Helping people as software dev - locally or internationally?

[bambz]

Hello, I read TFM one year ago. Now I'm reading The Great Rat Escape.


Additionaly I'm reading gold threads from this forum.


Now I know that doing web and mobile applications based on our own ideas (mine and my friends - three software devs) isn't good because this is a lottery and those apps maybe help us but probably no other real people with real problems. We've done some that kind of apps:

- mobile app to do ranking of people's attractiveness - sth like Facemash in Social Network movie

- mobile app to do ranking of pet's attractiveness

- mobile app with common programming interview questions

- web app to help you buy a gift for some occasion and to create your own wish list. You just add your friends, create list of what you'd like to get on your birthday and other holidays and finally you know what to buy and also get hit gifts. There are generated links to common shops for each gift.

The last one we finished a half year ago and it's working in the polish language now. But we were thinking a lot about monetization and as a result, in our opinion, it isn't scalable and it's hard to earn meaningful money on that. Maybe we are wrong?

But ...

Now I know that the better (and the best) way to do business is just helping people, and listening to their problems and needs - because this is a true and strong foundation. Recently I've been thinking a lot about this and I've remembered that I am a member of some groups on FB where there are a lot of wanna-be-programmers and there are a lot of questions like "which language should I learn", "how to become a dev", "how to get the first job", "what are the best tutorials", "which skills are most important" and so on. I answered a few times, got a lot of likes, and people wrote to me privately.


Maybe should I continue helping people on those groups? But I've found today two SaaS'es, which are roadmaps for wanna-be-programmers, and people write that it's possible to find free roadmaps on the internet so there is no sense in paying for these products.


What do you think?

Generally, I don't know if people in other countries have the same problems. Maybe shouldn't I help in polish groups where there are 10-50k people and start helping in international groups? Even if I sold the roadmap-SaaS for 30$ per month (it is a lot of money for this kind of product in Poland) to 100 people (it's also a lot imo) I would have a problem with scaling that.

Best regards

 

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[Patryk.]

"mobile app to do ranking of pet's attractiveness"
- Almost like a social media for dogs. I don't think pets have any money to spend haha

"Now I know that doing web and mobile applications based on our own ideas (mine and my friends - three software devs) isn't good because this is a lottery and those apps maybe help us but probably no other real people with real problems."
- This is terrible because every your idea, even if it is great will serve only small number of people (you are creating imaginery problems and then trying to solve them - don't do that). It is a lot better to find something what already exist and make it better/different.

"- web app to help you buy a gift for some occasion and to create your own wish list. You just add your friends, create list of what you'd like to get on your birthday and other holidays and finally you know what to buy and also get hit gifts. There are generated links to common shops for each gift."
- The biggest problem will be to actually remember to write wishes. It isn't too big pain point (for me).

"and people write that it's possible to find free roadmaps on the internet so there is no sense in paying for these products"
- They can say what they want. It doesn't matter. You need to test it and check if there will be any sales or not. Swim in the Ocean, not in the Sea if you can.
Instead of it maybe you can do a free short film or article about it to make a funnel to something bigger. Maybe it is you who can hire them somewhere?

$30 it is not too much If you find people who really want to become a real developer.