Lack of inspiration for creating my own app/web/product

[rudokotrla]

Hi I am 26 yo software developer. I've lost quite of my time since age of 18 up until 24 by not advancing with the pace I wanted and mostly unsuccessfully studying at UNI but not gathering work experience (I was fearful + thought I won't manage working aside studying CS) or thinking deeply about my future career. At age 24 I finally realized that I need to make a leap forward, ditched college and got a job as a frontend developer (doing UIs mostly). It is a decent job, I have gained a lot of experience in the field, the company I work in is really good when it comes to keeping its employees happy in every aspect - unlimited HO, got a raise multiple times, etc. 

However I feel, with the work I do, that it is not for me. That it is not what I want to do ultimately. The biggest issue is that I have no relationship for the work I am delivering or the products I am creating. They are no my ideas and I feel like a mercenary selling his services only (whom I in fact am). I might have had a really productive day, but at the end of it I say to myself: "Okay, but how does the work I've done today serves me in the future?". The answer is that apart from experience I have nothing from it - it is delivered and the product owner is now reaping benefits from it (usually much larger than price of my work ofc). 
So I've come to the realization that I want to be a product owner. I want to create my own products. This is where my current pitfall is.

I know I want to create my own products doing the similar work I am doing, however, not necessarily limiting to only my current skills and fields of knowledge. I know that I want to still create as a software engineer because (at least now) this is a passion for me. The problem is that I think I have no really good ideas to start with. I always depicted myself as that person who comes up with a great idea for an app or web platform that will serve to millions of people. However when I try to come up with some ideas, they are all funny and I doubt they would work in real world. I've also settled down with the thought that, at the beginning, it is more realistic to start at least creating products for some smaller clients on my own, which I feel  is effectively same "mercenary work" but at least with a bit of bigger freedom in the creation process (and bigger income). However this is not easy to do on my own (it requires a team nowadays in most cases) and by grouping with or hiring other people I would be doing the same that the company I currently work for is doing. 

Nevertheless, the point is, that I lack the inspiration how to advance forward by the transition to be "my own product owner" and the more I want to "brainstorm" some great idea the more I think it is far off from what would succeed in real world. I welcome any thoughts of inspiration or critique of my thought processes. Actually, any other point of view will enrich me. 

[Leo Gura]

What you do is you keep doing mercenary work to build up your savings. But in the meantime you also experiment with new app ideas.

You can't just sit around and hope that some great idea will pop into your head. You need to work the problem. Research new apps, download them, play with them, talk to people and ask them what kind of apps they need, what features they are missing, etc. This is called doing research. A lot of research is required before you start to get good ideaa for new products. A new product idea comes as you expertly explore existing products and bump into their limitations.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Leo Gura

[Dauntment]

*Speaking from someone who is developing software/building a product*

Speaking freely as I have little idea about you but: I'd suggest either lead with passion (I love what I am doing) or venture (this product will explicitly earn money). Personally, I would advise looking into "Web3" as there are many opportunities to tackle HUGE markets as the space could be seen as a frontier. Another unique quality about Tech is that its always evolving and you should try to stay on the cutting-edge as much as possible (seeing that you want to refrain from "mercenary work"). Lastly, with the release of ChatGPT and all other AI tools......there has never been a better time in the history of the world to solo build software. 

You want to be a product owner? Ok. Get off forums. Stop asking people who don't have "skin in the game", research the current technologies, evaluate what skills you currently have and languages your are familiar vs what will need to be learned, etc.

You can't be an (original) OWNER and outsource the vision to someone else, it should be YOU selling IT to OTHERS. Good luck

[Staples]

@rudokotrla Do you have a specific person you look up to or an app that inspires you?

Ask them how they did it, try and get to know the creator. Sometimes one good email can set you on the right path. 

Also why do you want to be a product owner? Are you truly ready for that level of responsibility? You might be, but you haven't said anything about that yet. And be aware once you become a product owner, or get started, your desires may change. My goals and aspirations have changed significantly as I worked towards my life purpose. It's a constant evolution, not a plan you concoct and then execute over the next 30 years of your career.

[Michal__]

Read "12 months to 1 million" so your brain start synthesizing ideas and ideally it pushes you straight into action.

[rudokotrla]

Thank you all heartfully for all the replies. A lot of resourceful ideas to think about. I will absorb it and then post a reply. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by rudokotrla