Hi all,
I’m a software developer and I’ve been in IT for over 20 years professionally. I want to focus my weekends and time when I’m not at work building a company but I wanted to build a piece of software that I can focus the company around.
The problem is I have no creativity, I don’t know what to make. I do however intend on spending the next 20 years everyday adding to this software. Where do I start? If nothing else, if I can build something that would allow me a 100k income then I’d be happy to do it full time for those 20 years as well.
Any comments/recommendations/flames welcome :)
Hi,
I am also IT profession, but not from software background.
Often I get ideas but I drop it since I don’t know coding.
Can you dm me, I will share my one idea💡, if you it’s worth, we can build together 😊
Sure would love to discuss ideas, or anything infact :)
You can try to think of the economy as is in its basic forms. Distribution, production, and consumption. Everything revolves around this… music, art, medicine, movies, clothing, everything. It’s all got production, distribution, and consumption in the process. So pick a niche for example, and analyze it logically. I recommend using pen and paper to outline your path and points.
You can build something to help solve or improve the process of DISTRIBUTION a product, or something to help PRODUCE a product, or something to help CONSUME that product.
Let’s say it’s a shovel. That’s a product, a “raw” material, you can later define how raw your products can be in your chosen industry (e.g. focus on the raw stone all the way to the molted shovel part). That’s relative. Either way let’s say it’s a shovel as is.
Who needs shovels? Shovels are needed by construction workers in construction sites (consumption), so you build a software to let’s say, help the workers better use the shovels by keeping track of their number of times it was used because they need the info for whatever reason.
Or, distribution. Let’s say shovel distributors/manufacturers/shops are having trouble finding a platform to sell their shovels on. So you go here, you can post your shovels here in this online database of ready to go shovel buyers. So you’ve achieved the distribution of a shovel.
Or production. Let’s say there’s trouble right now managing the production facility for the shovels, so here! I made a software to help you track materials use and schedule future batches of production.
The world is massive, just look around. Only thing is, don’t expect to just find “it” in a day by thinking… Same way you can think of imagining a book or movie, it comes to you while having breakfast. Same thing. You got your eye open, KEEP that mindset open with these basics in mind, you will spot something.
Once you pick an idea just keep going. Either it works or doesn’t and you move on. You’ll learn along the way good luck
Absolutely, definately a different way to thinking about it to what I have. I appreciate the effort it took to write this, thank you.
Twenty years is quite a long time. Turnover for games is like 3-5 years. Software is longer, but within ten years, it’s difficult to stay. Metaverse has a chance to be quite long, but it’s also very seasonal.
For twenty years, it should be something more like an ecosystem. If you want to build one, I think you should consider IoT. Start simple from place that you like in your house like toilet, terrace, basement, etc.
What languages do you code?
Do you have any hobbies, problems, or things you want to try?
I’m in construction… estimating/takeoff software project management software CRM (geotagged, canvassing, etc) Lidar architectural cad AI based product matching and pricing…
I could go on for days.
I also have an app I started to build (that I have a lot of passion for) if you want an equity share hobby.
That’s a lot of buzz words…
Ohh sounds interesting. Can I know more? Send a PM please
I know as much about construction as I do AI (none). Wish I could help :D
Try doing something small first, small goals? This will provide good focus.
After all, not everyone is Steve Jobs, Altman
Good idea, I suppose that’s something. I just have to find people with small tasks/problems to solve. Hmm.
I’m trying to come up with a systematic approach to this. So for this is what I have from several sources:
1 Start with a broad search: Conduct a broad search for topics related to an industry or market. Read news articles, blog posts, social media posts and industry specific website that discuss current trends and issues.
You can also: Scratch your own itch, Find a problem at your day job, Solve a problem of someone you know, look at what products your company or you use.
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Research competitors: Once you found an issue find out who is solving that issue. Analyze the competitors website traffic. If it’s a public company in the US look up there annual report. If it’s a private company in England use the website company house to learn more. You can listen to talks with the CEO to find out what problems they are currently facing in that market. You can also find out what’s going on inside by using Glass Door, LinkedIn.
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Find a differentiator: Use forums like Reddit and google review to find out what people dislike about there products which you can fix. You can also target it to a different market.
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Can you build it: Do you have the skills required to build it? Can you get someone with industry knowledge to help you?
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Validate / build: You can build an MVP or create a landing page to collect emails. You can also sell it before it’s build and offer those who buy it a special offer. If you can talk to customers read the book “the mom test” to know what questions to ask them.
This seems pretty nice. Funny enough I am also struggling a bit as well in regards of finding my next thing.
I have been looking to a pretty popular app but it has like very bad reviews. A photography edit app. (2.8 on google play.)
Would it be an idea to make this app better by looking to the reviews?
Appreciate the comment thank you.
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You know, software/technology/business is about solving a problem. You need to have a problem to solve. Solving someone else’s problem will just be “employment” to you.
You know when you’re stuck on a software bug, you stop working at the computer and go for a walk or take a shower? You probably need to do something similar, but at a bigger scale.
Go outside without any tech. Bring paper and pen. Maybe your phone, on silent. Buy a coffee or beer with cash. Just sit and watch life.
Thanks I’ll do that.
+1 vote for this suggestion. Talk to your friends and tell them that if they have a problem that someone with your skills can solve, they can contact you and see what you can do.
Software ideas are overrated, I say focus on the business side.
Enter an existing market, if you need help with this you can send me a DM. I’m basically a biz dev nowadays.
I also can get you connected with another biz dev that focuses on idea validation to PMF
Thanks for your input :)
Every product you build should start with satisfying a need. In software there is always something to improve.
How frustrating is fixing bugs, errors, testing someone else’s code that doesn’t have unit tests? How hard is to make estimates for feature development?
Last week happened to me that all of the features I built stopped working on the sandbox env.
As said there is always a way to create a product for developers
Very true :) thanks you guys have given me alot to think about
If you’re not creative, maybe find yourself a co-founder that’s full of ideas and problems to solve?
Good point :)
I have sooo many ideas!!! Would love a job in being “the idea” person lol. Dream Job
Some of the most pressing issues of our time: Climate change, Democracy, Biodiversity Loss, Wealth Disparity, and Hunger.
Keep in mind you’ll need to do marketing once it’s ready or find someone who can do that for you. So might be a good idea to look for cofounders
Yeah I’m starting to think the same thing :)
I can help you, certainly. As I am looking for a software developer that might help me achieve my goal for a product. If you are interested in discussion. Either DM or email at tellme@problemsolver.co.in
Yes certainly interested. Would love to hear more about it