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Build apps not businesses.

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Re: Build apps not businesses.

#41

Post by JonnieCache »

angelbob wrote: post #38
JonnieCache wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I could have the best job in the world and because I'm not working for myself, I'm not going to be happy. This statement is not internally consistent. If it is the "best job in the world," then by definition you would be happy to do it. It reminds me of people who say things like "I like my chips to be TOO salty!" No you don't. It also sounds like a self-imposed rule put in place for reasons of contrarianism, which…

If it is the "best job in the world," then by definition you would be happy to do it No. Somebody could, in a logically consistent way, be unhappy when doing absolutely any job.

In this case all jobs are equally bad (and equally good,) therefore the words "best job," or even the words "good job" or "bad job" can have no meaningful interpretation.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#42

Post by drndown2007 »

This seems to be comparing apples and oranges. If your goal is fun, build an app. If your goal is money and freedom, build a business. Sure one _might_ morf into the other, but if you have a goal, work towards it, don't just hope to stumble into it.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#43

Post by bherms »

jdietrich wrote: post #34

DHH doesn't lambast side projects, doing things for fun or even giving things away - Rails is the obvious proof of that. DHH lambasts the weird aversion we software guys have to charging money for things. Absolutely build apps for the fun of it, feel free to scratch your own itch, but if you build a useful product, try charging money for it before you give it away for nothing. If nobody wants to pay for it then you c…

I don't necessarily think DHH's problem is with not charging for things, but for not charging and calling yourself a business/company. Listening to him talk about it, he seems to be more pissed about this bubble that's come up in the last few years -- people are coming up with technological ideas that don't possess a lot of real monetary value, yet burn through investor capital without ever developing a revenue model. It's South Park underpants gnomes all over again:

Step 1: Steal Underpants (Build software) Step 2: Step 3: Profit!

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#44

Post by pingswept »

JonnieCache wrote: post #41
angelbob wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it is the "best job in the world," then by definition you would be happy to do it No. Somebody could, in a logically consistent way, be unhappy when doing absolutely any job.

In this case all jobs are equally bad (and equally good,) therefore the words "best job," or even the words "good job" or "bad job" can have no meaningful interpretation.

No, it could be the case that someone is unhappy whenever they're working. For someone like that, the best job is one that pays a lot for a small amount of work. The lower the pay rate, the worse the job.

I think that's a meaningful interpretation. In fact, I think this situation is pretty common among people in the world.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#45

Post by briandoll »

Heh... interesting post with the opposite perspective as my post from a week ago or so. (http://emphaticsolutions.com/2010/12/10/build-businesses-not...)

What we can agree on, obviously, is to encourage folks to get off their ass and ship something. What is best to focus on is up for debate.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#46

Post by JonnieCache »

pingswept wrote: post #44
JonnieCache wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In this case all jobs are equally bad (and equally good,) therefore the words "best job," or even the words "good job" or "bad job" can have no meaningful interpretation.

No, it could be the case that someone is unhappy whenever they're working. For someone like that, the best job is one that pays a lot for a small amount of work. The lower the pay rate, the worse the job. I think that's a meaningful interpretation. In fact, I think this situation is pretty common among people in the world.

Touché. Although I think bringing higher reasoning into what was clearly a bit of pleasingly pointless formal logic pedantry is a bit unfair. Like taking an assault rifle to a waterfight.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#47

Post by alanthonyc »

JonnieCache wrote: post #29
rick888 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just this. I could have the best job in the world and because I'm not working for myself, I'm not going to be happy.

>I could have the best job in the world and because I'm not working for myself, I'm not going to be happy. This statement is not internally consistent. If it is the "best job in the world," then by definition you would be happy to do it. It reminds me of people who say things like "I like my chips to be TOO salty!" No you don't. It also sounds like a self-imposed rule put in place for reasons of contrarianism, which…

No it's not.

It's more like saying, "I can have the best chicken in the world, but I like steak."

You equate working for someone else to working for yourself. Others don't think that way.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#48

Post by silverbax88 »

il wrote: post #10

People build apps because it's easy. If you're a half decent developer building an app, you _can't fail_ and that is huge. Getting people to actually pay you for something is hard and fraught with uncertainty and danger. No wonder most people choose to build apps.

I have to agree. It is fun to build apps, and it does advance your skill set. The fastest way to really understand development is to try and build something. But making money from fun apps isn't easy at all.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#49

Post by deffibaugh »

colinyoung wrote: post #40
jdietrich wrote: post #34

DHH doesn't lambast side projects, doing things for fun or even giving things away - Rails is the obvious proof of that. DHH lambasts the weird aversion we software guys have to charging money for things. Absolutely build apps for the fun of it, feel free to scratch your own itch, but if you build a useful product, try charging money for it before you give it away for nothing. If nobody wants to pay for it then you c…

> DHH lambasts the weird aversion we software guys have to charging money for things. You know, I kind of like that we have this aversion. If the Internet is the first true global common space, the open source 'movement' is one of the coolest things we've ever done as humans let alone software developers. Not to drink the Koolaid too much. Just think about it, is my point.

Open source does not equal free. There is simply no reason that something you pay for can't also allow you to extend the code or make changes yourself. Personally, I wish I could just pay for more things and not be blasted with advertising all of the time. I love it when apps such as Pandora give me that option.

Re: Build apps not businesses.

#50

Post by tchock23 »

I may be over-thinking this, but when I read articles like this I relate it to the difference between "social norms" and "market norms." When you're doing something in the realm of social norms (e.g., for fun, for helping other people, for recognition, etc.) it's great because you get that warm fuzzy feeling inside for doing it. The minute you cross into market norms (accepting profit for what you've done), it takes on a different form entirely and can lead some people to be less productive or motivated in their pursuit. Not that either way is necessarily good or bad, it's just that when social crosses into market the initial spark can lose a lot of its appeal. That might be why a lot of weekend projects are never properly monetized. Apps built for fun are great when they're purely in the social norm realm (and stay that way), but lose a little bit when they cross into a for-profit.
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