How many times had a great idea and wanted to make it real … but then didn't?
It's one of the biggest problems for people who live in modern time: people just don't have enough time, energy or simply a plan to change something from idea to something real.
First of all you need more than great idea to start. You need motivation, passion, positive attitude.
I remember the time when I've had an idea and was inspired by meeting successful person, but then didn't take action. I wanted to do the product, release it for users, find a team to work with, start a Youtube channel, work smart. But I didn't actually do anything about it. Most probably because I didn't know how to start. I didn't know what I need to do.
I was busy after work a whole week. I was tired from endless little problems. I was constantly interrupted by many other things. But all those were just excuses.
I learned a many little steps that worked for me, and within several years, I've finished my first project. It wasn't something great, fascinating or unbelievable..but it was my step in right direction from idea to something real.
Below is a list of some points that worked for me in good directions:
- Find a programming buddy - find someone who did, is doing or trying to do - what you believe as your plan for personal development. Try to spent more time with this guy. Forget about small chats and meaningless topics. Speak about your idea, area of knowledge and passions.
- Respect the user, client - respect the people who will use your product and be honest with them. Don't lie them, don't blame or accuse them. Think for your product from the final user point of view. Make them happy.
- Appreciate your time - Be smart and save your time from worthless and meaningless ways to waste it. For example you can check what is new in programming instead of checking Facebook activity of your friends. You can listen a book about programming while driving instead of listening music.
- Don't lose time for arguments and worthless discussions - Stop proving your point about best programming language, operating system or IDE. Working with best tools don't make you master.
- Work hard and smart - Many of us know this like Work smart, not hard. But in reality you should work hard and smart in order to achieve something really good. As you can see both sentences has almost the same words but are totally different in meaning.
- Do cool product - Do something cool and useful, something that even you is going to use it with pleasure. Create something which is really helping people and save their efforts and time. Don't build something for money.
- Believe in yourself - in order to convert idea to product you need to believe in yourself. In case of doubt even a small one - you will fail. You need to believe 100% in yourself and to be prepared for hard times. If you believe in your abilities you will overcome the biggest problems (and believe you will face many problems). If you don't believe in yourself then it's better to not start.
- Respect others technologies, code, ideas, solutions - You must respect others technologies, ideas and point of view. This will help you to see an idea from many points of view. You will understand people needs and way of thinking. Stay open, stay fresh and don't stop to search for better solution, idea, approach.
- Be yourself! Don't be: wanna be CEO, the programmer with biggest salary, best programmer.. Stop thinking for fame and big money. Programming is much more than this. Programming is creativity, is a way to express yourself and your beliefs. Programming is art and inspiration. Don't make the mistake to change programming into a simple job for a big programmer salary.
- Make good solutions, change the world for good - Make something which is changing the world. Something that will be used even after 10 or 20 years. Be the spark, be the inspiration for something big and nice.