> I decided to use my free time to develop a few junk apps. ...
> Conclusion.. I released five "throwaway" Android apps, essentially to test various ideas ... resulted in a net loss.... I've come to realize that this path is a dead-end. ... The chances of creating something of value are slim...
Junk apps don't add value to anyone. Cool, good to know.
I think "making junk / throw away apps" is the wrong idea, or the wrong way to look at it. The goal shouldn't be "to make junk" as junk is worthless, but instead, the most bare-bones version of your core idea, so you can test to see if there's someone out there who values that idea.
In addition to that, i think a certain amount of polish is needed for those ideas to be accepted. If one really wants to go down this route, then it's perhaps better to look at making apps as "practice runs" - each one bettering and perfecting the skills for the next..
This article is probably good information to counter the "how i made $50,000 easily making a simple app" clickbait.
I’m not sure I see the point here. I made bad apps and made no money isn’t much of a lesson. The app market isn’t saturated you just intentionally made useless things. If you look at the one app where any significant money was made it was because it was actually useful (at least for a certain period of time). Build useful things and market them well. Don’t build “trash” and cross your fingers.
I like the idea of trying out different things, but what would the outcome have been if instead of making trashy apps they focused on apps that actually filled a void, or added value?
talk to customers
talk to investors
nothing wrong with having a hobby, but don’t ever delude yourself
The mindset is super on the right track, going from working on something polished to "trashy" before validation. It's just not far enough in the not doing work until the idea has some validation axis. Yes, making an android app is probably a bad idea, but how do you even know before you talk to one potential user, if you have no one that has told you they would use it, why build anything?