InfoQ Author | Cory Zue, Editor | Yan Shan
I develop applications that make money while I sleep or do whatever I want. This is the dream of countless developers. A recent article on Hacker News has sparked widespread attention, with the author detailing his development journey and insights in a recent speech, recounting how he transitioned from a programmer/technical manager to an independent developer and gradually explored and built a sustainable, profitable portfolio of software products. More importantly, author Cory Zue says he now earns more than he did as a CTO and enjoys the lifestyle he desires – spending time with his children, taking vacations whenever he wants, with no one to boss him around, holding meetings when he wants, and skipping them when he doesn’t. He emphasizes that it is not necessary to aim for so-called unicorn projects from the beginning, but encourages developers to start with small, refined, and easy-to-validate products, iterate quickly, and launch quickly. Even if they only earn $1 in the end, it can lay the foundation for subsequent thinking expansion and skill accumulation. At the same time, he also mentioned the importance of non-technical skills such as marketing, user feedback collection, and product positioning: only by obtaining real user evaluations and market feedback as early as possible can the product be continuously revised and the probability of success be increased.
From Corporate CTO to Independent Developer
Cory used to be the CTO of a startup, managing a technical team of dozens of people. However, as the company expanded, he became deeply involved in complex management and meetings, and could hardly write a line of code, eventually becoming physically and mentally exhausted. He chose to take a six-month unpaid leave, during which he came into contact with the Indie Hackers community. Inspired by the stories of those who can make money with products on their own, he set a goal – Even if I only earn $1 in this way, I will try it. The actual income ratio of the author’s first 7 years of independent development. His real starting project sounds ridiculous: a small tool to help people make wedding table cards. Users only need to upload a table of guest lists to generate the corresponding PDF, and download it after paying about $5. To his own surprise, such a seemingly small application actually received the first payment from a stranger. From then on, he became completely addicted to the independent development + online monetization model, and repeatedly tried similar small and fast projects. Slowly, he derived Django SaaS code templates for developers, which later evolved into his current core source of income.
How to Start the Independent Development Road?
Cory believes that even if you just want to earn some extra money, or want to gradually transition to full-time independent development, this road is traceable, but the requirements for difficulty and patience are not low. How to do it specifically? He shared some key points:
First find a way to make time after work and on weekends to do side projects, which may be more stable, but require more time and patience.
Conclusion
Cory Zue’s story is a compelling example of how developers can leverage their skills to create a more fulfilling and financially rewarding career path. By focusing on small, easily validated projects, embracing non-technical skills like marketing and user feedback, and persevering through the challenges, developers can achieve independence, freedom, and even surpass their previous income as CTOs. This path, while demanding, offers a viable alternative for those seeking a more balanced and autonomous professional life.
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