24 November 2010
Lets face it, you could come up with 101 app ideas, and build many of them to a high standard only to find a lack of customers or need for your product. If this happens, and your money is running out, and you need to go get a job, then it would be good to have something to point to that shows off the skills you have learned. Building those failed apps was not a waste of time if you learned new skills doing it, so you should really show them off, customers or revenue or not.
The first 'App' any software entrepreneur should consider creating is a place on the internet to sell themselves, which is what this website is for me (although, this is only the second post, so I have way to go yet). It doesn't have to be anything special, any old blog will do. Just link to your work, talk intelligently about your development problems and ideas. Try and make it the first result in Google when someone types in your name.
Even by building this very simple blogging website, I have demonstrated a certain level of proficiency with Rails 3, and all the code is mine, so I can share it in an interview if I am asked. Even simple things, like knowing about Feedburner, Disqus, Google Analytics and Blueprint show I know what is going on in the internet today, and know how to exploit these tools to get more done faster.
Who knows what opportunities your blog will bring, so if you don't have one, maybe it's time to starting spending an hour a week on it and see what happens.