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Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

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Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#31

Post by hasenj »

Start with Paul Graham's essay about startup ideas:

http://www.paulgraham.com/ideas.html

Phrase the idea as a question worth exploring: can I build a startup on the idea of [insert idea here]?

To quote:

> Treating a startup idea as a question changes what you're looking for. If an idea is a blueprint, it has to be right. But if it's a question, it can be wrong, so long as it's wrong in a way that leads to more ideas.

So what I suggest you do, is build a webapp based on some idea, but don't count on it making you much money. You'll still be getting experience and learning how to run and manage your servers (and that's really the core of your business).

$200/mo is quite manageable if you just put Google ads and have a decent amount of visitors. To do that, you don't need to have a business idea, you just need a site that provides some cool service that a decent amount of people would want to use it.

Point being, you don't have to hunt for a business idea.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#32

Post by neiled »

gte910h wrote: post #2

You can spend less than that $300 until you get going if you use GoogleAppEngine, where you'd only end up paying if you get higher levels of usage. Rackspace cloud will cost $10 a month for the basic server if you need to not use java/python, as it sounds like you might need to. You theoretically can do Ruby on GAE via a java implementation, and php I think... If you need web design, you're going to be a little short…

Just to also mention heroku is free too until you use 5MB of database size, which is great for getting it out there, and depending on your type of site 5MB might get you quite a way.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#33

Post by maheshs »

ashitvora wrote: post #25

Not sure if you are still a student or working full time. I have few ideas but I guess only student would be interested to work on it. These ideas wont make you millionaire but you will definitely make enough money to pay your rent and will help you learn how to do business in general.

I am full time employee but can invest time (around 15-20 hours).

My mission is simple; learn business by doing business even earning is small.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#34

Post by csomar »

chime wrote: post #14
pragetruif wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would you monetize these? Mostly from just adding Adsense to the page? [For example, I'm looking at the geolocation of #hate/#love tags, and the imbored-counter.]

That works. In my experience, 1k visitors = $1. If you want $100/month, that's $3/day = 3k visitors/day. Not impossible to get with something catchy/popular. Make four of these and you hit your goal. It's not easy but it's not impossible either.

Please, there is something called niche and keywords in Adsense.

I have had a website in the barcode niche and the click was as high as $5-$7 with a 2-3% conversion ratio. That's like $15/100 visitors only and yes I was making that much.

You can check the PPC in adwords for scanner tools, it's exteremly high.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#35

Post by csomar »

RealGeek wrote: post #24

Play with Google CSE and build niche search engine http://www.google.com/cse/ I built a nifty search engine using Google CSE API over a weekend. It got over 30,000 unique visitors per day and made $2,000 per month. It was probably one of the most advanced search engine built on Google CSE.

How did you got the traffic?

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#36

Post by gte910h »

neiled wrote: post #32
gte910h wrote: post #2

You can spend less than that $300 until you get going if you use GoogleAppEngine, where you'd only end up paying if you get higher levels of usage. Rackspace cloud will cost $10 a month for the basic server if you need to not use java/python, as it sounds like you might need to. You theoretically can do Ruby on GAE via a java implementation, and php I think... If you need web design, you're going to be a little short…

Just to also mention heroku is free too until you use 5MB of database size, which is great for getting it out there, and depending on your type of site 5MB might get you quite a way.

Are there other services like this for php or more python ones? I'd though GAE was really the only one in its type.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#38

Post by AnupSavvy »

even I am a full time employee (but m a Fresh Graduate). I have been seriously giving a thought on starting something of my own or at least deploy some application on apps engine and throw it for review on HN. I work on Java. Currently located at Cornell University, working on Semantic Web Application. Interested in Information retrieval and Machine Learning. Currently working on Semantic search and developing a small hobby application of entity finder. Can I be of help to anyone ? or anyone wants to work together towards some idea/application ? I struggle to take out some time for hobby projects with all day packed with project and assignments ( I have taken some additional courses in Comp. Sci here) but still there is this constant urge to do something more interesting and throw it out to people.

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#39

Post by geek_silk »

RealGeek wrote: post #30
d2viant wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much are you making now?

At it's peak, I made $15,000 per month. Then I pulled the plug, because most of the users were using it to search movies and music. I had no legal troubles, but I did not want to stay in the gray area.

Can I have URL of your service?

Re: Help HN: Want to build small web app for learning and side income.

#40

Post by [deleted] »

RealGeek wrote: post #30
d2viant wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much are you making now?

At it's peak, I made $15,000 per month. Then I pulled the plug, because most of the users were using it to search movies and music. I had no legal troubles, but I did not want to stay in the gray area.

[deleted]
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