A question for those writing commercial software.

srod · Post by **srod** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:12 am

After many months of deliberation, I have decided to quit teaching for now and venture out into the big wide world.

I have enough money to live on for a while and will be further developing the many online Mathematics materials which have taken me several years to develop and are now starting to generate some income.

Of course, the real hope is that I will be able to give a lot more time to programming in Purebasic. I have a huge application in mind that I have been thinking about for some time now, and one that I know for a fact has a rather large potential market. The only thing stopping me up to now has been the lack of time etc. It really does demand a rather intense and sustained period of development.

So, I'm wondering if there are any PB'ers around these parts who are managing to earn a living from developing in Purebasic? Not so much earning a few bob in the evenings, but really devoting a lot of their working time to various projects etc.

It would be good to know of any 'success stories' or of anyone who has trodden (or is planning to tread) the same path which I intend to follow very soon now. Just to know that it is possible and not just a half-baked dream!

Seriously, any advice would be greatly received.

Regards.

Intrigued · Post by **Intrigued** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:26 am

Get a shareware, or free version on download.com if you can. That site seems to get a lot of viewers, downloaders, buyers from what I heard. Of course there are other Websites to post your product to in a demo mode or a trimmed down free version as well.

Best of luck and keep us updated over time of your progress if you would.

Post by **Dare2** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:35 am

Hi srod,

Firstly, all success to you.

Leaving PureBasic aside for a moment ..

Market is everything. Regardless of whether you are consulting/doing work for individual clients through to developing and selling packages.

If you can define/find a market, you succeed.

If you are going to be providing tailored solutions, then your biggest resource right now is your contact list. Who you know. Who they know. Etc. And who, among them, needs something you can provide.

If you are selling packaged solutions via, say, internet, get to know people like, I think, Karbon and Ricardo, who appear to be successful at it.

Not sure of the exact stats everywhere, but I think that everywhere it will be in the same ballpark. > 80% of small businesses go belly-up in the first year. > 80% of them go belly up because of CashFlow (-v- profitability) problems. So be well buffered. To be able to survive for 3 months without income is not enough, 3 years is.

If you can find your market (be it tailored or packaged solutions) and if you can survive a drought every so often, you win. You don't have to be brilliant, you don't even have to be good. Just good enough.

(BTW, You certainly are smart enough technically).

On the PureBasic side, it doesn't really matter that you are using PureBasic. You are providing solutions. Some provisos, though, and again, it is in defining your market. Trying to push a PureBasic solution into a C++ environment (where, say, the client wants sources for the outsourced stuff) might be difficult.

Again, success to you.

BTW, last year a significant part of my active (work and get paid) income was PureBasic, um, based. But very little of my passive (ROI, ongoing licence fees, etc) was. I am hoping to improve the passive side from this year's efforts.

I couldn't live off last year's PureBasic earnings, at least not at a level I would find acceptable. But I believe I could, now, if I gave it all my attention. However that would mean dropping other business interests, so I won't. Consistency and persistancy counts. So I also believe that in a few years it will be providing sufficient income to live from acceptably, even with the amount of time I spend on it now.

And everyone here knows I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, so it proves you only have to know enough - including your limitations.

Success, man. You deserve it.

srod · Post by **srod** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:10 pm

Thanks for the replies, some interesting points.

Dare2, some very interesting comments there, I enjoyed reading them. Just the sort of thing I was hoping to find; i.e. people making $$$ out of PB.
Today I handed my resignation in and so am now employed until the end of August only. From there I turn almost full time to my web based materials which already generate enough to pay a few bills and so on. I won't be worried about money for a while and so am really looking forward to giving Purebasic some serious attention as of August 2006. Of course, if things don't work out then I can always look to tutoring or teaching etc. but I am really not thinking that far ahead. In a way I'll be living a dream for a while, as programming has always been my first love.
It's a bit of a risk, but it's worth a crack!

btw, what sort of commercial programs are you writing with PB (if you don't mind me asking

) ? Are they for particular clients or for a more general market?

Thanks again for the reply.

Sparkie · Post by **Sparkie** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:41 pm

Best of luck to you srod!

Post by **Fred** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:01 pm

I think you won't have any problems as you seems very skilled

.

srod · Post by **srod** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:04 pm

Thanks Sparkie and Fred.

Compared to you two I'm just a poor old programming wanabee! But I'll get there yet.

techjunkie · Post by **techjunkie** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 8:23 pm

srod wrote:Compared to you two I'm just a poor old programming wanabee! But I'll get there yet.

You are never to old to fulfill your dream...

Some very interesting reading in this thread and I wish you all luck in the world!

utopiomania · Post by **utopiomania** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:05 pm

Seriously, any advice would be greatly received

Sorry, If I could, etc.... But an interesting thread, and I'm shure you'll make it. Good luck to you.

benny · Post by **benny** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 11:23 pm

@srod:

Wish you all the best and good luck for your future career ...

Keep us informed how things work out for you please. This does really interests
me

srod · Post by **srod** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:18 am

Thanks.

techjunkie wrote:You are never to old to fulfill your dream...

Ah, I didn't mean that I was old in years!

Still 30-something and full of beans!

My new life begins in earnest in September and so I will be spending a few months pathing the way. In the meantime of course I will be continuing to stockpile every snippet of PB code I can and learning from those with more knowledge than I (of which there are many!)

It was a big decision, but the right one I reckon. I mean, when you go to bed at night and dream about doing things other than that which you are being paid for, then you know it's time to stop and change direction etc. Such is my belief in Purebasic.

MrMat · Post by **MrMat** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:29 am

Good luck with it srod! I'm hoping to go down the same route so it's all an exciting step into the unknown

I think the difficult part is that of time, i.e. the time it takes to write a couple of commercial quality apps. I'm sure you'll do great!

Post by **Dare2** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:14 am

srod wrote:btw, what sort of commercial programs are you writing with PB (if you don't mind me asking ) ? Are they for particular clients or for a more general market?

This is my second time around in the software industry. 1st time around was in the days of DOS. Back then I actually did know what I was doing software wise with DOS, basic and asm.

Back then my advantage was that it was "do or die". Gives an edge! This time my advantage is that I am buffered financially. "Do or say 'Ah well'." Removes some stress.

Both times my goal was (is) to find something I can resell, over and over. Preferably for as much as possible, but rather have very many sales @ some $ -v- few at bigger $. Also the goal was (is) to have ongoing income from sales.

First time I found two "empty" vertical markets. Both cases I worked in with people in the industry, at loss, to provide solutions that fit. In one case, the best, earned $3000 for 1 years work. But when I had the product, earned heaps for hardly any work at all. Second was not as fine a result, but still good.

I had some small clients for one-off custom stuff to earn a few $ during the lean and speculate time, and did some contracting for big companies that were trying to sell little machines when it was all new to everyone - and suppliers began to realise small business wanted more than WordStar and (forget name) spreadsheet for their business.

Then sold the SW business and went into business in general - which is a buzz.

Second time round, want to see it I can do it again. (Windows came as a shock. Where has int 21 gone? Event driven????)

Thus far have found some small clients, but not really interested in them as one-offs, only to see if there is bigger potential in their areas. But have found one biggie.

Did lots of work for the biggie, cheap and giveaway. This biggie acts as a sort of co-ordinator for thousands of others (like but not exactly a professional society). My stuff moves into those businesses, and is tied back to the biggie (client/server, although server is not PureBasic).

Because I looked for longer term returns and went in low, I now have a large customer base worldwide. Last release was a trial and was installed for over 1800 customers in northern Europe. (I cocked up the install

- fortunately easily fixed. Only a few complaints, one in Finnish that I haven't translated because it was ALL IN CAPS!)

Now everything there is generating some $, and I intend to have that ROI significant by year end. They are all now basically locked in, provided I deliver, as they have good functionality and it would cost an arm and a leg to go elsewhere.

Note: They have good functionality. What they see and what it does for them. All that interests them. The experts on the boards here would see a zillion ways to improve my code.

PureBasic rocks! Clients think you're a genius, Fred and crew do all the work.

There are bigger success stories in the PureBasic area, I am sure. Paul, Karbon, Fred himself. Be nice to hear from and get some tips from those guys!

srod · Post by **srod** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:08 pm

That is bloody brilliant Dare2 - I am envious!

If things do start to go a little 'pear shaped' later on, then I'll hang on to your words there. Proof that this madcap scheme of mine might just work yet!

Thanks again.

Intrigued · Post by **Intrigued** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 3:59 pm

Not with PB but with another platform I have made some monies and that sure is a good feeling!

I moved recently and don't have the same large amount of time to code as I did. Time is most definitely an important factor when coding-for-bucks.

My wife and I have a good cushion of cash too and I thought about jumping off and doing my own thing (including PB when needed). So far I am coasting at my current job.

FIW, a couple years ago I started my code-for-bucks venture (yup, I'm new to that angle) and I actually worked out the hardest part of the project while about day three (3) into my vacation (glad I brought that laptop).

Just having the time to code and in a relaxed atmosphere is of huge benefit!