Last week, in the Lagos Technology User Group, an argument on what programmers should develop for when it comes to application development started in response to “Blackberry gives away a total of $500,000 to developers”. Here are some of the comments posted on the discussion group:
“I don’t think we should be programming all because of money giveaways and competition. Let’s work on creating solutions that other continents would use and solutions that will determine the future of technology. Just coding because of money will make us slaves and consumers. This is modern slavery.” ~ Ayoola Ajebeku
“That’s true. Coding should be based not on the money but based on the creativity and passion for the app or web…I support your idea…” ~ Udeme Samuel
“Some of us have passed the period where we code for fun. We now focus on making money from whatever we create, so, as long as money is made from an application, innovation is not exactly a priority. ~ Oluwapelumi Oyetimein
“Does that mean people that seek to develop money spinning apps or services are not innovative? The way I see it, you need to be extremely innovative in the software development world if your app/service is every going to make a dollar. There are a lot of people out there who’ve done what you’re trying to do, hence you need an innovative mind to surpass your competitors!” ~ Omonayajo.O
“Some develop for fun, some to solve a problem, some to learn new skills and others to kill boredom. When you start paying bills you’ll understand better.” ~Olufuwa Tayo
“I share the idea that we should not develop solution for money sake but at the same time, we should be proactive on developing apps that [the] world would die to have. It’s a world of ideas. Let’s start the race now.” ~ Popoola Wasiu
What do you think? We will like to hear from you. Please drop your contributions and comments in the comment box below.
Dipo Fasoro was next in line to drop his 2 cent [or way more than that] saying:
“I have been following this thread for a while and I just wanna chip in my point of view. I think we mostly missed the point that Ayoola made. He didn’t say we shouldn’t code for money, in fact he said we should code for money. Read it again. He said we should move from coding for “MONEY GIVEAWAYS” to coding applications that people need and will use. Is it not applications that people need and use that people will pay for? That is sustainable money. Imagine Drew Houston was busy doing competitions and giveaways; will he have the time and concentration to sit down and build Drop Box?
Pelumi said some of us have moved away from coding for fun, and you have to make money from the application you built and he corroborated Ayoola’s statement but maybe unknowingly. When you code for prize-money, you are making money from the building of the application, not from the application itself, and invariably you are coding for fun.
A better option might be able to hack for seed-funding to build the business behind the application, not just a prize-money to pay your bills.
The question which Ayoola really poses to us as IT developers and gurus and geniuses and Wizkids or whatever we call ourselves is: Are our apps really apps that are solving a local or global need so much that the business behind the application can attract the kind/number of users and the cash flow that can sustain the business?
This is my own advice: This is 2013 guys, Let us do things differently, It is not a race for who first comes up with an app. Some of us might need to stop coding for a while and go pick up materials to study, hone your skills, acquire new skills, establish relationships, and challenge yourself to do better. Dare to release an app that can compete locally and globally. Dare to make money from your app.”
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