Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#1

Post by aworkerbee » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 5:04 AM UTC

Hi HN.

I'm the only web dev at a small company. Over the past year the software that I've created has grown to generate 6 figures in monthly revenue. I'm not the only one who works in the company, there are other people doing sales + business things but I've made the product.

It hurts me that I'm unable to come up with an idea of my own to put my labor to that I can then sell without having someone lay it out for me. I feel dumb, to be honest.

So my question is, how the hell do you come up with an idea of your own that you can sell? The business I work for isn't revolutionary or anything, but the owners have decades of experience in it so they know the market.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#2

Post by ggm » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 5:11 AM UTC

I'm not here to say "it won't happen for you" but I am here to say, it may not matter: It's not inherently wrong to not be able to see how to make a space in the market for an idea.

If it feels like it's a problem, you maybe have something to hang a hat on there. Why is this drive so important to you? Is it about financial independence? Is it about some sense of achievement?

Business smarts to design a product or service are a skill which can be learned btw. Seriously, you can learn how to do that kind of thing. Some of the methods are a bit 7-steps but the fundamentals are, to identify a need, fulfilled or not, and work out how to do it, better. Mostly the sub-steps are about breaking it down.

Pivot, is just fancy word for "changing your mind in the light of some experience"

Agile, PM, Lifecycle, they're all acquirable skills.

The whole black skivvy, reveal on stage, Hiring Jony as a killer designer, getting the best aluminium blocks to shave down to your bespoke cigar-holder-lighter, thats kind-of a side issue. Its what we are seduced by, but there had to be an underlying value proposition.

And you know what? Everyone likes Woz. He was not very good at selling. He is however, a genuinely nice guy (from what I am told) and he is NOT a giant, narccissistic ass-hat.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#3

Post by ojciecczas » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 6:26 AM UTC

Find an entrepreneur and ask him how a software can solve his problem. Filter out the problems that are not so relevant to him, that he's going to pay for a solution. Repeat this process as much as you can and try to find your niche. And go for it.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#4

Post by theonething » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:01 AM UTC

Sorry, I don't have any advice for you.

I'm just curious about your work situation. Being the solo dev at a small company sounds interesting. What has your experience been like? And if you don't mind sharing, how did you find your job?

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#5

Post by webmaven » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:12 AM UTC

> The business I work for isn't revolutionary or anything, but the owners have decades of experience in it so they know the market.

THAT'S how.

Or at least, that is one of the more reliable ways.

Of course, a plan that starts out "First, spend a couple of decades learning everything about a particular niche market... " isn't, by definition, a recipe for overnight success.

Nevertheless, you will have to become some sort of expert in your chosen market, or someone who is one might eat your lunch.

If you're creating a new market or category, you are by definition the expert, but that doesn't mean you will succeed, because perhaps you're an expert in a market that doesn't really exist, or is too small or too hard to monetize to support your business model.

You can start with a problem you see (or think you see) 'in the wild' (sharing files with friends is too hard), or you can start with a particular type of user (people who have an extra room to rent out), or you can start with an industry (eg. home landscaping).

But you almost certainly shouldn't start with the solution (although as technologists we are often sorely tempted), no matter how cool, except in the case where the user is themselves a technologist.

Anyway, starting with one of "I want to solve $PROBLEM" or "I want to help people like $NAME" or "I want to create solutions for $INDUSTRY" and you won't go too far wrong as long as you keep examining and testing your assumptions.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#6

Post by SheinhardtWigCo » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:21 AM UTC

- Keep an idea notebook somewhere handy and write down every idea you think of, even if it’s incomplete or far-fetched.

- As the only developer working on a software project that generates 6 figures in monthly revenue, yeah, you’re not going to have much time to iterate on your own idea on the side. Good ideas take time to develop. Consider a sabbatical, or just quit. You can get another job later without much trouble.

- Copy someone else’s idea, add missing features and put a better UX on it.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#7

Post by wideareanetwork » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:38 AM UTC

I have a vast and ever growing number of ideas.

So many, mostly probably bad ideas.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#8

Post by becausecurious » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:42 AM UTC

I think "come up with an idea" is a wrong way to approach this. How many ideas did you test? I suggest to treat this as "fishing". People don't get "wonderful business ideas", people get some ideas and test them. Because how good an idea is depends on many factors and it can be hard for anyone to judge.

So I am pretty sure you are able to come up with ideas. Perhaps you just see them as "bad" and don't even try to test them. I would suggest you to find the most promising idea and think how you could test whether this is a problem other's might have. As you noticed, I used "problem" here, because ultimately you want to solve a problem.

If you struggle with finding problems, try noticing your own inconveniences. Imagine that you have magic abilities to fix everything, what would you change in your own life?

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#9

Post by throwaway81523 » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:46 AM UTC

Something is perplexing about the request. Most of us have far more ideas than we can execute on. Basically though, if you're at a company in a particular market, identify the pain points that potential customers in that market have, then figure out how to fix them.

Re: Ask HN: Finding an idea of your own to work on as a programmer

#10

Post by aworkerbee » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 8:21 AM UTC

webmaven wrote: post #5

> The business I work for isn't revolutionary or anything, but the owners have decades of experience in it so they know the market. THAT'S how. Or at least, that is one of the more reliable ways. Of course, a plan that starts out "First, spend a couple of decades learning everything about a particular niche market... " isn't, by definition, a recipe for overnight success. Nevertheless, you will have to become some so…

Thank you the thoughtful reply. I think "starting with the solution", or the end might be my problem. Not in terms of technology, but I think: how can I make the most money with the littlest effort, with the best chance of success, in order to provide a secure existence for myself, my parents.

"I want to solve $PROBLEM" isn't a root desire for me, I just want to make money. You've given me some things to think about!