What I Learned From Open-Sourcing 2 of My Side Projects

In March 2022, I started sharing my side projects. I used to think my ideas were so special that others might steal them. But that's not true.

People noticed when I started sharing my plans. They saw me as a doer - someone who acts, not just talks. My first project was Tinvesta. It was like a Tinder for startups and investors. I wanted to learn about investing and make a useful tool. After three months, I put it on ProductHunt. At the time, I didn't know much about marketing. Even so, 26 people signed up. That felt like a big win.

After a break, I made a second app, NotionLingo. I made this because I needed it. I had a list of over 1000 new words written down in my Notion while working for an Israel client. I needed a better way to learn them. NotionLingo was my answer. I also changed how I did marketing. I started writing about how I made my app. This worked much better. Over 100 users signed up.

These experiences of publishing two products have been extremely enlightening. Now, I've got a wealth of knowledge to share, with the hope that they can save you some time. Enjoy!

An Idea Without Action is Just an Idea

So many people believe they have a unique idea. But in reality, an idea without action isn't worth much.

My mindset changed after I joined a group for Polish CEOs and angel investors, led by Bartek Pucek from ElevenLabs. Within this group, wealthy individuals exchanged ideas to examine both the benefits and drawbacks. Legal professionals were also present to delve into the legal dimensions of these concepts.

This changed everything for me. I was finally around people who thought like me. We all understood that time and energy are valuable.

But remember, money isn't everything. Sometimes, you can make a free app and build a small community. We all have to start somewhere.

Don't Waste Time and Energy

If your project doesn't have any other purpose, like testing something technical or learning a new framework, spending more than a month on it may be unnecessary. If you want to validate your idea or make some money, you need to see how many users are going to sign up for your app. For non-developers looking to validate an idea quickly, No-code tools are an excellent resource.

No-code Tools are Awesome

For simpler ideas, no-code tools can be invaluable, regardless of whether you're a developer. Services like Webflow, Bubble, and automation tools like Zapier allow for rapid prototyping and deployment. Recently, Zapier has even incorporated AI to write necessary code for you.

These tools can save a huge amount of time and energy. They allow you to test and validate your ideas swiftly without having to write a single line of code.

However, keep in mind that while no-code tools are incredibly handy, they have limitations. More complex projects may still require coding skills.

Solo Foundership is Feasible; AI Can Assist

You don't need a team or lots of money. You just need time and willpower. AI can do many things for you. For example, Copy.ai can write for you. It can make ads or social media posts. ChatGPT can help with many tasks too. These tools let you do more things by yourself. You work smarter and make the most of your project.

Code Quality is Not Paramount

You might write great code. Your backend might have many services, all done perfectly. But does anyone care? You can make a basic, messy project in a week with PHP or C. What really matters is the value your product gives to people. Just use a programming language that makes you fast and happy. It could be any language, even Cobol. If you're successful, no one will care what language you used.

Master of One or Jack of All Trades

Being great at one thing, like coding, is good. But who cares if you can code without marketing skills? I'd rather be good at many things. I like storytelling, video editing, writing articles, and marketing. These skills make me ready for anything. If I don't know how to do something, I find someone who does. It's often better to be good at many things rather than a master of just one area. Even if you are going to have your own company it may better understand many things, because it may help you understand what’s going on in your company.

This approach may also help you in life because you may easily find what you really love to do.