Build connections before you need them
Your identity as a developer is mostly what people have seen you make. That takes time, so start long before you need the work.
- Build connections over time. Talk to people when there is nothing to sell, and stay in touch after a project ends.
- Show them what you can do. A working link says more than a list of skills.
- If it helps, bring a free design. Mock up their idea, send it over, and say it plainly: I can just build this for you.
With AI, one developer is enough for a small product
With the AI tools we have now, you are enough to build almost anything at a small scale. My own projects so far cover note-taking, corporate gifting, festival maps and farming.
- Take on niches you haven't worked in. The founder already knows the domain and will explain it if you ask.
- Keep the first version small. That's where one person with AI does best, and it gives the founder something real to react to sooner.
The founders you'll work with
Most of the people you'll work with are new-age founders. They have ideas, and they don't know who to connect with to build them.
- They run on thoughts. The idea shifts a little every time they explain it, and that's fine.
- Be there and let them think. Ask a question, then stay quiet long enough for the answer to arrive.
- Leave the idea to them. Your part is turning their thinking into something they can click through.
- Being easy to reach counts for a lot. A founder who doesn't know who to call will remember the developer who picked up.
You just need to be there. Let them think, and you can build it.
When a proof of concept never converts
Sometimes you'll spend a lot of time building a POC and it never turns into paid work. That is part of doing this.
- Have patience. The founder's timeline belongs to them, and it won't always match yours.
- Always behave well, however the conversation ends.
- Don't bash yourself, and don't bash the customer. They had their reasons, and you still learned something by building it.
- Never look back on it with regret.
- Maybe text them one more time. A short, friendly message asking whether anything can still work out is enough. If the answer is no, you have your answer and the door stays open.
Tell people your real price
Money is where trust is easiest to lose, so I keep it simple.
- Never overcharge, and never build anything that works like a money scam.
- Tell them your real price up front.
- Keep the fixed costs transparent. Hosting, domains, paid APIs and app store accounts are separate from your fee, and the client should see what each one costs.
- Give them control of those costs. Put the accounts in their name so they can handle them without you.
If you're a founder with an idea and you haven't found the right person to build it, email me or message me on X. Both are at the bottom of this page. I'll listen first, and I'll tell you my real price.