How to get rich as a solo software developer

Inspired by Fireship

Imagine running a one-man business developing Chrome plugins that make over $20 million a year. That's four times more than the average NFL quarterback! One of the best things about learning to code is that it gives you the ability to build money-printing machines regular people can't access.

In this post, I'll show you exactly how I built and deployed my own real AI software as a service application with only two days of programming work. But first, let's discuss the mindset of a side hustler.

The Side Hustler Mindset

Take Danny Postma for example. He recently created Headshot Pro, which now has over 12,000 customers. Many might say he got lucky by jumping on the recent AI hype train - and they'd be absolutely right. But here’s the thing: he made his own luck.

The problem is that most of us won't get this lucky very often, so we need to be prepared to fail early, fail often but always fail forward. The customer will ultimately tell you whether or not your project will succeed; therefore it’s crucial to obtain real user feedback as soon as possible.

Coming up with an Idea & Validating It

Let me walk you through how I came up with Vocalize.Cloud – a platform allowing users legally use celebrity voices (mine included). Although reaching out to celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Tom Cruise hasn’t yet proven successful, collaborating with YouTuber Dax Lame was fruitful.

Before diving deep into an idea though, remember ideas are cheap - execution is everything! This means having not only impeccable technology but also a solid marketing plan in place.

If you're rich enough for ads or influencer endorsements – great! Otherwise organic marketing through social media channels like Twitter/YouTube/TikTok should be your go-to strategy.

Choosing the Optimal Tech Stack

Next, let’s talk about choosing the right tech stack. It doesn't matter if you use WordPress, React, or Angular – what matters is that it works. Personally, I prefer Svelte kit and Firebase (aka “the f*ck-it stack”), but you should choose technologies that optimize your productivity.

When choosing a database for your project, consider trade-offs carefully! Research well and be cautious when making this decision – relational databases like MySQL/Postgres are usually a safe bet for most applications.

Getting Paid: Integrating Payment APIs

Lastly: dollar bills! To actually get paid from users of your service app requires integrating payment APIs such as Stripe into your system. Remember to have some form of free trial in place so potential customers can try out the app without feeling pressured to pay upfront!

I hope this guide has given you an insight into how coding skills can turn into side hustles with great potential revenue streams. The key is having the right mindset and executing effectively on both technology and marketing fronts. Good luck building your own money-printing machine!

• transcribed and compressed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4_TFHzqAAg