What I Learned from Building 115 Developer Tools
Hi Everybody, I wanted to share the insights I gained from building 115 developer tools and how it altered my approach to building projects.
Every Developer Needs A Toolbox
In the beginning, I believed that having a boilerplate, starter kit, or example was sufficient for starting any project. However, I soon discovered that this was only half the build. The other part required having an arsenal of low-level, reusable features and components that could easily be integrated into projects. That would allow me to focus on crafting domain-specific code.
But instead of building my toolbox, I fell into the old pattern of searching for a solution and implementing it, only to repeat the process. (Years later.)
Break Down a Large Task into Smaller, More Manageable Pieces
Before embarking on building the site, I listed around 20 tools I wanted to assemble. Researching the first few tools led me to discover an additional 20, turning the process into a continuous study of developer tools. As of now, I can think of around 20 more tools that would be useful, and I'm confident there are at least another 100 tools out there that I personally could find beneficial. It took me about 3 months to build 115 tools. I averaged a couple hours per day in the evening coding.
My intention was not to create complex tools; I envisioned single-purpose utilities. There ended up being some overlap and an excessive amount of color model converters. I knew that there would be a ton of research involved up-front so I leaned into that and always have a list of more tools to build.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
hello@dupkey.com or comment
If anybody is interested in testing the Mac app, feel free to get in contact.
