. You just need to immerse yourself in this area for several months.
You need a basic understanding of markets, advertising, placement, and launching products to the market. It sounds much more complicated than it is. You just need to immerse yourself in this area for several months.
4/ 🤦♀️ Don’t: Read business books
Don’t even bother to read all the autobiographies of famous businessmen, pseudo-studies by James Collins, 200 tips for young entrepreneurs, thick opuses about Steve Jobs, and so on. Or rather, you can read it as fiction.
Don’t even bother to read all the autobiographies of famous businessmen, pseudo-studies by James Collins, 200 tips for young entrepreneurs, thick opuses about Steve Jobs, and so on. Or rather, you can read it as fiction.
4.2/ Business books exude survivorship bias, are speculating on the outdated context, and serve you a bunch of wrong conclusions. If you really read anything on business success, read the stories of failure (or fraud). But don’t get too carried away either.
5/ 🏋️♀️ Don’t: Quit your regular job (yet)
Some people think creating a new product requires total focus. Nah. It’s possible to make something decent by working evenings and weekends. Especially when you’re young & healthy, you can easily go on like that for a couple of years.
Some people think creating a new product requires total focus. Nah. It’s possible to make something decent by working evenings and weekends. Especially when you’re young & healthy, you can easily go on like that for a couple of years.
5.2/ Anyways, make sure you really enjoy working on your own product first. Try working on it in your spare time for, like, 3 months before quitting your job.
6/ 💰 Don’t: Look for investors
It’s much more difficult to find the money for an idea than for a working app. It’s smarter to first spend time on the product than on seeking funding. You can replace 💰 with time and a team of friends ready to work for a share in the company.
It’s much more difficult to find the money for an idea than for a working app. It’s smarter to first spend time on the product than on seeking funding. You can replace 💰 with time and a team of friends ready to work for a share in the company.
7/ 😈 Don’t: Trust everything experts say
Doubt what experts say. Doubt what your friends say. Doubt what I say. Human history is, in fact, the history of mistakes made by experts. 12 publishers refused to print Harry Potter. 7 investors did not invest in Airbnb. Etc.
Doubt what experts say. Doubt what your friends say. Doubt what I say. Human history is, in fact, the history of mistakes made by experts. 12 publishers refused to print Harry Potter. 7 investors did not invest in Airbnb. Etc.
7.2/ Understand two things:
1. no one understands shit about startups
2. no one can predict the future.
It might be that you’re right. Launch the product. And learn something. That’s all. 🖖
1. no one understands shit about startups
2. no one can predict the future.
It might be that you’re right. Launch the product. And learn something. That’s all. 🖖
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