develpreneur podcast
Posted on Create a Small Product Podcast

Creating a Small Software Product

This episode starts a new series on creating a small software product.  Our goal will be to create a passive income application that we can launch within a few months at most.  We will get started on our new product immediately, so let’s dive right in. Selecting A Problem Every good product solves a problem.  That is where we will begin.  Think of a problem that you deal with on a regular basis that could use a solution.  This might be a familiar and repetitive task or something you do manually that would benefit from being put in a computer. Once you have a problem to solve then move to the time you are willing to invest.  You might only... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

The Snowball Effect of Passive Income

The ability to generate a passive income is a desire most of us have.  We may not recognize it as such, but the desire to live without having to work seems universal.  A challenge with this goal is that we often focus on completely being self-sufficient with our passive income.  Although this is an understandable goal, it can be too big and cause us to lose hope in it as possible. Paid To Have Fun One alternative to being self-sufficient is to love what you do.  When you get paid to do something you would do for free, then you might as well consider yourself retired.  You can do that the rest of your life.  This situation is not only ideal;... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Securing Your Systems – From The Business Point of View

When you look at concerns that keep business owners up at night, a few show up over and over.  One of these worries is the challenge of securing your systems.  No one wants to be the company mentioned in the latest data breach.  Unfortunately, security can be expensive.  It is an open-ended goal that can allow for a lot of resources to be poured into it. Achieving the Minimum The first step in securing your systems should always be to get to the expected minimum level.  The tasks required to perform this vary from platform to platform and line of business.  You can hire a consultant to assess your systems and point you to the minimums, or the same data (roughly)... Read more

develpreneur podcast
Posted on Podcast

Key Considerations When Writing A Code Generator

Of all the applications I have worked on over the years a code generator is the most challenging.  Likewise, it is the most rewarding and painful sort of project.  This is not something for the faint of heart.  However, it is an incredible learning experience and often will help elevate you to that next level. Reinforce Best Practices Do not misunderstand me; a code generator can create some ugly code.  However, building an application that creates source will often push you to best practices.  Your head will explode if you try to debug sloppy code.  Thus, the time you spend in formatting the generated source and making it easy for a human to read will be a good investment. There... Read more

strategic planning
Posted on Become a Better Developer

Strategic Planning and Long Weekends

Every new year brings a flurry of resolutions and plans for the next twelve months.  Considering how quickly things change, this seems a bit ambitious.  By the time we get into the middle of the year our plans have likely been altered a little at least.  Sometimes the goals have changed, even in substantial ways.  Therefore, this time of year is an excellent chance to assess your progress and do some strategic planning. Six Months in Review When you set annual goals as we do in our mentor classes, then you at least started the year with lofty aspirations.  Six months in, it is a good time to see how that is progressing.  You may be ahead of schedule and able... Read more