Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on? • Hacker News Board

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#171

Post by mattront » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 8:52 AM UTC

I'm using Pinegrow Web Designer (http://pinegrow.com) daily. It lets me easily work with layout, design and content of our static websites. From the very beginning it was something I wanted to have for myself - an GUI web builder that feels natural to developer used to working with code.

And internal use also drives product development - whenever I come across an annoying task (for example, changing between different form layouts in Bootstrap) I try to add a tool for handling that, preferably with a single click.

I can't imagine any other way of developing a great product.

Edit: Just read a good point by patio11. What I said of course only works if you are a member of your target audience.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#172

Post by oneweekwonder » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 9:14 AM UTC

davyjones wrote: post #139

The I-would-have-liked-that lack of features in pgAdmin3 was the main driver behind my product, PGXplorer. I use it everyday to pivot, window, group tables without touching any editor.

Do you have code completion or plans for code completion. Because we moved our business over from MS SQL Server to Postgres and the business guys that writes queries is not impressed with PGAdmin, they especially miss code completion.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#173

Post by EpicEng » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 9:18 AM UTC

josu wrote: post #147

AnIrishDuck wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. When I was working for GE Aviation I wasn't flying fighter jets. Thinking about the larger issue, I think It's actually somewhat rare for professionals to consume their own "product". Lawyers, for example, are often discouraged from doing so.

On the other hand I think that it's rare for someone to build an app that he wouldn't use.

I would imagine exactly the opposite. I have never ha the pleasure of developing software that I could realistically use, and I'm sure that's the case in general.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#174

Post by blueskin_ » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 9:27 AM UTC

No.

Worked for an online store, then some SaaS companies - not in the target market in any of them.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#175

Post by damian2000 » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 9:54 AM UTC

I've never worked on something that I can find a use for personally - as others have commented, its because the software is in a specific niche, e.g. petrophysical analysis, or process control for example. But for side projects, then I make a point of only developing something that I will use or need.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#176

Post by motyar » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 10:04 AM UTC

I use WebScrapeMaster API each time whenever I need to fetch data from webpages.

clickable link http://webscrapemaster.com/

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#177

Post by anticlickwise » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 10:14 AM UTC

I do. every single day. http://www.attendmind.com

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#178

Post by askew » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 10:16 AM UTC

I really try not to, and this makes me a sad panda.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#179

Post by joshcrowder » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 10:27 AM UTC

Every day! I'm currently working on a project management tool called Matterhorn (www.matterhorn.io). The whole team uses it along with most of our clients. The problem we have is not working on it! balancing client work along with actually building a product is tough. Although the feedback we are getting from people actually using it is driving what we work on next.

Re: Poll: Do you actually use the product you are working on?

#180

Post by jwblackwell » Mon, Jan 27, 2014, 11:15 AM UTC

patio11 wrote: post #158

Dog fooding is certainly one way to develop software, and I respect enormously the companies that do it, but "software for software developers" is a rather small subset of e.g. B2B software. I don't use Appointment Reminder like my customers do. I can't, because I don't own an HVAC company with 200 appointments this week. I suppose I could force myself to use it for e.g. reminding myself of my own appointments, but t…

Great point, it's entirely possible to build and market a successful product that you have no need for yourself and even no interest in using.

All I would say though is if the product isn't something you use frequently then be absolutely sure others are actually using it or do want it.

I believe building something you really need or want yourself is a great way to validate an idea and it'll keep you motivated to build it.