Question for awesome Web developers

[imagined]

Have you ever planned or are currently working on creating your very own Web application where users have to subscribe for a monthly fee like the ones from 37signals, box.net, dropsend or something like craiglist?

Why or why not?

Shouldn't it be every awesome Web developer's dream?

[Digitalosophy]

No I'd rather just kill myself to make someone else rich :shrug:

Also by replying to this I am not calling myself an awesome web developer

[Templarian]

I think people overlook just how much work it would take to make one of these. Building one of these systems would be a full time thing to get it right. Between regular work and those small fun projects we all have, it would be overkill from a single individual.

Although some people try it I'm sure I remember that one guy around here that kept trying over and over with those very web 2.0 sort of ugly sites (he hasn't been here for a year so I think it's fine).

(let alone that time it would take to scale a project like this, just look at MTsoul with his little facebook thing... I think it was him)

[imagined]

Originally Posted by Digitalosophy

No I'd rather just kill myself to make someone else rich :shrug:

So by your response I take it you are making yourself rich?

[graylensman]

FWIW, I think generally people think web=free. Your app/site/product has to be killer for people to part with their hard-earned $.99.

[imagined]

Originally Posted by graylensman

FWIW, I think generally people think web=free. Your app/site/product has to be killer for people to part with their hard-earned $.99.

That's the plan.

My long term plan is

• Make killer web app
• if first killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop another killer web app
• if second killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop third killer web app
• if third killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop web apps until one becomes a hit

[blazes]

The problem is the idea. I'd love to do it, but I can't ever come up with an idea.

[tpspoons]

Originally Posted by imagined

That's the plan.

My long term plan is

• Make killer web app
• if first killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop another killer web app
• if second killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop third killer web app
• if third killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop web apps until one becomes a hit

I don't think the people who did subscribed for the apps that didn't make the cut are gonna be happy to find out your going to give up on it and their money was wasted

Just sayin'...

[Iamthejuggler]

Originally Posted by graylensman

FWIW, I think generally people think web=free. Your app/site/product has to be killer for people to part with their hard-earned $.99.

Which is why a lot of these sites offer a free version of the service and then a premium version for companies/people who have too much money.

[imagined]

Originally Posted by tpspoons

I don't think the people who did subscribed for the apps that didn't make the cut are gonna be happy to find out your going to give up on it and their money was wasted

Just sayin'...

True.

But I don't need millions of subscribers. Even if just a few dozen or hundred subscribe, I'll be happy. I won't leave them hanging.

[imagined]

Originally Posted by blazes

The problem is the idea. I'd love to do it, but I can't ever come up with an idea.

It doesn't have to be an idea out of this world. It can just be something common and very practical.

If your web app is good and useful, I suppose it would succeed. Won't know until u try it.

[simplistik]

Originally Posted by imagined

It doesn't have to be an idea out of this world. It can just be something common and very practical.

If your web app is good and useful, I suppose it would succeed. Won't know until u try it.

Yea but if the idea has been done to death, and isn't better than a free version of the same idea, there's really no advantage to it. For instance you're doing your calendar app ... last I checked Google Calendar can do pretty much anything you need it to do. But even w/ that said you would still really need to be able to provide the same services, and UX or better UX than your competitors for it to even matter.

[Digitalosophy]

Do you have a marketing strategy or budget? If not your apps will fail over and over.

Originally Posted by imagined

That's the plan.

My long term plan is

• Make killer web app
• if first killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop another killer web app
• if second killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop third killer web app
• if third killer web app doesn't get paying subscribed users
• develop web apps until one becomes a hit

[imagined]

Originally Posted by simplistik

Yea but if the idea has been done to death, and isn't better than a free version of the same idea, there's really no advantage to it. For instance you're doing your calendar app ... last I checked Google Calendar can do pretty much anything you need it to do. But even w/ that said you would still really need to be able to provide the same services, and UX or better UX than your competitors for it to even matter.

Again, it's NOT a calendar app

[imagined]

Originally Posted by Digitalosophy

Do you have a marketing strategy or budget? If not your apps will fail over and over.

Yep and yep.

Look, this is the first time I try this, I might fail, but I'll try.

The first Web app I will try developing is for a very specific group of professionals.

Strategy

• social networking sites that contain Friend Groups that may be interested on the Web app

Budget, all I need

• a good, secure Web server
• A fast internet connection with a static IP
• A few hundred to pay random people for doing usability testing
• Lots of time to code the app

Of course, there is more, but that's a summary of strategy and budget