A few weeks ago, I officially launched Notewell, a platform that helps language teachers create personalized course materials for their students.
This site is far from my first side project as a developer; yet it’s the first project I’ve managed to monetize.
This (small) success made me put my finger on what I’d been missing until now:
First realization: these days, building a quality app in a few days is within anyone’s reach; what makes the difference is acquisition, or the ability to find users.
The thing is, as devs, we don’t like acquisition, because it makes us feel like we’re selling ties.
But this brings me to my second realization: you don’t need to turn into DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street to learn how to sell.
In fact, the method that worked for me was actually the opposite:
• start from the real needs of a typical user instead of hunting for the idea of the century (I worked directly with a teacher friend on the first prototype)
• reach out to potential beta testers by targeting users whose profile suggests they might be interested
• ask them for continuous feedback on the product, and implement what they ask for right away whenever possible
Those are the lessons I take from this experience. I’m aware I’m only at the start of this learning curve, but I’m happy to have made it this far on my own. Especially at a time when, not knowing what the future holds for us as developers, I think it’s essential to build skills that stand the test of time.