Build it for yourself, then one more, and then one more….
Every project begins with a small itch that we want to scratch. We start playing with the idea and as time passes we get closer and closer to making something tangible with it. It’s usually a slow journey filled with emotions. Somewhere between “small project” and “tangible” we get these cycles of highs and lows.
The high: “This is going to be huge. I see a large market for this. It’s the next million dollar business.”
The low: “WTF am I doing? I just came across 35 other businesses which do the same thing! I know a friend who’s doing the same thing.”
Having worked on quite a few side projects (the latest one still in beta), one of the key things I’v learnt, is to really focus on the “scratch your own itch” bit. You had a problem and you didn’t find a good enough solution out there, so you started to build your own. So the best thing to do is stick to that. As soon as your thoughts start wavering to the “is this a big business” or “someone’s already working on this” , get focussed on building it for yourself.
Just like you cook for yourself. There are millions of people making egg omelettes right now. Thousands of them are doing this for years. Almost all of them make it better than you. And you could actually just go out and buy one of those really good ones. But, sometimes you just like to make one for yourself. Sure, its not the best one. It’s probably not even something I would like myself if I ordered it from someone. But it’s something I make for me.
And I love it. And if someone else is present, I’ll share it with them. And maybe they will love it as well.
There will be a set of people who love that omelette.
And there will be a set of people who love your product.
It doesn’t matter who’s building what. We build it for ourselves, be happy with it and then see if one other person will be happy with it. And then one more.
Find me on twitter. Happy to chat. Always working on some project or the other.
