Seth Godin’s 20 Questions post has some good considerations for starting a new project. I think it’s mostly in the context of consulting but I’ve been thinking about this as a solo app developer.1

I have an idea for a simple (in theory) app but I’ve been having a hard time deciding if I should even start it or not. I haven’t yet had the time or skills to make MapKeep fully featured and I feel like I’d be leaving it unfinished. At best my time would now be split between two apps (and all my other interests, such as my child and gaming).

The upside of starting this new idea? It could have a broader appeal than MapKeep and I think more likely to made some coin. (That’s not my main goal but it’s always in the back of my capitalistic mind.)

Big picture is I often wonder how others seem to juggle so many projects and I feel like I can’t measure up to them. Erving Goffman would say something like don’t compare someone else’s frontstage to your backstage.

  1. I have a full time job that provides insurance and the money to pay for stuff so I hope I’m not stealing valor from true solo or indie app makers whose sole income and livelihood comes from their apps. I currently make -$100 per year from MapKeep thanks to the annual developer fee from overlord Apple. ↩︎