3 lessons learned in launching my product from scratch

I recently launched Linkee, my latest project that I developed from scratch. Through this journey, I've gathered valuable insights that I believe are worth sharing.

Working on a product in a company is different from working on your own product.

There's a marked distinction between working on a project in-house and crafting your own product. In a corporate setting, tasks are often assigned without delving into the underlying reasons. Developers execute what is needed by the business. Contrastingly, when you're building your own product, you are essentially the business, responsible for identifying and formulating the problems that need solving.

Working on your own product will maximize your weaknesses.

Another significant aspect is the magnification of your weaknesses when working on your own product. As a skilled backend developer, I found myself grappling with the frontend of Linkee. While I had some familiarity with JavaScript, delving into modern frontend technologies, frameworks, and approaches proved to be a considerable learning curve. The experience was both captivating and beneficial, albeit time-consuming.

In contrast to an in-house role where collaboration with specialized team members is commonplace, your role in your own project expands. You become the designer, developer, tester, marketer, and advertising specialist. Releasing code is just the beginning; now, you need to attract customers, conduct marketing campaigns, and understand customer needs for ongoing improvements. If it's your first venture, be prepared for these challenges as they may amplify your weaknesses.

Your responsibility is not limited to the functionality of the code you write.

In a corporate environment, your responsibilities typically end with ensuring the functionality of the written code. However, with your own product, this is just the starting point. Beyond coding, you become involved in every aspect of the business, from attracting customers to conducting market research.

In summary, my reflections might resonate differently based on your experiences, but there are likely commonalities. While some may argue for assembling a team of specialists for your own product, managing such a team introduces new challenges like financial considerations, responsibility distribution, and conflict resolution.

Now, a few words about Linkee...

Linkee serves as a link-in-bio tool, enabling users to create a personalized page featuring links to various social networks and managers. Beyond that, it allows for the seamless integration of text, graphics, and even video content. In essence, Linkee is a micro-constructor that empowers users to build a mobile-friendly landing page without the need for programming or design skills.