Author: chen_h
Micro Signal & QQ: 862251340
micro-channel public number: coderpai
Now, one of the hottest topics of science and technology enterprise is to start conducting independent operations. What is an independent company? This is one of you, perhaps co-founder, in the absence of investor funds or huge external influence of the situation to start a business place. It has many names: piracy, the creation of an independent, self-financing, independent hackers ... and so on. Now it is very popular! That is why we see such sites as Indie Hackers and Hacker News post (often making it front page). While I believe that participating in this event is an exciting thing, but I think it is not for everyone. People seeking employment rather than entrepreneurship for a reason, when we see "Joe Schmoe" How the transition from individual contributor role of US $ 50,000 / month, he was in a hurry to sell handmade crayon from his basement, we often forget these ideas. In addition, the overflow growth, this growth is an outlier, rather than expecting a bet or something. A lot of these runaway success story is supported by many years of failure and experience, and experience these failures are now pushing them to the state.
So why talk about this? As the algorithm developer, founder and practitioners of all things; I would like to seize the opportunity to better depict the feeling of independence in the technical field. Highs, lows, and some things you should expect. This reminds me of my first point ...
We expect a small victory and forget about the little annoyances
One of my personal hard to deal with things like this is definitely a roller coaster run a company. I have posted an article on the front page of the podcast Codepen on Hacker News, and allow customers to cancel the subscription at the top within a few days. If there is one thing very difficult to return, and that is your emotional investment in this type of business. Try as much as possible, such a thing would have a greater impact on the emotional work than in the company. People will cancel it? of course. You should stay awake all night trying to "fix" or to understand why they do it? maybe not. If you're good enough, you will be ashamed of it? Absolutely not. I think to understand why people use or do not use your service is very important, but at some point you have to dirty shoes and move on. There are many reasons why your product is not suitable for them, you should not worry for every canceled. You should also better understand who your customers are, because it makes the loss of messaging and easier to handle.
In other words, the experience you will gain far more than 9-5 in the world. Customers with large brand level will praise your product, this is a very indescribable happiness, can also verify your skills and products. One morning, when I woke notified Codepen registered for the browser, I will never forget. I spent all day on Cloud 9. When you search logs to find out the cause of the collapse of the entire system at 2:00, to keep these "small victories" very important. When you are experiencing flat growth, to seize these moments even more important.
Often celebrated, little sad, cherish it all.
Become customers of your product
When I started without a browser, it solves the problems I encountered as a developer. Even though I still use the browser in other sub-projects today simply because it solves a problem (well, at least in my opinion!). I think if you can not allow customers to reach the point where compassion, things have become very bad, very bad. If you are not actively involved in what happened today, how would you predict the future look like? How do you say "I have registered your product, but I'm trying to do XYZ?" When you do not own and actively use it? For the technology market, one of the best thing that could happen is to have actually used the product builders, because they will pay more attention to the needs of the market, and more acceptable.
This reinforces my assumption has been brewing for some time that the system should be owned by people, not business structure. I have repeatedly seen it in the business world, due to the restructuring, with the project / team or person code base is no longer applicable. You not only slowed shipments of new features and speed, then the "inheritance" of people of this application is likely to be no historical background to explain why it is operational. Applications and projects tend to thrive in the personnel behind them, so it makes sense to become their own manufacturers in the open market.
Build what you want to use and continue to use it.
Realize that time is the most important asset, it may be more important than money
If there is one thing you would go short at an early stage, and that is time. Time is a thing difficult to describe, because almost always have more time in the future, but even so, it is difficult to quantify it like that amount of money. But I would clearly say that you can earn back the borrowed money, but not always able to earn borrowed time. When considering a new feature or product, I almost always give more consideration to the time and cost, rather than at the expense of the dollar. This is because the time is my most precious commodity (especially since I have a family and children). Why talk about this important? Well, for one, it can be to build your own log aggregator or pay it a complete and decisive factor. Why do not you pay a money? Especially considering that you can not control everything, so you can also use external services. In addition, according to the above, they may be logging more than enthusiasm and commitment.
In considering the time to consider the next topic is also important: technical debt. This may not cause most people feel happy, because it is mainly used derogatory. As an engineer, I can definitely sympathize with this, because the word still brings frustration. But, from the other side of it, I can say it just like any other lever mechanism, like, you should not be afraid to use it in the sense. As an example, I know kubernetes is a method for deployment on a variety of services in the system. However, I made a clear choice, do not start it in the process of transferring my release, because it would be a waste of time and release risks. These two factors (time and income) to me than my own developer - ergonomics is more important, because I know I can always come back to fix it. This is even more important before posting because you do not even know if your product will generate revenue! You can build your ivory castle, but there is still no one could live there, so do not worry about all the details.
Use of time, technology and money to get the advantages of debt, but continue to learn how to use them and when to use them.
Learn to set the deadline and take advantage of your many "hats"
Even if it is artificial deadline will help you make decisions and get rid of the analysis - paralysis mode. I can think of three other engineers tried to push their project "money" mode, but even after years of efforts, they have not done so. One common denominator is unable to make decisions and move forward. Like "I start from JavaScript, but believe in Go do better" This situation is very expensive to change. The state moved to redis, change the database type, or upgrade task dependencies that need to occur, but they will not take risks to start. This is the reason we first quick delivery: Time is a precious commodity not return. Go ahead and write a TODO, with reminders Ideally, came back to finish the job.
As the sole founder, you will also be responsible for many things. Although this has drawbacks, but you can use it to manipulate it. For example, if I do not want to write e-mail, I will improve my management interface, or other things I have the ability. This will generate power, motive power can lead to complete these emails in the future. And, since you will wear many hats, you can use it by switching tasks, so you'll feel more fresh. At some point, you may have to do something you do not want to do, but it's a good thing to do in advance (such as writing e-mail or any other positive thanks to the work) can help you be more motivated to complete the tedious task.
You know what drives you forward and use it when you are facing hillside.
Helping hand
You can do a lot of things, but since we determined the time is your most important asset, you should seek help as much as possible. This is clearly translated into hiring a contractor, payment services and the purchase of books and other things. However, a lot of barter transactions, especially for your customers. For example, if you are missing case studies or need alpha testers will enable them to provide what they are worth a try. This product coupons, licenses, and even stickers and T-shirts and other small gestures.
Around you there is a large community. Your specific programming languages, frameworks, and even service providers may have the following somewhere. Many of the same people who have been or are running a business, and can point you in the right direction. Here ask the right questions is the key, it is recommended that you receive will not present or help. Rather than "How do I use Google Analytics?" You might ask, "What is your favorite way of monitoring conversion?." Pointed, specific, and even "self-righteous" problems tend to get a better response, and higher quality. If the answer to your questions is not a lengthy question, you'll get more responses. Learn to ask the right questions is a difficult skill to learn, but it can be an important asset your ambitions.
Help takes many forms - learning through vague "How do I ..." made a direct, operational issues of style.
to sum up
Did I know the answer to all business enterprises? of course not. Nobody really do, I think this is a very important thing: We all just fake it until we succeed. Whether you're an engineer, founder or writer, Imposter syndrome are real. Because I associated more closely with the program, I would say that operating companies have many similarities. Sometimes you need to "re-invent" the wheel, because you cross the road is not smooth, but sometimes you need to use something else around. But I do not believe you can not do that, it's just time and energy problems. I strongly believe that enterprises and reading skills, are learned skills. We all have weaknesses and stumbling blocks. But the disadvantage can be overcome, when they are overcome will become a motive. Once you have a positive feedback loop, it is very difficult to stop it!
