#1 I started a new project
Here we are, writing a post after a long time. I recently started a new project, and I also had this great idea that I want to embrace the building in public philosophy. I'm learning so much from "The Internet" that I feel it is time to give something back—or at least try.
I'm inspired by a fantastic project: Gumroad. It is a platform built around the Creator's business. Imagine it as a Shopify dedicated on digital products where you can build and sell educational courses, books, membership programs, digital arts, etc.
It started in 2011 and is now (2023) a company with $20m of revenue, $8.8m in net sales, and a GMV of $160m. Its story is built on resilience, with ups and downs.
They share the board's meetings on YouTube, and I found this amazing. I watch them with great interest, from the financial numbers to the product demos.
OK, let's start and see how far we will come with this project.
So what do I want to do? I would like to have a simple phrase that explains it; it is so clear in my head. When I close my eyes, I see all the features, the fantastic UX, and the beautiful design. Can someone invent a device to plug into my head that transforms my thoughts in code/Figma designs/running a website? It's just a matter of time, I know. While we wait, I'll share my journey.
The truth is that any Idea is a mess, and because I'm not here to write a startup pitch, I'll not try to summarize what I want to build; we will discover it together. Yes, because this post is also a good exercise for me to define better what I'm doing, how I want to do it, and why.
I decided to start this solo-developer project in public to reduce some of the significant risks I see in this choice, like limited perspective and lack of accountability. Plus, building in public will help me reduce and mitigate some biases, like overconfidence (if you know me, you know I tend to be too confident). This will work if you give me feedback! Seriously, write what you think in the comment.
Before you give me feedback, you need to understand my "mood" on this project. I will follow no startup playbook because this is my artisan project. What does it mean? I will act like a Software Artisan and build unique solutions tailored for a specific use case with the User and the quality in mind. I will use my skills and experience to create new products with a massive time investment in software design. I want to enjoy this project like no one before.
Think more about the Japanese meaning of the word
Shokunin means not only having technical skill but also implies an attitude and social consciousness... a social obligation to work his best for the general welfare of the people, [an] obligation both material and spiritual.
Thanks, Wikipedia
My therapist will probably say that this "Artisanal" concept is just my way of starting a new project without worrying about Failing again.
What do I want to build?
An all-in-one platform to manage the online businesses of freelancers such as teachers, coaches, psychologists, lawyers, and all the practitioners who sell their time by providing personal consultancy.
Why?
A person close to me asked me to set up an online business for a private teacher. The first thing that came to my mind was that there should be a platform for that. Well, I was very disappointed; the only way to have a decent setup is to plug multiple SaaS (Calendy + Zoom + some chat + some file sharing + payment methods + website) and pay an insane monthly bill. Pay hundreds of dollars monthly for a discontinued, hard-to-set-up, poor user experience for you and your customer.
There are also amazing solutions like honeybook.com or practice.do, they're available only in the USA and Canada, and they are very different from my idea of an efficient platform.
I couldn't find a good platform that made me say: yes, this is a great suit that will enable me to grow this online business.
I like all the recent talks on how SaaS with AI is evolving from Software as a Service to Solution as a Service where the User is no longer just buying Software to work more efficiently and is paying to get work done.
After several months of decanting this while talking with people and thinking about it, I started this side project.
Starting something new is the best medicine for energizing my life. I love my current life, but I'm one of those people who is always looking for something new to archive. And I don't want any radical change, so a side project fits perfectly. Now that I'm sharing it, I will feel the right public accountability to keep going.
In the following posts, I want to talk about:
How to start: from the idea to the MVP
Decision-making process. I have a straightforward way of making decisions in this process, and it is easy to keep until I work alone. I want to try to explain it.
AI is a game changer: we need to design products on top of it; I'm tired of chatting everywhere.
Please tell me what you are most curious about. If you have read this far, Thank you! You deserve to know that this is a three-month-old article because I wanted to publish the first one with a series ready. But please tell me what you are curious about.
Enjoy, Patrick