On Nov 20, 2005, at 11:33 AM, Greg Smith wrote:
All of your questions have been answered by others, but I thought I
would add a few thoughts on a couple of your questions as they
pertain to me.
What kind of application do you want to make?
I like making applications for niche markets. Most of my
applications are for the general audience of a particular niche.
This is for the most part different in business models from most I
have seen. On this list I have noticed that most of the developers
create applications for a particular client. My business model is
almost as fun as the creation of the tool itself. I like to meet
with as many people as possible in as many different fields as
possible. Picking their brains on how their job could be made easier
is the next task. Analyze the data you derive from all your meetings
and conversations. Pay attention to details and look for ways to
improve the lives of given field. I have also shifted my direction
to the private sector over the public sector as the payoff is usually
much higher (not including the government sector).
What kind of appication like you want to make is already out there
by the dozens?
I am not afraid to make an application in a market that already has
some competition. My most successful income grossing apps are those
that do not lend themselves well to a retail shelf. I find the
retail market to be less profitable for the size of my team. I also
like making apps that will generate more income with fewer
customers. The super short reason is that their is less tech support
involved. You will also find a lot less competition in carefully
selected niche markets.
Why make a duplicate of an application that exists and already does
most of what you want?
Those tools that already exist may not fit my needs exactly. I have
written specific tools that are for my use only. The time spent
usually teaches me something new that can be used in income
generating products down the road.
Why spend months/years learning to develop something that you could
buy for relatively little money from someone else?
Programming is an addiction to me that started well before I
understood the need for money to survive. This might be harsh, but I
find that those that learn to program to get a job usually fail or
hate their decision and eventually quit. Those that start
programming for the joy of coding and solving problems usually last a
lifetime and generate more income.
Is your idea really that much better than one that has already been
put into code?
The answer to this is closely connected to my second answer. I like
finding a market that already has a product leader in a relatively
young market. The company that is leading the pack has spent a good
amount of time, energy, and money teaching the market they need their
tool. By the time the customers come around to purchasing the tool,
you can ride on the jet stream they have created and take advantage
of the mistakes in their product logic. In most cases, you can
quickly exceed their success and take the market over. Think Google
and Yahoo. Of course, the same can be said about your product if you
do not stay ahead of the pack. Then you must rely on answer number
four to maintain that distance. Once again, the love of programming
will be required to keep you going as money will no longer be a
factor. Once your income meets and/or exceeds your needs, only the
love software development will keep you going!
Mark Talluto
--
CANELA Software
http://www.canelasoftware.com
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