6 months later
Hey guys, it's been a bit over 6 months since i quit my cushy job and i wanted to share my journey so far.
I had an idea brewing and the time seemed as good as any, so I went for it. Scary but liberating.
First month - Let’s do this! (not)
I was burned out before I even started. A combination of COVID lockdowns and work routine had depleted my creative energy. Couldn’t even sit down for 10min to write a line of code.
Fortunately, I’ve been there before. Just turn it off and on again :)
I booked a flight to Greece and didn’t touch my laptop for a month.
(If you struggle with burnout, feel free to reach out. I have a few remedies)
3 months in
For the remainder of the summer, I stayed in Greece. Fortunately my burn out didn’t last long and the next 2 months were a bit more productive.
I spent time learning and fiddling with:
- Ktor, backend
- Kotlin Mobile Multiplatform to build multiplatform SDKs
- ReactJS, web app - reading on how to manage real time data processing - “what’s the best db for real time data”
Lot’s of uncharted territory but I like a good challenge.
I know you’re not supposed to mix learning new tech with building a product, for good reason, but the investment seemed necessary. Coming from a mobile dev background, my web dev skills were limited.
By the end of the summer the product had started taking shape in my mind, i just had to code it.
next 3 months
I'm back home (Stockholm) and ready to build.
Coding is good but shipping is better. So, i set a deadline with very specific goals.
Not gonna lie, I underestimated the time it takes to define and build a web product that looks kinda decent. Mobile world is much easier and structured in this regard. So many little details and so little time… but I managed.
Final output:
- Web app: ReactJS + Grommet
- API for web app + connected devices - SDK: skipped Kotlin Multiplatform, too unstable. Just Android SDK for now.
- New landing page. Seemed like a crime to pay $20/m for a static webpage in Webflow. So I used my newly acquired super power (web dev) to build one and host on Netlify.
Launch?
I have a product but no users and no product market fit. That’s when it hit me: Marketing starts at day 0, not when you’re done building.
It would have been so much easier to get real feedback earlier and have an audience waiting for the first release.
Now I’m slowly looking to onboard devs that could use the product. Mainly from my LinkedIn connections and friends.
Lesson learned.
Expose your idea to your audience and get reactions. Write a blogpost/reddit post describing the problem and your imaginary solution. It’s not marketing and people are more open to engage in such discussions.
The mistakes I made are probably a cliche in the IH space but I feel they are necessary to make. It’s like a scar that will always remind you.
What’s next?
I have a direction which is the mobile development space and a solution which I’ll validate in the coming months. My bet is that each step will get me closer to a good solution.
