Title: Having built Proxies API and made it to 100 paid users for the first time in my startup life, I tried to compile a list of tips for other developers like me who might be thinking of starting something on their own.<p>Developers are a different beast, and the advice here may not apply to anyone who is not a developer and is a normal human being.<p>Pick an idea you have used. When you start a startup one of the persistent problems you face is that you don&#x27;t relate to the problem. If you are not a parent, its almost impossible to relate to any conversations that parents have about their troubles. You just don’t. This lack of empathy in a startup setting adds up to a huge disadvantage and will never allow you to be fully confident in what you are doing.
2. Pick an idea you have already paid for: If you have ever paid for a service, think very carefully about that. Can you code it yourself if you give yourself a few months? It is because developers don’t pay for shit. If an app forced you to do that, then there must a real need for that app.<p>3. Don’t pick something that needs a pretty UI: My product Proxies API is an API. I can get away with almost no UI. It is such a relief that I don’t have to work with a designer. I find that I am 4 to 5 times faster when I don’t have to deal with UI stuff.<p>4. Don’t pick anything that you need in-person sales for. Marketing is a developer’s friend. I realized this only later in my life. In-person sales are very weird for the developer personality. My advice. Don&#x27;t do it. Learn how to market instead.<p>5. Pick something that is a self-serve model: People signup for a trial and decide to pay or not pay based on their trial experience. This is a beast that you can conquer. You don’t want to be going around talking to actual humans. It is not for us.<p>6. Try writing: If you can code and write, you will win the world. The whole success of Proxies API is based on constant improvements to code and a little bit of consistent writing over time.<p>7. Keep it real: Be clear on your motivations. I know that developers are not motivated by the prospect of making millions. But they are excited by the promise of financial freedom. So I was clear on my motivations when starting Proxies API — I didn’t want it to make me millions. I wanted it to give me financial freedom by earning what I earned in my day job. I didn’t need a penny more. By being clear about it, you are not living someone else’s life but your own, and it will give you the necessary fuel to keep going.<p>Have fun.<p>The author is the founder of Proxies API the rotating proxies service.<p>This article originally appeared here: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.proxiesapi.com&#x2F;blog&#x2F;Tips-For-Developers-Who-Want-To-Build-A-SAAS-Startup.php
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