Hopefully it can just cover some basic costs. The goal isn't to build a $1B business round it. Just to cover some basics, so it makes sense to allocate time. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
that is the goal, but working 1-on-1 with a non profit first allows me to learn all the needs so that the platform can have all the stuff they want vs what I think they want.
You'd be setting yourself up for a world of problems.
1.You wouldn't recoup your time investment on each app for at least 2 years.
2.The upkeep with each of those apps during that time would eat up significant portions of your time.
3. If an app did go down for whatever reason the firm could choose to cancel your arrangement. If that happened in the first 12 months you'd really be sunk because you have no one else you can sell that app to.
As many have said these are available for free through subreddits etc. if you have time to go search. Personally time is very critical to me so I would not mind paying to have this delivered to me. I would not mind paying $25-$35 a year for it but would much prefer an annual fee to a monthly one and as I said, a biweekly or weekly delivery or update"
I am not sure it is a sustainable business model given how many are out there for free but if you are doing it for side income you might be able to make a little $ at it.
Thanks for the honesty, let me give you some practical advice and maybe a birdseye view of your situation (or at least how I think about it)
- From your wording, I think you're looking too far ahead in the future, emphasising the long journey ahead of you.
- What I'd suggest you doing, is, kind of like this little post, start extremely TINY.
1. Pick a field you're interested in. Don't overthink it, you don't have to spend the rest of your life with this one decision. Just pick 1 thing in the next 8 seconds. It's just a tiny little experiment.
2. Find a non-profit organisation within that category that you can support with voluntary work. Again... don't overdo it. Just helping them spread the word, or simply sending them an email of appreciation for the work they're doing is a great start.
3. From the action you take in step 2, use the positive feeling you've gained to do an other tiny act of goodness. Potentially write about each tiny action you take, and keep a blog about those positive feeling/findings/etc.
I'm curious to follow your journey.
Small steps ahead, and before you know it, you can look back at a long trail of awesomeness, appreciating how you got there. Instead of looking to the future, not knowing how to get there.
I've just send a note of appreciation to the Centre for Effective Altruism. Let's hope that's a first step. I'll try keeping track of them @ https://mastodon.xyz/web/accounts/75086
Use the positive feeling to propel myself forward, you say? I'll go help my housemates with the chores and do a writeup on formal correctness proofs.
Sure beats feeling bad about not applying for jobs here more aggressively.
I'll keep in mind your suggestion of starting tiny, starting over instead of staying stuck, and not overemphasizing the big picture. I'm grateful you took the time to answer.
I don't know a lot about your specific market, but here's what you could do:
- Start writing. A blog, newsletter, what ever. Start today
- The goal is to build an audience around your writing. Focus on what you know best, and write for a specific type of customer
- Don't focus on getting thousands of readers, having 20, 50, 70 people is enough to learn about the problems people have in your industry
- identify the problem, build a solution for your group of readers (could be a course, SaaS, etc.) product may not be free. Put a solid price tag on it.
- If people pay, and your product seems to solve a real pinpoint, focus more effort on promoting it and attracting more of the same kinds of customers. Go at it slowly.
- Don't take investments, loans or other things that will only put more weight on your shoulders.
- Start spending just 2-3 hours a week, today and just stick with it.
Taking a little side road here, but the question of being 'too old' for something is a limiting belief you should squash, right now! Here's a super inspiring infographic that answers the question 'Am I too Old to Start', in the context of entrepreneurship. Browse through those names and ages. You'll find motivation to pursuit your own things, despite your age.
