You Either Think Graphically or You Don't

[Mark Talluto]

On Nov 20, 2005, at 11:33 AM, Greg Smith wrote:

All of your questions have been answered by others, but I thought I  
would add a few thoughts on a couple of your questions as they  
pertain to me.

> What kind of application do you want to make?

I like making applications for niche markets.  Most of my  
applications are for the general audience of a particular niche.   
This is for the most part different in business models from most I  
have seen.  On this list I have noticed that most of the developers  
create applications for a particular client.  My business model is  
almost as fun as the creation of the tool itself.  I like to meet  
with as many people as possible in as many different fields as  
possible.  Picking their brains on how their job could be made easier  
is the next task.  Analyze the data you derive from all your meetings  
and conversations.  Pay attention to details and look for ways to  
improve the lives of given field.  I have also shifted my direction  
to the private sector over the public sector as the payoff is usually  
much higher (not including the government sector).

>
> What kind of appication like you want to make is already out there  
> by the dozens?

I am not afraid to make an application in a market that already has  
some competition.  My most successful income grossing apps are those  
that do not lend themselves well to a retail shelf.  I find the  
retail market to be less profitable for the size of my team.  I also  
like making apps that will generate more income with fewer  
customers.  The super short reason is that their is less tech support  
involved.  You will also find a lot less competition in carefully  
selected niche markets.

>
> Why make a duplicate of an application that exists and already does  
> most of what you want?
Those tools that already exist may not fit my needs exactly.  I have  
written specific tools that are for my use only.  The time spent  
usually teaches me something new that can be used in income  
generating products down the road.

>
> Why spend months/years learning to develop something that you could  
> buy for relatively little money from someone else?
Programming is an addiction to me that started well before I  
understood the need for money to survive.  This might be harsh, but I  
find that those that learn to program to get a job usually fail or  
hate their decision and eventually quit.  Those that start  
programming for the joy of coding and solving problems usually last a  
lifetime and generate more income.

>
> Is your idea really that much better than one that has already been  
> put into code?

The answer to this is closely connected to my second answer.  I like  
finding a market that already has a product leader in a relatively  
young market.  The company that is leading the pack has spent a good  
amount of time, energy, and money teaching the market they need their  
tool.  By the time the customers come around to purchasing the tool,  
you can ride on the jet stream they have created and take advantage  
of the mistakes in their product logic.  In most cases, you can  
quickly exceed their success and take the market over.  Think Google  
and Yahoo.  Of course, the same can be said about your product if you  
do not stay ahead of the pack.  Then you must rely on answer number  
four to maintain that distance.  Once again, the love of programming  
will be required to keep you going as money will no longer be a  
factor.  Once your income meets and/or exceeds your needs, only the  
love software development will keep you going!


Mark Talluto
-- 
CANELA Software
http://www.canelasoftware.com