Bootstrapping a Startup as a Developer

I had the pleasure of giving this talk at two conferences: Scottish Ruby Conference and Nordic Ruby in 2013. The recording above is from the Scottish Ruby version. The highlight for me was the interesting and insightful questions and discussions that followed with the audience.

Talk abstract

Most developers will be brimming with ideas, some of which end up as side-projects. But what happens when you decide to turn one of these side-projects into an actual business? A product that you charge people money to use and that you hope will one day become your full-time gig?

What follows is a cautionary tale, warts and all, from someone who has been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Hear from a fellow developer: what it’s like to build and launch a product in your spare time; how your developer brain can actually work against you; why your idea might be doomed from the start; and ultimately, how to make the right choices to maximise the chance your bootstrapped startup will be a success.


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