July 2nd, 2024

How to prevent stagnation while building products alone

Solo developers face challenges like overwhelm, lack of support, and motivation. Self-consumption and implementation intentions help manage progress effectively by planning for obstacles and addressing individual needs, shielding from distractions.

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How to prevent stagnation while building products alone

The article discusses the challenges faced by solo developers in preventing stagnation while building products alone. It highlights the feeling of being overwhelmed by details, lack of external support like a team or steady income, and the struggle to maintain motivation and progress. The concept of self-consumption is introduced, where the solo developer feels like they are feeding on themselves to keep moving forward. The article suggests using implementation intentions as a strategy to proactively plan for obstacles and navigate the non-linear path of development. By asking specific questions about time constraints and potential obstacles, solo developers can intelligently manage their progress and address their individual needs in the problem-solving process. Implementation intentions have been shown to be effective in shielding individuals from emotional discomfort and distractions in various contexts.

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By @semireg - 7 months
As the writer says, you’re not alone if you have customers cheering/jeering you on. If you’re lucky you’ll even have customers throwing money at you while lamenting their fears of having to settle for an incumbent.
By @legel - 7 months
I love the questions the writer presents to effectively manage the psychological and personal dimensions of solo development:

1. How much time can I afford to spend on this without feeling bad?

2. What can obstruct me from finishing this within that time?

3. How am I going to avoid these obstacles?

By @BostonFern - 7 months
That ended rather abruptly for such a colorful buildup.