After 12 failed projects, I think I've learned some lessons.
I began programming by simply experimenting. I didn’t know anything about its world. I just wanted to build things without a specific purpose. I approach almost every skill like this.
It took me around six years and twelve failed projects to finally gain real skills in programming, startups, financial management, and everything in between. Most of my early work was for Android devices. Web browsers, clocks, notepads, music players, messengers, even VPNs. All conventional. All in an extremely competitive environment. None of them had a clear target or solved a real pain.
Lesson 1
Key points:
• Conventional ideas
• Extreme competition
• No target audience
• No real problem solved
Lesson 2
I spent years in what I call “experimental mode.” I was afraid to scale because of how I was raised. My parents were overprotective and always magnified the consequences of mistakes. That fear stayed with me.
Key points:
• Fear of mistakes
• Fear of scaling
Lesson 3
I built everything without market research. It was fun to build, so I built. Yet I expected success and money afterward. I worked insanely hard on every project because experience was my only teacher. I assumed anyone would use what I made. And those “anyones” were usually just my relatives because I didn’t dare go further.
Key points:
• Zero market research
• Believed effort alone equals success
Lesson 4
I thought I could generate revenue without any financial leverage. I expected returns without putting in even a basic runway.
Key points:
• No financial investment
• Expecting 1 from 0
Lesson 5
I uploaded some projects online but never touched them again. I wanted either a quick rise in users or a fast acquisition. No traction-building. No networking. Just unrealistic expectations.
Key points:
• Expecting traction without activity
• Expecting fast rises without groundwork
Lesson 6
I constantly started complex projects. I once spent seven months building a web-based operating system. Of course it failed. Even my latest product started as an attempt to merge all the sweet spots from competitors into one “perfect” platform.
Key points:
• Starting projects far too complex
• Combining competitor features and expecting magic
Final Lesson
A crucial one. I believed I could beat competitors who were tens or hundreds of times more equipped than me. I stepped into old-rooted markets again and again. That alone destroyed half the projects before they even had a chance.
Key points:
• Thinking direct competition is the best move
• Entering old, heavy markets too early
Still, every failure became a lesson. I’m genuinely proud I failed as many times as I did. They were necessary.
On April 4, 2025, after proper market research and actual preparation, I started building a new project: Codebrae.
And here’s something I learned the hard way: your idea will shift. It’s normal. It means you’re thinking.
Codebrae began as an HTML Form Designer. It evolved into an AI-powered Micro-App Builder. A massive shift, but the final ideation was far more promising, unique, and grounded. Development took about six months because of constant changes and pressure, but it became the most feasible dream I’ve ever built. Almost 40 percent of the platform was either refined or removed to finalize the MVP.
I funded Codebrae with all my savings. For the first time, I didn’t hold back. I respected every requirement. I applied every lesson. Codebrae became the first startup I deeply believe in.
If you want to see what I built, you can check out codebrae.com.
I hope these lessons help your journey as much as they helped mine.
