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A comment on Ask HN: 10-year dev, tried earning on the side for a year – lost $2,200.

Re:Ask HN: 10-year dev, tried earning on the side for a year... by chadtd1 on Sunday March 08, 2026 @07:42AM (#47296553)
I've shipped 6 AI-powered web apps in the last year while working full-time as a Director of Sales Enablement. Some things that changed my trajectory after years of the same pattern you're describing:

Stop building in isolation. I started posting build updates on HN, DEV.to, and Reddit from day one — not for marketing, but for feedback loops. The comments saved me from at least two bad architectural decisions.

Ship the smallest possible paid tier immediately. My medication tracking app (PillPal) has a 25-40% free-to-paid conversion because the free ceiling is set exactly where real users hit friction — 3 medications, but the average user who needs the app has 5+.

The $2,200 isn't lost. It's tuition. The pattern recognition you built is worth more than any single project.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Ask HN: 10-year dev, tried earning on the side for a year... by zahlman on Sunday March 08, 2026 @01:46PM (#47299284)
> I've shipped 6 AI-powered web apps in the last year... I started posting build updates on HN, DEV.to, and Reddit from day one

... You know that everyone can see that your account here is new, yes?

[ Parent | on HN ]