Make a living with programming... tips for selling your own apps/software?

Question

Entrepreneur programmers learn how to build their own projects but not many of them get money from their products (app/software) because they don't know how to sell them...

Anybody would like to share their experience and tips about this? 😊 Did you first build a prototype and threw it to the market or did you perform a market research?

I came across this great article: https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-make-a-living-with-programming-in-2017-by-developing-my-own-project/answer/Brian-Knapp-1?share=c3 ☺

Answer 1

now this is what most programmer miss.
economics

when you sell something for living, make sure people need it.
ex : just because someone good at web design, he/she expected to get a lot of money from designing super cool website. But no one want it because it is not responsive. So he/she had spent a lot of time for nothing.

the original idea is the key for selling. and you must have good understanding about money circulate in apps.
ex : angry bird is very genuine. nothing like that game before. it make the best use of touch feature in smartphone at that time.
now watch the design ! its not high grade 3D game nor super cool design. the idea is the selling point. angry bird work well in most android device and easy to do (for every one and any age).
that is what needed by most consumer not a bloody shooting adapted from pc that make smartphone hang.

how about income?
no ads in angry bird,right?
that because the developer realize about big data for making money. its pretty clever move (economicly not morally), because many children (and adult) don't aware if angry bird game access their data in storage and sell it to third party.

so the poin is, creativity and economics.
once again economics. particularly the economics in digital revolution. thats a lot to catch up.

Answer 2

Google Admob
Ads don't seem to be very profitable to be honest. Ads shown pays $0 .. Ads clicked pays 1-5 cents per click. I suppose it would be profitable, but you would need a huge install base and then reasons to keep them coming back.

Where I could see ads being profitable are the ads nobody likes. Video ads, ads that trick people into clicking with placement and timing. Unfortunately I would rather have a small ad that doesn't effect my game than have an ad that makes me money. I guess I have a job for that. I will just keep making things for the reason I always have. Because I love making things.

Answer 3

@Paola thanks a lot, I wanted to ask this question years ago.

@SetiawanNext dude pls explain that paragraph which starts with "how about income?"

How could Rovio (developer of AngryBirds) earn money without allowing ads?!?!?!

Answer 4

Thanks for sharing 👍

Answer 5

@Justin If Rovio (Angry Birds Developer) access their (Customer/Gamer) Data Storage and sell it to Third Party, what will they (Third Party) do (about the data) and why they buy the data?

Answer 6

@Vasanth and @foundation
you need to learn big data. gmail is one of the implementation of big data.

Answer 7

Thanks dude