21–30 of 208 posts
I think it's ok, great even, the urge to make something that's so strong that you do act on it. Having said a lot of people do software development for a living and they may depend on your project. So I think OSS authors do have the responsibility to word their motivation honestly, when they publish their projects.
But open sourcing some code does not equal some kind of agreement to support people using it.
That's not making something nobody wants - its making something one person wants a lot :) On a less happy note, there are definitely jobs I've had where I felt like nobody wanted what I was making and its kind of miserable
That's pretty much my approach for side projects: If it's not something I need and enjoy, I don't do it. Not sure about all that artsy "expression" talk. I also truly enjoy building products someone else needs and enjoys. When the guy who pays you is the guy who wants it, I find that similarly motivating, even if I myself will never have a need for what I built there. Now, I've also been in a different situation: Bei…
"I think it’s okay to make something that nobody wants. All you need to do is to make sure you’ve fully expressed your emotions in this product." Having hobbies is fine, but it's not a business model.
It's impossible to come up with a business model that does not depend on chance.
That's not making something nobody wants - its making something one person wants a lot :) On a less happy note, there are definitely jobs I've had where I felt like nobody wanted what I was making and its kind of miserable
Lately i have been wondering about the weird projects that people make- the “I built a web application framework in brainfuck” or “I built a text based bitmap image editor” or “I loaded an LLM on a Speak’n’Spell” kind of projects (I made up all of those but see similar on HN every day). I understand passion projects and the article hints that might be the reason, but I just don’t understand why people would spend suc…
I like the message, but I feel like the article doesn't support the headline. Instead, it seems to be saying that you should make something that you are passionate about, and in return other people will want it. I have not found that to be true personally, although I would like for it to be true.
Seems like his point is the inverse: if you don't want it, how will anyone else?
That's not making something nobody wants - its making something one person wants a lot :) On a less happy note, there are definitely jobs I've had where I felt like nobody wanted what I was making and its kind of miserable
I have that feeling trying to improve dev practices in a shop that had none. Years of effort and we’re barely at the point my previous place was at before I even started there.
> It's okay to make something nobody wants I tell this to my mom often