It all started for me with this tweet, where I announce that I am starting this new project:
Needed a small project to really start creating. Making this title card product is a great introduction, as the core functionality should not be too complicated (at first at least), and it will let me learn how to implement authentication and payment.
— Marin Gilles (@mrngilles) June 12, 2020
I’ve given up on my last project because I could not see how to implement the authentication part. It was very frustrating because I know that I need it to get a project to move forward.
This was a very good learning experience technically and in learning how I do things. I noticed myself being attracted to shiny technologies, making me lose big chunks of time rewriting almost everything (twice).
There are some parts that should be learned in isolation. Authentication was too big of a chunk for me to chew, and I got so stuck on it. I did not know where to start, so I gave up after banging my head on it for a while.
So I’m really optimizing this new project for learning. I want to learn mostly about authentication and payment integration, preferaby with stripe.
I’m also hoping to make my first indie dollar out of it. I want to build confidence. The confidence that I can build something really useful, and bring it in front of the people who need it.
And I want to be proud to post something on ProductHunt 😄
My strategy for it will be simple. Build. Document the steps you are taking. Explain the pain points you encountered. Document everything.
I want to show anyone who would like to pursue this route the beautiful parts. And the warts. Your code will sometimes be ugly. So will your design (especially mine). Or you don’t always have the courage and the discipline to get down to work on your project after your day of work.
I’m starting to have more fun building things, although I have not really finished and polished one thing in particular yet. But I am getting closer. Every time I start something new, I get further in the process. I need to start finishing more projects to improve this skill of polishing for release.
This is why small projects are good to start with. Even if nothing sells. Even if you are the only one seeing them. But keep building and sharing what you build. You’ll find that people will help you grow, even if only by giving feedback.
So, how does it start ? In this case, it starts by giving up, and moving on.
At least for now.
It’s only over if you give up.