There is no shortcut to success. Everything must be done one step at a time with enough effort, perseverance, and a bit of luck to become financially successful.

In this blog, I'll provide an easy-to-follow guide on how to become a solo developer and make money working independently.

## Step 1. Learn a programming language.

Learning a programming language is the first step to becoming a solo developer.

A programming language is necessary to build a software application.

For instance, if you want to build a game using Unity, a game engine, you must be well-versed in the C# programming language.

On the other hand, if you want to build a website, then you must know how to use JavaScript.

So, start by learning the basics of a programming language, creating projects using it, and then proceeding to the next step.

## Step 2. Learn how to use a framework, a game engine, or an API.

After you have learned a programming language, it is time to learn how it is implemented in the real world.

A framework is a piece of software that is used to easily build or create another application.

When you've learned how to use JavaScript, you should also learn how to use React to build UI components for your website.

It's quite fun and challenging, and you can learn the ropes of how to build a website using components.

Perhaps you want to learn how to use an Application Programming Interface (API). An API is basically just an interface to connect two or more software applications.

For example, I want to display the current weather in my city today. Then I would use the OpenWeatherMap API to get that information and display it in my app or website. That would be cool, right?

Or you may opt for a game engine like Unity if you have chosen to learn C#.

Unity is a game engine that lets you build games. You'd be surprised to know that a lot of games today are built using Unity.

## Step 3. Build your own software application from scratch.

Using the things that you have learned in Steps 1 and 2, you can now build your own original software application.

It may be a website or a game that you want to build; anything is possible.

Building your own software takes a lot of time and effort. It doesn't happen overnight. It would take weeks, months, or even years, depending on the scale of your dream project.

Regardless of that, carefully plan everything that is needed before you start building your own application.

Pro tip: If you think you can build software within, let's say, a month, in reality it would take you twice that. There's a saying in indie game development that 99% of your time will be spent developing a game, and the other 1% will be spent polishing it over and over again, which is equivalent to 99% of your time again.

## Step 4. Market your application and Deploy it to production.

One of the most important things, besides developing software, is marketing. Without it, not a single soul would know about your application and use it.

That's why you should utilize social media platforms and post some content about your application. You can post a short video of your application. Or you can just post beautiful pictures that will garner some attention from social media users.

After marketing it enough, you can then launch your application and let users know. It would depend on your marketing efforts to determine how many users would use your software.

## Step 5. Put a price or advertisement on your software application to earn money.

Before launching your software, like a game, on Steam, you can put a price on it, so players would need to buy your game before playing it. That's how you earn money while developing games.

If it's a website, after having a constant flow of traffic, you can then apply for Google Adsense so you can put some ads on your website to earn some revenue. This way, you can earn money while developing websites.

## Wrapping up

Congratulations! You just earned money working as a solo developer. Personally, these are the steps I took in order to earn a living working independently. I hope it will work out for you, too. I wish you success and good luck as a solo developer. Cheers!