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To Pivot or Not to Pivot?

I've recently come to the conclusion that AutomatedApi may not on it's own be the product I truly wish to sell. While functional and powerful on it's own, I truly believe that it's most powerful application is as a tool for agencies to leverage in service of their customers. It could go big in a b2b environment but I don't see that it's ready for that in it's current form. And that's not something I wish to do on my own or that I can afford to offload.

What I do see is a huge opportunity to build a development shop around it. Access to the backend allows me some extra leverage that isn't available to customers that improves the value proposition for a contract development service.

So, while I'm not shutting this down, I suspect that Automated API might not get updates under it's own power, but in service of a new product I'm building.

So I'm announcing here for the first time in public, I am launching a new development service aimed at reducing business need for direct hire and contract employees. It's essentially Development as a Service and provides code, maintenance, hosting, and support on a subscription (ish) model.

The fact is, there aren't enough developers around to fill every job posting for every job out there. Especially when most companies are posting for much higher qualifications than may be strictly necessary. I couldn't count the number of job postings I've seen that could be boiled down to 'we need someone who can maintain some existing projects and to undertake new small projects as necessary'. And we all know that they eventually admit this by hiring someone less qualified than they hoped to get in over half of all cases.

It occurs to me that what they need isn't developERS it's developMENT. And for that, I strongly believe there are enough developers, but only if they're managed correctly.

I aim to start a new firm, leveraging contracts to provide impetus and funds to build new tools like AutomatedAPI to further speed the development flywheel and I'll be opening those doors late next week with a new business on IndieHackers.

Does this mean that AutomatedAPI.com is dead? Absolutely not. This is just a change in vision that places it in a new position, as the first sprocket on a development flywheel that will help me to guide and enable development on hundreds (or thousands) of interesting projects for customers, when my previous approach might have limited me to only double digits in my career.

Hope to help you all in the coming years. Cheers.

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