How to become an independent programmer

Gus Mueller, the guy behind the popular Mac notepad application VoodooPad, has given 7 Lessons on becoming an independent programmer – or in the other word, a software entrepreneur. Those are good insights and authentic advices as he has gone through his journey from hobby to build up an incorporate business:

1. Think small and make sure you really like what you are doing.
2. Setting goals are good. If you make them that means you are on the right track.
3. Steadily improve your product. Big jumps in functionality means lots of time without updates, and releases are where you get nice spikes in sales.
4. Don’t quit your day job.
5. Have money in the bank for a rainy day.
6. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
7. It’s not good enough to write and sell something that people want, it has to be something they’ll spend money for as well.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – When they are starting off their entrepreneurship, many people are trying to bank their time and funds into one product. Gus suggested that you shouldn’t and it should be better to have another product to lean on cash.

How to become an independent programmer in just 1068 days. – [Gus Mueller]