The #1 mistake that kills 90% of solo dev projects before they launch
Why your great product idea might be doomed to fail.
Hey there Solo Dev!
Most solo dev projects fail before they even launch for one simple reason: you’re overestimating what you can build alone.
If you don’t grasp this one principle, you’ll forever struggle as a Solo Dev.
Whether you’re building an iOS app, a website, or SaaS-platform, the secret to success is starting from a place of simplicity.
And this week, I want to help you find that core of simplicity.
The big idea? You’re just one person.
You need to scope your idea to fit this fact.
You know this. But of course, the coolest products are the ones that do many things. Like cars: incredible feats of engineering, combining many parts built through specialized knowledge. One single individual can never hope to build something as comprehensive as a group combining years of training and knowledge.
But the real kicker for software solutions?
You don’t have the same constraints.
It’s difficult to make a car. The knowledge itself isn’t all that constrains you. It’s also accessing the materials needed for the parts, and manufacturing it. Not to mention the capital required.
Software is different.
Most software development is way less resource intensive.
And that’s what leads to the problem that kills most solo dev projects: over-ambition. Instead of building one thing, you build ten. And finish none.
You’re overestimating what you can achieve.
Yes, there's some insanely cool software out there. Products with an unending list of features, elegantly combining to solve a set of problems.
But they were built by large, experienced teams.
Let’s say you’ve just come up with a neat idea for an app. It’s a productivity app. You want to build something that:
Integrates with other productivity apps
Helps people construct a calendar
Provides personalized advice
Has cute little illustrations
Sends email reminders
Tracks moods
Books travel
Uses AWS
Tracks decisions
Has blockchain integration
Has custom, self-trained AI
Can send a signal coordinating your kitchen appliances to brew coffee and cook eggs each morning
How great would that be?
But, obviously, this is a ridiculous set of requirements for an app built by one person (for any number of people, really). Each one of these requires significant development time, and you have to learn much of it.
This is why the first step towards building a good solo dev product is SPECIFICITY.
If you try to solve large problems, you’ll hit the limits of your time and energy. Or end up solving problems for no one because it’s too generic.
The real trick is to ruthlessly cut the features that are not part of the core value proposition.
Talk to people to figure out what might be a problem you can solve and guide your development time.
Then, once you find a specific direction, completely disregard everything else.
Yes, those features are cool. No, you’re not gonna implement them, if the product never finds traction.
There’s no need to spend even a second of time thinking of the possibilities.
Get specific with ONE problem. That’s the only way to truly solve it. Find the core value of your product.
But how do you actually find that core value? Well, here’s one way.
I’ve been using a simple rule of thumb I call the ONE framework:
ONE problem, ONE user, ONE solution
For every product idea, you need to identify exactly ONE problem, ONE specific user who has that problem, and ONE focused solution.
Think about the productivity app from earlier. It’s not easy to define it in terms of the ONE framework, is it?
So we have to get more specific.
Instead of “building a decision tracker”, you’re building a “monthly decision reflection app for remote workers who feel lost during quarterly performance reviews”.
ONE user = remote worker
ONE problem = quarterly performance reviews
ONE solution = monthly decision reflection app
The only things that matter now are the ones that fit this use case. Suddenly it becomes much easier to put yourself in the shoes of that ONE customer, facing the ONE problem, guiding you to your ONE solution.
If it ever takes off, great, you can consider adding more things. MAYBE.
But you have to start specific. And then get even more specific, because you’re overestimating what you can do without burning out.
And then, probably even more specific.
Take whatever current idea you have. Distill it through the ONE framework. Get realistic in terms of what you can achieve. What’s your ONE problem, ONE user and ONE solution? I’d love to know.
See you next Saturday!
Rasmus