From bare words to product profitability: my independent development journey
Have you ever thought about quitting your job and working on your own project? I, an ordinary programmer, do this. In just over a month, I developed my first independent product, and within five days of its launch, it reached the top ten in the development tools rankings. What makes me even more happy is that the product has started to generate stable income. So, how did this happen?
First, let me be clear: I didn’t choose bare words because I had a brilliant idea. Instead, I decided to pursue the independent development path after reviewing my skills and interests. I listed my development skills, including front-end, back-end, database, etc., and considered areas that I am familiar with, such as development, games, daily office work, etc.
In terms of resource investment, I committed full time and considered funding. At first, I didn’t want to invest too much money, but some necessary fees, such as annual Apple developer fees, server and domain name fees, etc., still needed to be paid. Based on my skills and resources, I decided to focus on developing IOS apps and Mac os applications, because these product forms are in line with my skills and background, and can be tried at a smaller cost.
Next is product positioning. I started with the development areas I am most familiar with and looked for pain points. I found that when using development tools, I often need to switch windows repeatedly, which greatly reduces work efficiency. So, I decided to develop a tool that can improve development efficiency-rise ui for Mac.
During the product development process, I constantly verified my needs and sought feedback from the target users around me. Finally, after more than a month of hard work, I completed the development of the MVP version and successfully launched it.
However, product success isn't just about development. During the promotion process, I realized that what people really wanted were solutions to their problems. Therefore, I reimagined the product promotion strategy to emphasize that the product can solve the actual problems of users, rather than just promoting the product itself.
Eventually, my product not only received positive feedback from users, but I also started to make a steady income. All of this makes me feel deeply blessed and grateful. I am grateful that my technical accumulation and learning over the years have enabled me to complete this project independently; I am grateful to the friends who have given me support and feedback, and to the users who have purchased the premium version of my product.
Looking back on the entire process, I think the key to success lies in: clarifying your skills and interests, starting from familiar areas to find pain points, constantly verifying and meeting user needs, and effective promotion strategies. I hope my experience can give some reference and inspiration to friends who are currently or preparing to try independent development. There is still a long way to go, I will continue to work hard and look forward to communicating and growing with more friends.
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